South of the Border Sandwiches

I made these back in May and completely forgot about them until I found the pictures I had taken! I found the recipe on Pinterest and came from THIS website.  All of the kids liked them...you can see in the picture I left certain things off some of the sandwiches for their tastes. I am going to make them again very soon!

1 loaf french bread, cut into 3/4 inch thick slices
1/2 c. black olives, chopped
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. light mayo
1/3 c. non fat sour cream
1/3 c. green onion, chopped
1 pound sliced turkey
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 ripe avocados, thinly sliced
3/4 c. cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 c. pepper jack or Monterey Jack cheese, grated


Preheat oven to 350F. In a bowl combine olives, chili powder, cumin and salt; set aside 2 tbsp. of this mixture. Add mayo, sour cream and green onion to the remaining olive mixture. Place bread on un-greased baking sheet and spread 1 tbsp. mayo mixture on each slice. Top with slices of turkey and tomato. Spread with another 1 tbsp. layer of mayo mixture. (I didn’t do the 2nd layer and either did the original poster) and top with avocado and cheese. Sprinkle with the reserve 2 tbsp. olive mixture. (I never reserved any lol)  Bake at 350F for 15 minutes. Makes 8-10 servings.

Cafe Rio’s Chicken Tortilla Soup

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it came from this site. It was SUPER yummy and I’ll be making it again very soon! It was freezing cold today so I didn’t grill the chicken; I cooked it in a frying pan on the stove...can’t wait for it to warm up a little and I’ll definitely be grilling it! The only thing I changed from the original recipe (other than cooking on stove) was that I added 1 clove garlic.

1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 /2 tsp. cumin
a dash (or two) cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
5 c. chicken broth
3 tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
black pepper to taste
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp. taco seasoning
1 tbsp. paprika
vegetable oil (to taste)
pico de gallo
2-3 avocados, diced
2 c. pepper jack cheese (I used monterrey jack)
tortilla strips
cilantro for garnish
lime wedges for garnish

Directions:
In a small skillet, saute onion and pressed garlic in 1 tbsp. oil until onions become slightly soft. Stir in cumin, cayenne and chili powder and saute an addition minute or two. Transfer seasoned onions and garlic to a small crock pot or medium-sized saucepan. (I ended up saute-ing right in my stock pot so to not dirty another pan) Add chicken broth, cilantro, lime juice, black pepper and pinto beans to onions and garlic and simmer on low heat for 2-3 hours. When close to serving combine taco seasoning and paprika. Brush chicken with oil and rub with taco season/paprika mixture. Grill chicken over medium heat until cooked through. Remove from grill and shred. In individual bowls, layer chicken, about 1/3 c. pico de gallo, 1/3 c. diced avocado and 1/3 c. pepper jack cheese. Ladle about 1 c. of chicken broth mixture directly over the layers. Top with tortilla strips and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges. SO yummy! This made about 6 bowls. Next time I will double this so as to have seconds if desired or leftovers.

Man Pleasin’ Chicken

I got this recipe from one of the teachers at the kids’ school...it was really good and easy to make! I always adjust slightly or make more of a recipe due to the size of my family so I’ll post how I made it. I used bone-less, skin-less chicken breasts split lengthwise instead of the chicken thighs and I used 1/2 c. maple syrup instead of the 1/4 c. it calls for. Those are the only changes in case you want to make it the original way.

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts split lengthwise to make 6 pieces
1/2. c dijon mustard
1/2 c. maple syrup (real maple, not pancake syrup)
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 450F. Whisk together in bowl dijon mustard, rice wine vinegar and maple syrup.
Line a 9 x 13 casserole dish with foil for easy clean up and place chicken breasts. Season breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Pour maple mixture over chicken and turn them over to make sure all sides are fully coated. Bake for 30 mins. (Remember, I split my chicken breasts so they are thin and will cook through faster...increase time for whole breasts or thighs by at least 10 minutes).  I also turned my chicken once half way through baking time.  Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Spoon extra sauce on chicken after transferring to plate and then sprinkle with fresh chopped rosemary.  I served with wild rice and broccoli. Really good!

Hearty Italian Sausage Soup

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it is DEFINITELY a keeper. Everyone in the family liked it. I modified it slightly (as I do with almost every recipe) and will post how I made it. This is the link to the original recipe here.  I served it with hot garlic bread.

1 lb. Italian sausage (ground)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tsp. olive oil
2 14 oz. cans less sodium chicken broth
1 soup can of water (approx12 oz.)
1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed
1 14.5 oz can Italian stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 c. rotini pasta, uncooked
1 1/2 c. baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
shredded Mozzarella cheese  for topping

Cook ground sausage, onions, garlic and olive oil in frying pan until cooked through. In large stock post add cooked sausage to chicken broth, water, beans and stewed tomatoes. Bring to a boil and stir in pasta. Cook for 8 minutes or until noodles are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve in bowls and top with shredded Mozzarella. Serve with hot garlic bread.

Baked Potato Soup

Another one I found on Pinterest and LOVED LOVED LOVED it. My husband doesn’t like Baked Potato Bar but really liked this soup. I added a few things to the original recipe and also doubled it for the size of my family.  I am posting the changes that I made but click here if you want the original recipe.

6 medium baking potatoes, baked (I bake for about 45 minutes at 350F...scrub potatoes and poke holes in with a fork before baking)
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
1/2 c. chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1/2 c. flour
2 14.5 oz. cans chicken broth (or 4 cups if not using cans)
2 12 oz. cans evaporated milk

Suggested toppings and garnishes:
cooked and crumbled bacon
shredded cheddar cheese
sliced black olives
diced green onions
diced tomato
sour cream
seeded sunflower seeds

Melt better in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in broth and evaporated milk.  Scoop potato pulp from 2 potatoes (reserve potato skin) and mash. Add pulp to broth mixture. Cook over medium heat and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Dice remaining potato skin and the rest of the potatoes and add to soup. Heat thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in bowls and garnish with bacon, cheese, olives, green onions, diced tomato, sour cream and sunflower seeds if desired.  Makes about 8 servings.

Christmas Breakfast Casserole

I can’t remember where I saw this recipe but I have had it saved on my computer for a while. I decided to make it Christmas morning and it turned out SO yummy! I made one half with sausage and one half with leftover ham diced up from Christmas Eve Dinner. (the kiddos don’t love sausage). 

2 lbs. ground sausage (or cooked, crumbled bacon or diced and browned ham)
1 lb. frozen hashbrowns

14 eggs

3/4 c. milk

1 onion, chopped fine
fresh mushrooms, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

1 green pepper, diced

3 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
Chopped tomato to garnish
Salsa to garnish if desired

Brown sausage in large frying pan. Remove from heat once cooked through and drain excess drippings. Saute chopped onion and hashbrowns in same frying pan (I wiped out drippings from sausage with a paper towel but left just enough to flavor). Meanwhile, beat eggs and milk until combined. Add mushrooms, green pepper and cheese to egg mixture and season with salt and pepper. Spread cooked hashbrowns and then sausage (bacon or ham) in 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover with egg mixture. Top with more cheese. Bake uncovered at 375F until eggs are cooked through. Garnish with fresh diced tomato and salsa if desired.  I also served with biscuits. Merry Christmas! 

Pecan-Crusted Chicken

This is another recipe I found on Pinterest. It came from Betty Crocker's website and we really liked it! It was fairly easy to make. The only thing I did different from the original recipe was that I seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper before dipping into the yogurt and pecan/panko crumbs. The family really liked this one! I had to double the recipe for my family so that is what I'm going to post. Click the link for the original recipe.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts split lengthwise to make 8
1 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
1 c. pecans, chopped fine
4 tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 large container (12 or 16oz) greek fat free plain yogurt
extra virgin olive oil for frying

I split my chicken breasts lengthwise or you can use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound chicken to 1/2 inch thick placing chicken in between waxed paper. Place yogurt in shallow dish and mixture of panko crumbs, pecans and parsley in another shallow dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot.  Dip chicken in yogurt and then dip in panko crumb mixture until chicken is coated. Cook chicken in oil 8-10 minutes, turning once, until chicken is no longer pink in center and coating is golden brown.

*I'm a weirdo about cooking chicken on the stove...I always move the chicken from the skillet after frying to a baking sheet and place in oven at 350F for about 10 minutes just to make sure it's cooked through. I let it cook while I finish up my side dishes. I served with wild rice and broccoli.  My kids don't like wild rice so they had mashed potatoes with brown gravy as a side. They liked the chicken with just a drizzle of gravy on it but the chicken had enough flavor without. You could do either way.

Double Crunch Honey Garlic Chicken Breasts

I saw this recipe on Pinterest and thought I'd share it. I didn't take a pic and don't want to steal their picture so here's the link and it will take you to the original post and recipe. It was really good and all of my family really liked it!

http://www.nlrockrecipes.com/2012/04/doube-crunch-honey-garic-chicken.html

Chicken Florentine Alfredo

There is a restaurant here in Maine that we really, really like. And every time we go there I get the same thing...their Chicken Florentine Alfredo. It. is. so. good.  The other day we were trying to figure out what we were going to make for dinner with the thawed chicken we had...so we thought we'd try to mimic the recipe. It turned out almost exactly the same! I was really easy and super good!

-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts split lengthwise to make 6 pieces (or amount you need, I need 6)

-cajun spice mix (recipe below or you can use store bought)

-1 small package linguini (I used a 1lb box) cooked according to directions on package al dente

-Alfredo sauce (store bought or homemade if you have a recipe, I don't have a recipe I like)

-handful of baby spinach, chopped fine

-1 tomato, chopped for garnish

-grated parmesan to top if desired 

I found this recipe for blackened seasoning on Allrecipes.com. I really liked it although it was a bit spicy for my kids. I think next time I will reduce the amount of cayenne pepper I use for them. (*We did find that as we ate and the chicken was kind of mixed in with the noodles and sauce that the sauce tamed the spicy-ness of the chicken) This spice mix tasted very much like the chicken I had at the restaurant.  You can also just buy a cajun spice mix at the store if you would like.

Tom's Blackened Seasoning

1 tbsp. paprika
4 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. white sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp. ground cumin

Mix all spices in a container that has a lid and shake vigorously until well combined. This makes enough to coat six chicken breasts (or fish if you prefer).

This is where I cheated...I don't have a recipe for Alfredo sauce that I like. I like the Classico jar of Alfredo sometimes but didn't think it would be good for this recipe. So we just picked up a pint of Alfredo sauce from Olive Garden. I think it was less than $5...about the same as a jar at the store. But better... :) Anyone have a really good recipe for Alfredo? Send it to me!

Start with preparing chicken; clean it, split lengthwise, sprinkle with spice mixture on both sides to coat then set aside. You can blacken your chicken but we just grilled it on the grill until it was cooked through.  Start your grill heating (unless you are blackening chicken on stove and using oven). Boil water to start cooking noodles according to directions on package. While noodles are cooking,  warm Alfredo sauce in sauce pan and add chopped baby spinach to sauce to warm and soften. It doesn't take long and you don't want the spinach too soggy. When noodles are almost al dente put your chicken on the grill. Because they are split they will cook very fast.  I think ours was done in less than 10 minutes. While chicken is grilling, drain noodles and place in large mixing bowl. Add Alfredo sauce and toss to coat all noodles. I didn't use all of the pint...use what you like for your taste . Remove chicken from grill. Serve linguini and Alfredo on large plate, place scored blackened chicken on top and garnish with chopped fresh tomatoes. YUM!

This recipe made 6 servings.

Garlic Lime Chicken

My friend CS gave this recipe to me. We made it about a week ago and it was really good. The chicken was super moist. Great for more variety with grilling.

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 c. fresh lime juice

1/3 c. soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Combine soy sauce, lime juice and dry mustard in small bowl; mix well. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place chicken in large plastic ziplock bag and pour marinade mixture into bag over chicken; making sure all pieces of chicken are covered. Marinade in refrigerator for one hour. Grill.

Chicken Fajitas

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut up in small strips

1 large green pepper(and/or red and yellow pepper), sliced into strips

1 large onion, cut into thin wedges

1 package fajita seasoning

1 package tortillas

Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Cheddar cheese, shredded

guacamole

tomatoes

sour cream

salsa or pico de gallo

tortilla chips

Brown chicken on high in large frying pan until cooked through and golden brown. Sprinkle fajita seasoning mix over chicken and add 1/4 c. water. Add green pepper and onion, stir to coat seasoning over all veggies and chicken. Cover and let simmer until vegetables are hot but still crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Serve immediately while still sizzling in warm tortillas, cheese, tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream and salsa. Goes great with beans and rice.

Grilled Pizza

*New change: I made this tonight and used Naan Bread instead of making dough and skip the step of grilling dough for 1 minute before placing toppings.  The Naan Bread was really good...we just started adding the toppings right from the package and place straight on the grill.  You could also try the Boboli pizza crusts but I have not tried it so I couldn't say how it would taste. Naan Bread can be found at Walmart and most grocery stores in the bakery department.

I saw this one on The Sisters' Cafe and have been wanting to try it. It has been so warm and humid the last few weeks we (meaning me) have not been wanting to cook...so we've been using the grill any chance we can. Today we tried this pizza and it was really good!

I used this bread dough recipe: (This recipe will make 4 pizzas. I doubled this to make 8 individual sized pizzas)

1 1/2 c. warm water
2 tbsp. sugar
1 pkg. yeast
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups flour

Activate yeast in water and sugar, then add salt and flour, knead well and let rise once. Divide into 4 balls and roll flat to about 1/4 inch. I think mine were about 8 inches in diameter.

I brushed the dough with melted garlic butter to avoid sticking to the grill. Place on clean, heated grill for about 1 minute and then flip over using tongs. Cook for an additional 30 seconds. Watch carefully...I burned my first couple! Remove from grill and spread pizza sauce and then choice of toppings. Replace in grill for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. I rotated them around from the top shelf in the grill to the bottom to avoid burning. Serve with side salad and enjoy!

Sauce: You can use canned pizza or jar spaghetti sauce, it's easy. I used a can of tomato sauce with some garlic salt, dried onion, oregano, basil , pepper and parsley. I didn't measure anything...I think it was pretty much 1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. of it all. Sorry....

Suggested toppings: sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, diced ham, black/green olives, onion, green pepper, mushroom, pineapple, tomato slices. Sprinkle with parmesan. For Margarita Pizza use marinara, fresh basil, fresh tomatoes and mozzerella! YUM

Meat Marinade {Shish-Ka-Bobs}

I used this meat marinade recipe to make shish-ka-bobs the other day...they turned out so good!

1/4 c. soy sauce

2 tbsp. worcestershire sauce

1/4 c. vinegar

1/2 c. BBQ sauce

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. dried onion

1 tsp. Montreal steak seasoning

pepper to taste

Mix well and pour over meat to marinade in a bowl or large zip-lock bag. Marinate for 2-3 hours in refrigerator.

Shish-Ka-Bobs:

*meat of your choice cut into bite size pieces (I use sirloin)

*mushrooms, green pepper, onion, cherry tomato and/or any other veggie you like on a skewer

*grill until meat is cooked to liking and veggies are hot!

Mexican Shredded Beef

2-3 lb. rump roast

1 1/2 c. water

1/3 c. orange juice

2 tbsp. Carne Asada seasoning (Chef Merito brand if you can find it)

Brown roast (do not season while browning), add water, orange juice and seasoning. Cover and bake at 350F for about 4 hours checking water frequently. Shred beef after about 3 hours and then return to oven. Can be used for shredded beef tacos, shredded beef enchiladas or tostadas. Serve with refried beans and spanish rice. Can also be slow cooked in crockpot. Reduce water to 1 c. and cook for 4-6 hours on high or 7-9 hours on low. Shred 1 hour before serving.

Country Fried Steak

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I tried this one from AllRecipes.com. I try not to make too many meals that are fried. I liked this recipe but didn't LOVE it. My husband and kids like it a lot though. I think next time I'll leave out the baking soda and baking powder, it left an aftertaste. I also may try it with chicken instead of steak. Also, when making the gravy, I didn't save the 1/4 c. oil it says to. I drained it all but did use the remnants on the bottom of the skillet.

4- 1/2 lb. beef cube steaks

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. black pepper

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. buttermilk

1 egg

1 tbsp. Tabasco sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 c. canola or vegetable oil for deep frying

For Gravy

1/4 c. flour

4 c. milk

kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Pound the steaks to about 1/4-ince thickness. Place 2 c. flour in a shallow bowl. In a separate bowl mix together the baking powder, baking soda pepper and salt, then stir in the buttermilk, egg, Tabasco sauce and garlic. Dredge each steak first in the flour, then in the batter, and again in the flour. Pat the flour onto the surface of each steak so they are completely coated with dry flour.

Heat the oil in a deep cast iron skillet to 325F. Fry the steaks until evenly golden brown, 3-5 minutes per side. Place fried steaks on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Drain the oil from the skillet, reserving 1/4 c. of the oil and as much as the solid remnants as possible.

Return the skillet to medium-low heat with the reserved oil. Whisk the remaining flour into the oil. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to release solids into the gravy. Stir in the milk, raise the heat to medium and bring gravy to a simmer. Cook until thick, about 6-7 minutes. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Spoon the gravy over the steaks to serve.

Aztec Chicken Salad

Tell me that is not the best looking salad you have ever seen! My friend DC gave me this idea, she told me about this "Aztec Chicken Salad" that they eat all of the time. It reminded me of Chili's Quesadilla Explosion Chicken Salad which I love. I found a site Meemo's Kitchen that has a copy cat recipe for Chili's, I didn't use the site but look at the link just in case, it has a recipe for a marinade and two dressings. DC uses Sun-Dried California dressing on her's, my husband tried that and really liked it but I am more of a ranch kind of girl so that is what I used. I'm sure it's good whatever you use. For the chicken, I seasoned boneless, skinless chicken breasts with Chicken Fajita Seasoning before grilling it on the grill. I also skipped the quesadillas, I didn't have tortillas to make them but they are nice to eat along with this salad. This salad was SO good! We'll be eating it all the time now! Thanks DC for the idea!!! We miss you!

chicken breasts, split length-wise, seasoned with fajita seasoning, grilled
Romaine lettuce, chopped
black beans, rinsed and drained, warmed
mexi-corn, drained and warmed
1 can green chilies (optional, to mix with corn for "corn-relish")
Monterey Jack Cheese, grated
Cheddar cheese, grated
tomatoes, diced
onion, diced
avocado, sliced (or made into guacamole)
cilantro, just for garnish
tortilla strips (we just used chips and crushed on top)

dressing of you choice

Navajo Tacos

I had forgotten about these until one of my friends CA made them and posted about them on her blog. My kids didn't even know what they were, so I had to make them! When I was little my mom made them with chili instead of taco meat. I made it with the taco meat today. Super yummy, super fattening. Definitely a once a year meal, but SO good!

I made my Indian Fry Bread (aka Scones) using this white bread dough recipe. After letting it raise once, divide dough into preferred sized balls and roll out to about 1/2 inch thick. Heat oil in large and deep frying pan, fry scones until golden brown, about 30-45 seconds on each side. Remove from oil and place on plate with paper towel. 

1 lb. lean ground beef, seasoned with taco seasoning OR

1 can chili, heated through

Suggested toppings: Cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, sour cream, chopped onions, avocado or guacamole, garnish with cilantro and salsa. 

Orange Chicken

I found this recipe on Stick Of Butter. I have been looking for a recipe for Orange Chicken for a while now but never found one that sounded like what I had been looking for. This one was SO good! I will definitely be making it again soon! I did a few things differently, after I fried the chicken in the oil, I placed all of the chicken on a baking sheet and baked them for about 15-20 minutes on 400F. (I am a freak about salmonilla, I didn't trust that the chicken was fully cooked just in the oil). I also didn't add the cayenne pepper or baking soda to the cornstarch for the breading and I used the whole egg for the breading instead of just the egg whites. One last thing, on Stick of Butter she said the next time she made this she would have doubled the recipe for the sauce so I did. I MADE THE CHANGES FOR THE SAUCE ON THIS RECIPE SO DON'T DOUBLE WHAT I HAVE. Other than doubling the sauce, this is the original recipe.

Ingredients:

For the marinade and sauce:
1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces (I used 6 breasts)
1 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp. grated orange zest
8 thin strips orange peel (optional)
12 tbsp. distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup dark brown sugar
6 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 tbsp. cornstarch
4 tbsp. cold water

For coating and frying:
3 large egg whites
1 cup cornstarch
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
3 cups peanut oil (or canola oil)

Directions:

For the marinade and sauce, place the chicken in a Ziploc bag; set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the chicken broth, orange juice, zest, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and cayenne pepper; whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved. Measure out 3/4 cup of the mixture and pour it into the bag with the chicken; press out as much air as possible and seal the bag, making sure that all pieces are coated with the marinade. Refrigerate 30-60 minutes, but no longer. Bring the remaining mixture in the saucepan to a boil over high heat. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and cold water; whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and translucent, about 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the orange peel (if using); set the sauce aside.

For the coating, place the egg whites in a pie plate and beat with a fork until frothy. In a second pie plate, whisk together the cornstarch, baking soda and cayenne until combined. Drain the chicken in a colander or large mesh strainer; thoroughly pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place half of the chicken pieces in the egg whites and turn to coat. Transfer the pieces to cornstarch mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the dredged chicken pieces on another plate or a baking sheet.

To fry the chicken, heat the oil in an 11- to 12-inch dutch oven or straight sided sauté pan with at least 3 qt. capacity over high heat until the oil reaches 350° on an instant read or deep fry thermometer. Carefully place half of the chicken in the oil; fry to golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning each piece with tongs halfway through cooking. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Return the oil to 350° and repeat with the remaining chicken.

To serve, reheat the sauce over medium heat until simmering, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and gently toss until evenly coated and heated through. Serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Joelen’s Culinary Adventures, originally from Cooking at Home with America’s Test Kitchen

Chicken Lo Mein

This one I kind of came up with on my own. I had seen several recipes for Lo Mein and Stir Fry with noodles. I'm not quite sure what mine really is, but it turned out REALLY good!

4 chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
1 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 large onion, sliced into wedges
handful fresh snow peas
1 1/2 c. diced celery
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 large can bean sprouts, drained
12-15 ozs. linguine noodles, cooked according to directions on package
1 package chow mein sauce mix, made according to directions (requires soy sauce)

Slice chicken into strips and cook in frying pan on med-high heat until cooked throughly. Salt and pepper strips while chicken cooks. Boil linguine noodles according to directions on package, drain and set aside. In large skillet or wok, heat olive oil and sautee garlic and onion until onion is tender. Add celery, snow peas, water chestnuts and bean sprouts and mix well while heating. When veggies are hot, add chicken and linguine noodles. Mix throughly. Pour chow mein sauce mix over entire mixture and coat evenly. Serve with rice.

Chicken Parmesan

I got this recipe off of The Sisters' Cafe and it is so AMAZING! I made it exactly as the recipe said, the only thing I will do different next time is half the sugar it calls for. It was just a bit too sweet.The recipe makes quite a bit of sauce, I may half the recipe next time too. I served the chicken with Fettuccine Alfredo, steamed asparagus and hot garlic bread. My family LOVED it!

Sauce:

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped (approx 1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 cans Italian diced tomatoes

1 tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. basil

1 tsp. oregano

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are tender and transparent. Add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Chicken:

1-2 pounds chicken breasts (I used 5 breasts, cut in half lengthwise)

2 eggs

Italian Breadcrumbs

1/4-1/2 c. olive oil

8 oz. very thinly sliced Mozzarella

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Dip the chicken in egg and then in bread crumbs. Heat oil and cook chicken 2-3 minutes on each side. Put chicken on the bottom of a large baking dish (9x13). Put one thin slice of Mozzarella and sprinkle Parmesan on each breast and half of sauce on top. Repeat. Cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with grated parmesan cheese.

Lowfat version: Skip breading and frying of the chicken. Place the chicken raw in the dish and do one layer of the cheeses. I don't even measure, I just sprinkle on grated mozzarella and parmesan then top with sauce. Bake a little longer - more like 40 minutes. It is fabulous!