Dinner Dilemmas

So here is the deal, I think that I have become a little lazy in my cooking (and my blogging too), lately it has been really hard to come up with something to pull together that will please my husband, the almost 2 year old, the 6 year old, and myself. Perhaps it is the lack of wonderful farm fresh vegetables that I get from the Farmer's Markets near me, or could it just be that while spring has sprung, I am not finding a way in which to add some spring to my cooking?
Tonight's dilemma is split chicken breasts....
I have the package defrosting, but I am not sure if they will be ready to cook any time soon as at last check they were pretty frozen still....
The other issue is that I have no idea what to do with these breasts.....
So off I head to google to see what others have done with this cut of meat. Well I like that the lady over at $5 dinners makes them into boneless skinless breasts, that at least gives me some more options, but I really don't know if I want to the work.... While I am cruising different ideas I have a moment of clarity, MY BASE!!!!
My base you are thinking, what in the heck is this lady talking about, please let me tell you....

Base for Almost any Meal Recipe
1 24 ounce can of diced tomatoes, partially drained
1 onion, diced
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
5 sprigs of fresh thyme, (more if you like)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 cup of dry white wine or vermouth
1 to 2 cups of chicken broth
Optional: 1 finely grated carrot

In a large skillet heat olive oil and add onion and garlic sautéing for 5 to 10 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add in carrot if using, wine, broth, thyme, and tomatoes, simmer for 20 minutes to let flavors combine. From this point, you can add the base to pasta, through in some shrimp, beef, or chicken and simmer until meat is cooked through. I have used this base for beef shanks, shrimp, and now split chicken breasts. If the tomato base starts drying out just add some more wine or broth. Yummm....

Crockpot Chicken Gumbo

It would have been nice if I as able to post this before Mardi Gras rather than after, but better late than never, especially with a recipe this easy and tasty. This meal is fast becoming a family favorite as I have made it three times in a month and a half. I hope that your family enjoys this too.



Crock Pot Chicken Gumbo

2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces

1 large onion, diced

2 stalks of celery with leaves, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 24 ounce can of diced tomatoes, partially drained

1 box of chicken broth

3-6 tablespoons of Creole seasoning

Cooked white rice

Combine all ingredients but rice in a crock-pot and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Serve over white rice. Enjoy.

Chicken Stew/Cassoulet

I love the flavors that go into the traditional french cassoulet, but I never have all the pork products needed to make it, so instead I play around and today is no exception. Chicken and prosciutto are the meats today, and while I have no served it up yet, the smell in the house is wonderful to all expect the almost six year old.



Chicken Cassoulet



1 3 lb package of boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 large can of diced tomatoes

1/2 lb of prosciutto, browned

2 small onions, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 tablespoons of diced celery leaves

8 sprigs of thyme

3 cloves of garlic, smashed

1 box of chicken broth

1 can of great northern beans, rinsed and drained



Take all ingredients and place in a crock pot, cook on low for about 6 hours or until chicken is falling apart. Serve in a bowl with crusty bread and a nice white wine, enjoy.

Enchiladas

My family and I are huge fans of chicken enchiladas. I love it because it is an easy meal to make ahead and it is a great use of left over chicken. My kids like all the gooey cheese, and my husband just likes eating some kind of Mexican food. Without further ado, here is the super simple recipe....

2 chicken breasts, shredded
1 or 2 chopped Serranos
2 cans of enchilada sauce
1 brick of Colby jack, shredded
1 package of corn tortillas
1 tomato, diced
2 green onions, chopped
sour cream

Take your shredded chicken and place in a bowl, add in serranos, and pour about 3/4 of can of enchilada sauce over chicken and peppers. Mix and set aside. In a small pan, heat up about 1/4 teaspoon of oil. Pour remaining 1/4 can of sauce into a shallow baking dish (depending on how many enchiladas I am making I use 9x13 or 8x8). Take one tortilla and dip both sides in sauce and place in heated pan until sauce is fired in to tortilla. When the tortilla is fried up, take about 1 tablespoon of chicken mixture, some cheese, and roll up in the tortilla, like making a wrap. Place prepared enchilada back in baking dish and repeat until chicken mixture is gone or baking dish is full. Open the other can of sauce and pour over the top of enchiladas, cover with more cheese and either cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to cook, or cook at 350 for around 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with sour cream, tomatoes, green onions.

Single Serving Asian Chicken Salad

I am cleaning up my computer, and I found this recipe hiden amount other documents. This was one of my first recipes that anyone ever asked me to share. I hope that you enjoy this easy single serving salad.

Asian Chicken Salad


1 to 2 cups of red cabbage
1 or 2 carrots
1 green onion
1 chicken breast
Soy Vay Cha-Cha Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing
A handful of peanuts
Some sliced almonds
Some chow mien noodles (optional)


Dice cabbage and place in large bowl, wash carrots and peel into the cabbage bowl, cut green onion and add to cabbage. For quick cooking boil chicken breast, shred and add meat to cabbage mixture For more a flavorful version marinate chicken in a mixture of soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, red pepper flakes, and green onion for a half hour and then grill to desired doneness. Dice meat and add to cabbage… Pour desired amount of dressing over salad and add nuts, before serving add crispy chow mien noodles or sesame sticks. For an added bit of fun add Madrin Oranges too.

Tequila and Lime Chicken

Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken



3/4 cup of Tequila (make one that you would be willing to drink too, little "airplane" bottles are great for this dish)

5 limes

1/4 cup of diced onion

2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro

a splash of orange juice

a splash of Tapatio

1 package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs



In a large non-reactive bowl mix tequila, onion, cilantro, orange juice, and Tapatio. Zest two of the limes and add zest to tequila marinade. Juice all five of the limes and add the juice to tequila marinade. Place chicken in the marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Heat the grill on high and when the temperature hits 350 degrees F, place chicken on grill, reserving the marinade, and cover. Cook for five minutes on one side, flip and continue cooking till done. While chicken is cook pour reserved marinade into a small pot and reduce till liquid slightly thickens. Remove chicken from grill and pour reduced marinade over the chicken, keeping the solids in the pot. Garnish with diced onion and cilantro, serve with lime wedge.



Katrina's Tequila Lime Chicken

Mexican Grilled Chicken with Black Bean Salad

Like I said in the wine post, it was girls night so we decided to go south of the border for our flavors and attempt a recipe that my husband makes much better than I do. I will have to update this post after he makes it one night so I can figure out what he does differently with the marinade, but for now here is my version.

Mexican Grilled Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 bottle of Mexican Beer (I recommend Pacifico)

1 lime

1/4 cup of coarsely chopped onion

1/4 cup of Tapatio

In a large bowl combine beer, hot sauce, and onion. Cut lime in half and squeeze the juice from both halves into beer mixture and add the lime halves to the mix. Taste and if flavors are all present add chicken. Cover bowl and marinade overnight. Heat grill on high and cook chicken for around 10 minutes on each side. Serve with black bean salad.

Black Bean Salad

1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup of frozen or fresh corn

1/2 cup of diced red onion

2 serrano peppers, sliced thin

1 red bell pepper, diced

the juice from 2 limes

In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate, serve when cool.

Stuffing Stufted Chicken

I have a problem figuring out how to use leftovers. I used to make my husband a lunch that was made up of the leftovers from the night before, but that doesn't work anymore. John doesn't get packed lunches quite yet, and I tend to eat sandwiches for lunch, so I felt it was time to get creative and came up with this recipe using the left over stuffing from our pork chop dinner the other night. This meal was a big hit, next time I will add some more yummy things to the stuffing, but this worked for the first time making this recipe.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 granny smith or other tart green apples, peeled and diced

1 1/2 cups of cooked stuffing

1/3 cup of diced onion

a pinch of dried sage and parsley

salt and pepper to season

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a medium sized pan to medium high, add onions and apples and cook for about 5 minutes or until apples are soft. Remove apples and onions from skillet and mix with cooked stuffing. Butterfly cut chicken breasts, and place 1/4 of stuffing mixture inside, season breasts with sage, parsley, salt, and pepper and place in a shallow baking dish. Cook in the oven for about 30 minutes. Serve with a salad of blue cheese, apples, dried cranberries, and walnuts.

Soup to Heal

I have been plagued by a sinus bug the past few days and I have a recipe that never fails to clear me out and make me feel better, it is my version of Caldo Tlalpeno, or Mexican Chicken Soup. To let you know in advance this is not a recipe for those who cannot handle spicy. I grew up in Southern California and have been eating spicy foods for most of my life, it takes tons of heat before I am unable to eat something, this recipe does not push the threshold for me, but for those who find a jalapeno spicy, you are not going to like this dish.

1 32oz. carton of Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth/Stock
1 can of chicken noodle soup
1-2 organic chicken breasts, diced into 1 inch cubes
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1-3 serrano peppers, sliced with seeds, how many you use depends on how spicy you want the soup
1 onion, diced
1 plum tomato, diced
2 carrots, sliced
2 tablespoon of fresh chopped cilantro
1-2 tablespoons of Tapatio
salt and pepper to season

Heat a large pot on low. Add chicken broth, onion, serranos, and the broth from one can of chicken noodle soup. Heat on low for around a half hour. While onions and serranos are cooking with broth heat a large skillet on high and add oil, before oil starts smoking, add chicken seasoned with salt and pepper, and brown for about 5-7 minutes. When chicken is done browning, add to broth mixture. Now is the time to taste the soup, if you do not feel that the soup is spicy enough, add some Tapatio, then bring soup to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer on low for another half hour. To serve soup, in each bowl add a portion of tomatoes, carrots, and cilantro, pour soup over uncooked vegetables and serve.

Perfect Kids Meal

The other night a friend came over for dinner with her two kids. I knew what I was making us, but I did not think that the boys were going to enjoy the meal as much as us. I took some chicken tenders and season them with seasoned salt, garlic powder, and pepper, and cooked them in a skillet until browned. I served these up with some fresh veggies and fries. This meal got three boys to sit still and clean their plates. Considering the ages of the kids, this is a blessing for any parent with preschool aged kids. I hope you give it a try on a night were you want to enjoy a later meal without the kids.