Chicken

Spinach & Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken

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I think Valentine’s Day is making me nostalgic because I have been dying to make this recipe. It was part of the first real meal I ever made Chuck before we even started dating. I was still in my “Eat Clean” only phase of life so it’s also a completely clean recipe, even though you would never guess it once you taste it.

A couple things to take note of: I used broth in the baking dish helps to keep the chicken moist, while also adding just a touch more flavor. I have also used frozen spinach and skipped the sautéing step, I just think fresh spinach is so much better, that’s personal taste though. I have also added a little cracked red pepper to the spinach mix for something a little different, however again it’s up to your personal tastes.

Spinach & Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp parsley

½ tsp thyme

2 cups fresh baby spinach

½ cup shredded mozzarella (fat free)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Pre heat the oven to 350. In a small baking dish combine the first 5 ingredients, and set aside. In a small sauté pan sauté the spinach with oil just enough to get a good wilt on it (1-2 minutes). Then remove from heat and combine in a bowl with the mozzarella. Trim any gristle and fat from the chicken, and laying it flat cut a slit along the side of the chicken, deep enough to create a pocket. With your hands stuff the pocket with the spinach mixture. You may need to secure it in place with a tooth pick. Place the chicken in the baking dish and spoon the broth over the top. Place in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes, occasionally spooning the broth over the top. Serve warm.

I love this dish because it goes with a lot and can also stand on its own. The juicy chicken is moist and flavorful, while the inside is all melty and comforting. This time I chose to serve it with rice and broccoli, but I have also served it with pasta and tomato sauce. It’s so good, and even makes great leftovers.

Crock Pot Pesto Chicken

By Jessica

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This might be the easiest recipe ever. It has only a handful of ingredients, most of which I can pull out of my freezer and pantry at any time. It can be made on the stove top, oven or in the crock pot. I have been so busy lately and this is one of those last minute recipe wonders that helps me keep my life together.

You will notice there are a list of necessary ingredients as well as a list of optional ingredients. This is because I use what I have on hand at the time, and what is in season. I have also added some random vegetables such as carrot, and squash with varying results. I suggest you experiment and find out what works best for your particular tastes.

Crock Pot Pesto Chicken

Necessary Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tbs prepared Pesto

1 can cream of chicken soup

Prepared starch of choice

Optional Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped

1-2 cups of baby spinach

2 large tomatoes, deseeded and chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

For the Crock Pot

Place all necessary ingredients in a large crock pot. At this time also add onion, and red pepper if desired. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Once it is cooked use a fork to pull chicken apart, and stir in spinach. Turn the crock pot on high for an additional few minutes until the spinach wilts. Serve over prepared rice or pasta and top with tomato.

For the Oven

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all necessary ingredients in a large baking pan. At this time also add onion, and red pepper if desired. Place in the oven for roughly 45 minutes, or until the chicken juices run clear. Once it is cooked use a fork to pull chicken apart, and stir in spinach. Place back in the oven at 425 for about 10 minutes, or until the spinach wilts. Serve over prepared rice or pasta and top with tomato.

For the Stove Top

Cut the chicken into 1-2 inch pieces. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté onion and chicken until the onion has softened and the chicken has become opaque (10 minutes or so). Add in the red pepper, pesto, and condensed chicken soup, cook for 5 minutes or so, stirring continuously. Next add the spinach and allow it to wilt 1-2 minutes. Serve warm over starch of your choice and topped with tomato.

See how versatile?

Lemon Oregano Chicken and Green Beans

By Jessica

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Today I want to share a recipe that I have made a few times. It is delicious! As well as a wonderful recipe to dress up a cheaper cut of meat. Now the original recipe called for boneless chicken thighs but after making it a few times I have altered it for bone-in thighs because let’s be honest that’s what usually on sale, and we all like it when we can use things that are on sale.

Another huge alteration is that I added some green beans to the mix. As you may know I am trying to add more vegetables to our diets, I am trying to make them the superstar of our meals, as opposed to the meat, and well though there isn’t much for vegetables in this one it’s certainly a start.

Lemon Oregano Chicken & Green Beans

1 lemon, sliced thin (discard seeds)

4 Large skin-on, boneless chicken thighs (for bon in us (x) cooking times)

Salt & pepper to taste

1 tbs olive oil

3 sprigs of oregano

1 minced shallot

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Preheat oven to 425°. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a nonstick, oven safe skillet. Place the chicken skin side down and cook through, pouring off excess fat. Allow the skin to brown, for roughly 10 minutes (15-20 minutes). Scatter half the lemon slices over the chicken and the other half on the bottom of the skillet and place in the oven, roasting until the skin is crisp and slices in the skillet have caramelized, 5-8 minutes (10-15 minutes). Remove the chicken to a plate, skin side up (to keep it crispy), as well as the lemon from the skillet, leaving the slices on top of the chicken in the pan. Over medium heat add oregano, shallot and red pepper flakes. Cook until the shallot begins to soften and the mixture smells fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the green beans and toss. Add in the wind and continue to cook until it has reduced by half, 2-3 minutes. Next add in the broth and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. Adjust the seasonings and return the chicken (skin side up) and lemons to the skillet to rewarm. Serve with sauce from the pan drizzled on top.

I suggest making a mellow side dish of pasta, without much fuss on it, maybe just some parmesan cheese, because the sauce from this dish is so good you will want to dowse your whole plate in it. The super crispy skin and crisp green beans add a dimension of crunch and taste that marries so well together you will think you’ve died and gone to heaven, at least that’s how I feel about it. Every time I make this I feel as though I’m eating at a restaurant. And leftovers the next day are just as good, though you may lose some crispiness on the skin, the sauce has had time to really soak in and it’s downright dreamy. Can you tell how much I like this recipe?

On a side note I am thinking of doing a giveaway soon. Any ideas?

Asian Grilled Chicken Salad

By Jessica

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Ok, so if you read my plan for the next two weeks in my last post you saw that I was planning on making Asian Marinated Scallops over salad. Well I changed my mind, which it to be allowed since I made up my own meal plan anyway. I found that bay scallops were on sale instead of the larger diver scallops and I have a totally different recipe that I want to try with those, so I opted for the chicken version of the salad instead. It was just as good let me tell you. Chuck heartily approved, using an extra piece of chicken for his lunch the following day.

Asian Marinated Chicken

2 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs rice vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbs brown sugar

1 tbs olive oil

Whisk together and pour over chicken breast. Place covered in the fridge for 30 minutes. After marinating place the chicken on a preheated grill. Cook until juices run clear, turning once. You may also cook it in a flat skillet over medium high heat.

Salad

1 cup mixed greens

1cup shredded cabbage

1 cucumber, chopped

2 large carrots, julienned

1 stalks celery, julienned

4 long scallions, thinly sliced

1 clementine or mandarin orange, peeled and sectioned

1 tbs oil

1 package Ramen noodles

¼ cup slivered almonds

1 tbs Sesame seeds

In a small skillet heat oil and stir in noodles, almonds, and sesame seeds. Cook on medium low stirring continuously until golden brown, and remove from heat to cool. In a large bowl combine all other ingredients. Once the noodle mixture has cooled slightly add to the vegetable mixture and toss.

Dressing

2 tbs rice vinegar

1 tbs low sodium soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp honey

In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients until well blended.

Plate the salad, and top with chicken and dressing to serve.

Now before you all go on about using ramen noodles, they aren’t as bad as you think. What is bad for you is the ramen noodle soup mix; that little packet of flavor that is discarded in this recipe. It is full of sodium and sugars that while making it tasty also make it very unhealthy. I typically use half of the ramen noodle package for a salad for two people, so what little carbs that are there from the noodles aren’t going kill you, I promise.

Chicken Pot Pie: Like your Great-Grand-Momma made it!

By Jessica

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I am so excited to share this recipe. It is a quintessential pot pie, made the old fashioned way. I mean the real old fashioned way, with butter, flour, water, chicken, herbs, and veggies.

The night before I made this I roasted a chicken, because well it was on sale of course! I used the leftovers to make broth (post coming), saved the drippings and chicken pieces for this recipe. If you don’t have a whole roast you can also use bone in thighs, legs, and the like.

I made a large family sized one as well as an individual one for me to take in my lunch the next day. It was perfectly comforting on the cold rainy day that it was.

Great Gram’s Chicken Pot Pie

2 tbsp drippings (Butter may be substituted)

1 onion, chopped

¾ cup all-purpose Flour

3 cups chicken broth

2 large carrots, diced

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

½ cup minced fresh parsley1/2 cup chicken pieces

2 pie crusts (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet heat chicken drippings, and sauté onions until they become translucent, roughly 10 minutes. Stir in flour, until well blended and simmer roughly 2 minutes. Then add broth, continuing to stir until mixture thickens. Add chicken, vegetables, parsley and salt & pepper to taste. Mix well. Move filling to individual oven safe containers, divided evenly. Cover the top with pie crust liberally, with an inch or two hanging over the edge. If you are using a pie tin or an oven safe skillet you can crimp the dough as you would a sweet pie. Add a few slits to let out steam. Sprinkle the top with sea salt, and place in the oven for 1 hour, or until the top turns golden, and the filling begins to bubble. Serve warm.

Pastry:

1 cup unsalted butter, frozen

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 tbsp sugar

1/3 cup ice water

Combine flour and sugar in a large bowl. Great butter into the bowl, stirring frequently. Stir mixture with a fork continuously while pouring in the cold water. Stop stirring when the dough begins to clump. Use your hands to lightly knead the dough until it forms a ball. Divide this into two parts, and flatten each with the use of a rolling pin.

Chicken

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