Easy Herbed Chicken

I was in need of another quick, but delicious, idea for chicken breasts. I am constantly trying to reinvent them in my house, because it's our main source of protein. I found this on Recipezaar.com, and it sounded both delicious and easy.

I baked the chicken in the oven instead of grilling, and it was perfect! Delicious, juicy chicken that is prepared and ready in no time.

Easy Herbed Chicken
Source: Recipezaar

• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 4-6 chicken breasts

Directions

Combine all ingredients except the chicken in a large Ziploc bag and mix. Add chicken breasts.

Marinate in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes, no longer then that.

Grill, or bake at 350 degrees F until no longer pink.

Baked Coconut Chicken Curry

I've been moderately afraid of trying dishes with curry. I was afraid I wouldn't like it. Many months ago, I made Ina's curried cous cous and fell in love. I decided it was finally time to make something else, now that I knew it wasn't so scary, and went with this baked chicken curry.
This dish only intensified my love for curry.  I went with 2 teaspoons of cayenne and the full 2 tablespoons of curry, and it was fantastic!  A perfect blend of heat and flavor.  My husband and I were fighting over the leftovers! 

Baked Coconut Curry Chicken
Source: Slightly adapted from Check it out

• 2 1/2 pounds chicken (I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
• 1 can coconut milk (I use light coconut milk)
  
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2-3 teaspoons cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like your food)
• 2 tablespoons curry powder (again depending on how much you like curry)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar (alternative sugars, such as agave nectar, work fine!)
  
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2-4 carrots, peeled and sliced on the bias
• 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
• white or brown rice, for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Wash and pat dry the chicken with a paper towel. Pour the chicken broth, coconut milk, and jalapenos in a baking dish then lay the chicken in the broth. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle the rest of the spices and squeeze the lime all over the chicken and broth. Add the carrots.

Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven, carefully remove the foil and mix up the broth mixture so the coconut milk breaks up. Put the baking dish back in the oven uncovered for another 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and very tender.

Once you remove the baking dish from the oven, carefully pour the sauce into a saucepan and add 1 tablespoon butter (optional - I made it without the butter and it was delicious!). Mix using a whisk, bring the sauce to a boil and whisk till smooth and reduced. Taste the sauce to make sure it is spicy enough for your liking. If not, add more cayenne pepper and curry powder. Serve chicken and carrots over rice and add the reduced sauce.

Merry Christmas!

I made some simple wreath sugar cookies to celebrate the holiday. A leaf tip with green royal icing made a perfect wreath! I hope everyone has a great holiday season!

Caramel Corn

Caramel corn sounded like the perfect addition to my holiday baking baskets for friends. I'm always intimidated by caramel, since I seem to be adept at burning it, but this was really easy to make and turned out fabulous! Next time I make it (as my husband is already requesting another batch), I'll add the peanuts.



 Caramel Corn
Source: Christie's Corner/Good Things Catered

• 1 cup popcorn unpopped (or 3 bags microwave popcorn)
  
• 1 cup butter (use just 1/2 cup if using microwave popcorn)
  
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups peanuts (optional)
  

Instructions

1. Pop popcorn using your preferred method.
2. Place popped corn and peanuts (if using) in a very large bowl. If you don’t have a big enough bowl, use two bowls. You will need lots of room to toss the corn when coating it.
3. Preheat oven to 250F.
4. In a 2-quart saucepan, over medium heat, gently melt the butter.
5. Stir in the corn syrup, brown sugar and salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the sugar mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
6. Boil for 5 minutes without stirring.
7. Remove from the heat, stir in the baking soda and vanilla. Note: The mixture will foam and become frothy.
8. Pour the caramel sauce over the popped corn and toss to coat throughly. Don’t worry about clumps as the caramel will remain spreadable while cooking and the coating can be evened out.
9. Spread the popcorn evenly onto 2 large cookie or baking sheets. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.
10. Spoon cooked popcorn onto waxed paper and allow to cool before breaking apart.
11. Keep grubby handed scavengers at bay with a wooden spoon while you seal cooled caramel corn in an airtight container — Or serve immediately.

Candy Cane Biscotti

In addition to gingerbread and chocolate biscotti, I made these candy cane ones. They just sounded perfect to me, and I even found a box of already damaged candy canes at the store. It felt good saving that box of misfit candy canes, and saved me some work in the kitchen having to break them up!

I almost added a touch of vanilla or peppermint extract to the dough, and I wish I had, but they were still delicious, with lots of minty candy cane spread throughout the cookie. Yum!

Clearly, I was too lazy to dip mine in white chocolate, but I do think that makes a great presentation for these cookies. Maybe next time. :-)



Candy Cane Biscotti
Source: Loves to Eat, Culinary in the Desert
Yield: About 2 1/2 dozen for me

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup finely crushed peppermint candy canes
• 14 ounces fine quality white chocolate, melted
• extra crushed candy canes to sprinkle on top

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined – stir in crushed candy.
Evenly divide dough into 4 pieces on a lightly floured surface. Shape each piece into 9″ x 1 1/2″ round log. Place logs 3 inches apart onto parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake until tops are cracked and ends just start to turn light brown, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 325. Cool logs 10 minutes on cookie sheet.
Cut each log diagonally into 1/2″ slices with sharp serrated knife.  Arrange pieces standing up back onto the baking sheet.
Bake until cookies are light golden brown and crisp on both sides, about 12 to 15 minutes. The centers may still be a little soft, but will firm up as they cool. Place onto cool rack and cool completely.
Dip half of each biscotti into melted chocolate – shake off excess. Immediately sprinkle with additional crushed candy canes and set on a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet until the chocolate has set.

Gingerbread Biscotti

This year I decided to make some biscotti to share with friends and family during the holiday season. These gingerbread biscotti were so easy to make, and taste fabulous! I thought it sounded like a lot of spices when I was adding them, but the flavor was just perfect, and not overbearing at all.

On a side note, this seems like the perfect recipe to adapt for the clean eating lifestyle. Why use white sugar and then add molasses? It seems obvious to me, now, that using sucanat - which still retains it's natural molasses - would be a better choice. I can't wait to try it out, and I'll update you when I do!


Gingerbread Biscotti
Source: Loves to Eat, Allrecipes.
Yield: About 2 1/2 dozen for me (perhaps I cut them thick?)

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 3/4 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet. In a large bowl, mix together oil, sugar, eggs, and molasses. In another bowl, combine flours, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg; mix into egg mixture to form a stiff dough. Divide dough in half, and shape each half into a roll the length of the cookie sheet. Place rolls on cookie sheet, and pat down to flatten the dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool. When cool enough to touch, cut into 1/2 inch thick diagonal slices. Place sliced biscotti on cookie sheet, and bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until toasted and crispy.

Potato Tomato Tart

I am finally nearing the end of the 8 pound bag of potatoes I bought to make gnocchi. This tart was a great way to get rid of two more - it's delicious and doesn't require much effort!

I had Idaho potatoes, so I used that instead of the yukon gold she suggests. The tart still turned out great, though I can imagine how wonderful creamy yukon golds would be! I don't have a mandoline for beautiful even slicing, so my layers were kind of wonky. I didn't even bother trying to get it out of the pan in one piece (since I picked a terrible, high sided pan for this), but it was so soft I could cut it with my spatula and serve it right out of the pan. Perfect!

Served on an authentic Florentine hand-painted plate - which I thought was a perfect fit.

Potato Tomato Tart
Source: The Way the Cookie Crumbles, slight adapted wording.
Serves 2 for a light meal

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, sliced thin
salt and pepper
2 large (or maybe 3 small) plum tomatoes, sliced thin
2½ ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced thin (or just over ½ cup shredded)
3-4 basil leaves, sliced thin

1. Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Arrange the potatoes in one layer on the bottom of the skillet, overlapping each slice. Season with pepper and a generous pinch of salt. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are almost tender and are lightly browned on the bottom.

2. Arrange the tomatoes in one layer of overlapping slices over the potatoes. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, until the tomatoes are slightly softened. Evenly disperse the mozzarella over the tomatoes and cook a few minutes, until it’s melty. Sprinkle the top of the tart with basil.

3. Transfer the tart as little as possible, or cut and serve straight from the pan.

Balsamic Baked Potatoes

I knew this recipe was going to be a hit when I first saw it, so I didn't wait long to try it! Although they take long to bake the preparation is quick and simple, and they would be great to serve for company since they can bake away, nearly unattended, while you mingle. These are definitely my new favorite way to prepare potatoes, and they made a perfect pairing to the Mediterranean Chicken Packets!

Balsamic Baked Potatoes
Source: Everyday Food, November 2009
Serves 4

• 1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, halved or quartered if large
• 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 8 garlic cloves, smashed
• 5 sprigs of thyme ( I used 1.5-2 tablespoons of dried thyme)
  
• coarse salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In an 8-inch square baking dish, combine potatoes, broth, vinegar, garlic, thyme; season with salt and pepper.  Bake until potatoes are tender and liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 1 1/4 hours, tossing twice.

Nutritional Information per serving:
Calories: 155
Total Fat: 0.3 g
Sat Fat: 0.1 g
Carbohydrates: 34.3 g
Fiber: 3.9 g
Protein: 4.7 g

Mediterranean Chicken Packets

This meal had all the flavors we love, so I knew it would be a hit.  As a bonus, it is easy to prepare and bakes up quickly.  Between the capers, olives, and feta, I decided there was enough salt and omitted it from the recipe, along with the oil.

Mediterranean Chicken Packets
Source: Slightly adapted from Everyday Food, April 2009
Serves: 4

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
• Ground pepper
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
• 4 artichoke hearts (from a 14-ounce can), quartered
• 12 Kalamata olives, halved and pitted
• 4 teaspoons capers
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta (2 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place four 12-inch squares of parchment paper or heavy-duty foil on a work surface. Place a chicken breast on one half of each square, leaving a 2-inch border; season with pepper.
2. Dividing evenly, top chicken with tomatoes, artichokes, olives, capers, and feta. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Fold parchment over ingredients, and crimp edges to seal.
3. Place packets on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until chicken is opaque throughout, 20 to 22 minutes.

Nutritional Information, per serving with 1 tablespoon oil per recipe
Calories: 344
Total Fat: 14.1 g (I'm guessing this goes down to around 11g with omission of the oil)
Sat. Fat: 4.3 g
Carbohydrates: 9.3 g
Fiber: 1.8 g
Protein: 44.1 g

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Buffalo chicken-anything is one of my husband's favorite foods. Left to his own devices with some chicken and a grill, and you are getting one of two things for dinner: BBQ chicken-something or Buffalo chicken-something. When I saw this recipe for Buffalo chicken pizza from Bridget, one of my most trusted recipe sources, I knew it would be an instant hit! 

Normally, I am not as big of a Buffalo chicken fan as my husband, but I totally fell in love with this pizza!  The combination of flavors is just perfect!


Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Source: The Way the Cookie Crumbles
Serves 3-4

• 1 large bone-in skin-on chicken breast (about 12 ounces)
• salt
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ¼ cup Frank’s hot sauce
• ½ teaspoon packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk or plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• pinch of sugar
• pinch of garlic powder
• 2 ounces (½ cup) mozzarella, shredded
• 1 ounce (¼ cup) blue cheese, crumbled
• ¼ cup red onion or scallions, diced very fine
• 12-16 ounces pizza dough (one third of a recipe calling for about 4 cups of flour), stretched out to 9-12 inches (Whole wheat pizza dough recipe here)
  

1. For the chicken: Stir 2 tablespoons salt into 2 cups cold water until it dissolves. Add the chicken; refrigerate for 30 minutes, then remove the chicken from the brine and pat it dry. Adjust an oven rack to the middle-low position and heat the oven to 450ºF. Heat a small oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan; place the chicken breast in the pan skin-side down. Cook without moving until well-browned, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over and move the pan to the oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken measures 160ºF or the juices run clear when small cut is made in the chicken. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside. When the chicken has cooled enough to handle, remove and discard the skin (or eat it, because it’s crisp and delicious!) and shred the meat with your fingers or two forks. (If you’ve used good chicken, brined it, and pan-roasted it like this, I dare you not to resist stealing bites of the shredded chicken. It’s delicious.) Increase the oven temperature to 500ºF.

2. For the buffalo sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar, hot sauce, and vinegar. Mix the sauce with the shredded chicken.

3. For the white sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the buttermilk or yogurt, mayonnaise, sugar, garlic powder, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

4. Assemble the pizza: Place the pizza dough on a wooden paddle that’s been liberally coated with cornmeal. (Or use parchment paper instead of the cornmeal, or the back of a baking sheet instead of the paddle.) Spread the white sauce evenly on the pizza dough; top with the chicken, then the cheeses, and finally the onions.

5. Bake the pizza for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is browned. Let the pizza rest about 5 minutes before cutting and serving.