Quick and Easy Chicken

We have chicken a lot, but that's because it is so versatile. You can serve it with all sorts of sides and it is often quick and easy to prepare. This is one of those main dish recipes. This particular recipe is also an easy one to alter to your own tastes.

Grilled Honey-Lime Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

3/4 cup oil and vinegar salad dressing
1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Pour 1 cup marinade into a large resealable plastic bag; add the chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.

Drain and discard marinade. Lightly oil the grill rack. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 inches from the heat for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until a thermometer reads 170 degrees F, basting occasionally with reserved marinade.

Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition information:

1 chicken breast half: 286 calories, 9 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 94 mg cholesterol, 476 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate (15 g sugars, 0 fiber), 34 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home. You can find it here.

Notes: I almost tried this with a lime vinaigrette that I had on hand, but decided to keep closer to the recipe and use a balsamic oil and vinegar salad dressing. However, you could really use any kind of salad dressing you wanted to mix up the flavor of this chicken. I'm actually going to make this again with the lime vinaigrette as well! My kids like dipping sauce for their chicken, so I doubled the marinade. I used half for marinating the chicken and rather than basting the chicken, I heated the other half of the marinade for a dipping sauce. I would have basted my chicken if I grilled it, but I opted to broil it and as a result, basting wasn't necessary. We served ours with some corn on the cob, grapes, and a side salad. Tasty stuff!

Southwestern Pasta Salad

 

Here's a pasta salad for you if you like a little southwest flavor to your food. The flavor of your pasta salad will largely be determined by what barbecue sauce you use. So, you can tailor it to your tastes. If you want something hot and spicy, use a hot and spicy barbecue sauce. If you want something sweeter, you can go that direction. It's really up to you!

 

Barbecue Chicken Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 cups barbecue sauce, divided
1 (16 ounce) package small whole-wheat pasta shells

1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon ground cuin
1 cup jicama, peeled and diced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
2 orange bell peppers, seeded and diced
1 (15.25 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained
3/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped (optional)
1 small red onion, chopped (optional)

Directions:

Place the chicken breasts into a saucepan over medium-low heat and pour in 1 cup of barbecue sauce. Simmer the chicken until the meat is no longer pink inside, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool, and dice chicken meat.

Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain well and rinse with cold water until chilled. Drain again thoroughly.

In a large salad bowl, whisk 1 cup of barbecue sauce with mayonnaise until thoroughly combined. Mix in the cumin, then stir in cooked chicken. Place cooked pasta, jicama, red and orange bell peppers, corn, cilantro, black beans, jalapeno peppers, and red onion into the salad bowl, and gently fold to combine with the chicken and dressing. Serve warm or chilled.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by nenithel. You can find it here.

Notes: Ours was a sweeter pasta salad because of the barbecue sauce we used. It was great as a sweeter pasta salad, but would also be great if you opted to go more on the spicy side, or the smoky side, etc. Just use your favorite barbecue sauce and enjoy!

Why Didn't I Make This Sooner?

 

Every now and then I finally try a recipe that has been in my pile of recipes to try for years, and then I think, "Why in the world did I wait so long to try this recipe? It is awesome!" This is one of those recipes. It has been sitting in a pile of recipes, just waiting to be made. Not only is this recipe easy, but it is also absolutely delicious, and it is a great pantry recipe. I'll bet you already have all (or most) of the ingredients already on hand.

Be sure to read my notes because I made a few small changes (the biggest change being that I added lemon juice).

Chicken Breasts with Herb Basting Sauce

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 clove crushed garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
4 bone-in chicken breast halves, with skin
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a bowl, prepare the basting sauce by combining olive oil, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage, marjoram, salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce.

Turn chicken breasts in sauce to coat thoroughly. Place skin side up in a shallow baking dish. Cover.

Roast at 425 degrees F, basting occasionally with pan drippings, for about 35 to 56 minutes. Remove to warm platter, spoon pan juices over, and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by CHRISTYJ. You can find it here.

Notes: I doubled the sauce ingredients (because my family likes a lot of sauce) and added lemon juice as well. So, since I doubled the olive oil from 3 tablespoons to 6 tablespoons, I also used 6 tablespoons of lemon juice (to have equal parts olive oil and lemon juice). I thought the lemon juice added a lot to this recipe. You can skip it and stick with the recipe as originally written, but I really liked the addition of the lemon juice. I also used boneless skinless chicken breasts rather than skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts. This was fantastic. Heads up though, this will stick with you and give you some dragon breath, but it's totally worth it!

 

Above: Some of us put the sauce in little bowls to dip the chicken in and some of us drizzled extra sauce on top of the chicken. So delicious!

Deserving of a Repeat

 

This recipe was already blogged long ago, and you can find that original post here. However, this is such a great go-to recipe and is definitely one of our family favorites, so we felt it deserved to be posted again!

Crock Pot Sticky Chicken

Ingredients:

4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. white pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 large roasting chicken
1-2 packets turkey or chicken gravy mix

Directions:

In a small bowl, thoroughly combine all the spices. Remove the giblets from the chicken and clean the cavity well. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture into the chicken, both inside and out, making sure it is evenly distributed and down deep into the skin.

Place the chicken into the slow cooker. Do not add any liquid. As the chicken cooks, it will produce its own juices. Cook on low 8-10 hours and it will be falling off the bone tender. You can brown the chicken in the oven, if desired. The drippings can be used to make gravy which can be served over mashed potatoes or rice.

Source: This is a recipe we have had for years. I believe my mom got it from one of her friends.

Notes: Save the drippings to make a wonderfully spicy gravy. Simply use a turkey or chicken gravy packet (or two) and substitute the drippings for the water called for on the packet and prepare according to package directions. The gravy is fantastic served over the chicken, over mashed potatoes, or over rice.

 

Above: This is such an affordable and delicious meal.

 

Above: The gravy is fantastic served over the chicken as well as served over mashed potatoes or rice. My oldest son prefers mashed potatoes while my middle son prefers rice, so this time, we simply made both. We served it with our favorite Quick Yeast Rolls, which you can find the recipe for here, and an easy bagged salad mix.

It's a Good Night for Soup!

Half-Hour Chicken Gumbo

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Coarse sald and ground pepper
1 package (10 ounces) frozen, cut okra
8 ounces smoked (precooked) andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1 inch thick
1 rotisserie chicken (about 2 1/2 pounds), skin and bones removed, meat shredded (about 4 cups)
Store-bought or homemade cornbread, for serving (optional)
Rice, for serving (optional)

Directions:

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium. Add flour, and cook, whisking constantly, until pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in bell peppers, onion, garlic, and oregano; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add 4 cups water; stir in okra and sausage. Bring to a boil. Stir in shredded chicken, and warm through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, serve with cornbread and/or poured on top of rice.

Recipe Note: Rotisserie chicken shaves many minutes from the total cooking time, and its slow-roasted goodness bring just as much to the mix as if you'd cooked your own.

Source: Martha Stewart. You can find it here.

Notes: We couldn't find the frozen okra, so we just skipped it. We also opted to serve it over rice (kind of like a soup mix-in). This was really good and it definitely hits the spot during this cold weather!

Easy Recipes are a Must Right Now

 

I have a baby (who is almost a year old--crazy--but he still takes up a ton of my time and energy), we just moved into a new house, everyone is about to start a new school year...so, life is kind of crazy right now and I don't have much time to cook. That's why a recipe like this is so appreciated. It took hardly any time at all and that is a must for me right now.

Root Beer Slow-Cooker Chicken

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
1 cup root beer

Directions:

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. (Or use slow cooker liners like I do)

Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper, and place inside slow cooker. Pour in barbecue sauce and root beer; spread around. Cover and cook on high heat setting 2 hours.

Remove chicken from slow cooker, and use two forks to shred. Place chicken back in slow cooker on warm heat setting; simmer 30 minutes. Serve on burger buns, as desired.

Source: Pillsbury. You can find it here.

Notes: The root beer added some nice depth to this rather than just cooking the chicken in barbecue sauce alone. I used frozen chicken breasts and it took about four hours before they could be shredded. Then I left it on "warm" until we were ready to eat dinner. Very easy and tasty.

Cook it Slow and Low

I could never live without my slow cooker. It is worth its weight in gold. Here is a great slow cooker recipe that will be ready after a long day (when the last thing you want to do is cook).

 

Chicken Korma

Ingredients:

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups coarsely chopped onion (1 onion)
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled baking potato
1 teaspoon salt
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
2 bay leaves
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
4 cups hot cooked long-grain brown rice (we used white)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; saute 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan; place in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Add onion to pan; saute 3 minutes. Add ginger and next 5 ingredients (through garlic); saute 2 minutes. Pour mixture over chicken in slow cooker. Stir in potato and next 4 ingredients (through cinnamon stick).

Cover and cook on low for 5 hours. Discard bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Turn slow cooker off; let stand 15 minutes. Stir in yogurt. Serve chicken mixture over rice. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Source: MyRecipes.com. You can find it here.

Notes: This had a lovely mild flavor to it. Delicious, but not overwhelming.

Rich Comfort Food

 

This is not a light dinner, but this is amazing comfort food. Trust me, this is so, so good.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Lasagna

Ingredients:

9 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions
4 1/2 cups cooked and chopped chicken (grilled or rotisserie), chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked and diced ham
1 1/2-2 cups cooked and chopped bacon
3 cups Swiss cheese, grated

Sauce:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
16 ounces cream cheese, softened

Directions:

In a large saucepan, melt butter and add flour. Cook for 1 minute and then slowly add milk. Add garlic powder, garlic salt, salt, and pepper. Stir with a whisk, and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Stir in cream cheese and continue to stir until smooth. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Place 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan.

Layer 1/3 of the chicken over the noodles. Next layer 1/3 of the ham. Pour 1/3 of the sauce over the ham. Sprinkle 1/2 of the cheese over the sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 of the bacon over the cheese.

Repeat layering two more times.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45-60 minutes.

Source: Chef in Training. You can find it here.

Notes: Kudos to Chef in Training. This is such a good recipe. Pair it with some light sides, like a nice salad and you're set.

I would highly suggest saving a little crumbled bacon and adding some chopped parsley as a garnish to add a little color, as Chef in Training did. Be sure to check out her pictures on her site.

 

Above: Still just as delicious, but the toppings really add a lot to this lasagna aesthetically.



Above: See?!

Making It Again

 

I made this recipe again so I could get a better picture than the last time I had blogged it (which you can find here). This really is a recipe that hits the spot. You can use any type of cheese you like. My husband likes Pepper Jack and I used Cheddar. Good stuff either way!

 

Loaded Chicken

Ingredients

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Teriyaki marinade
2 small containers or 1 large container sliced mushrooms
1 sweet onion (such as Vidalia or Texas Sweet), thinly sliced
Bacon, cooked until crisp (1-2 slices per chicken breast, depending on preference)
Cheese, sliced or shredded (Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Swiss, etc.)

Directions:

Marinate chicken breasts in Teriyaki marinade (at least one hour or up to 12 hours).

Place marinated chicken breasts on a foil-lined jelly roll pan and broil on high for 6-10 minutes per side, or until cooked through, no longer pink, and juices run clear.

While chicken is cooking, saute mushrooms and onion in 1 tbsp. olive oil or butter.

Remove chicken from broiler and pile mushrooms, onions, bacon, and cheese on top. Broil an additional 1-2 minutes, just until the cheese is nicely melted.

Source: This recipe is inspired by Wingers restaurant.

Notes: The Wingers menu says they grill their chicken breasts. You can do that, if you prefer. You can also crumble the bacon rather than keeping it in whole slices.

 

 

Only As Good As Your Star Ingredient

 

Here's a recipe that is simple, tasty, and which completely relies on one main ingredient for its success. Don't skimp on this very important ingredient. What is the ingredient that is so vital in this recipe, you ask? Ranch dressing. My suggestion here is to skip the bottled ranch dressing (unless it comes from the refrigerated section/produce section) and make a homemade ranch dressing with milk/buttermilk, mayo, and a Hidden Valley Ranch dressing packet. There. You've been warned. If you follow this advice...ambrosia. If not, mediocrity.

Make-Ahead Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb. uncooked rotini pasta
3 cups shredded or pulled deli rotisserie chicken
1 bottle (16 oz) ranch dressing (go big or go home! Make it from scratch or use something bottled that is really good!)
1 cup crisply cooked and crumbled bacon (9 to 11 slices)
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend (8 oz)

Directions:

Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

In large bowl, mix pasta and remaining ingredients.

To freeze: Spray 2 (8-inch) disposable foil cake pans with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. In large bowl, mix pasta, chicken, dressing, and bacon. Divide mixture between pans. Top with cheese. Spray pieces of foil large enough to cover pans with cooking spray. Cover pans with foil, sprayed side down. Place foil-covered pans in gallon-size resealable freezer plastic bags, or wrap in double layer of plastic wrap. Label and freeze. To bake: Thaw pan(s) overnight in refrigerator. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove from plastic, and place foil-covered pan(s) on cookie sheet. Bake 40-50 minutes or until instant-read thermometer inserted in center of mixture reads 165 degrees F. If baking from frozen, bake 60-75 minutes.

Source: Pillsbury website. You can find it here.

Notes: This is good and kid-friendly. Just be sure not to skimp on the quality of ranch dressing you use!

Summer Sandwich

 

This is a great sandwich to make during the summer. You can grill or broil the chicken (the chicken cooks quickly, so your kitchen won't get too hot), and then you can load up your sandwich with your favorite toppings.

 

Chicken Teriyaki Sandwiches

Ingredients:

6 buns
6 chicken breasts
Teriyaki marinade
Alfalfa sprouts
Sliced cucumber
Sliced avocado
Sliced tomato
Pineapple rings
Mayonnaise

Directions:

Marinate chicken breasts in teriyaki marinade (at least 1 hour, or up to 12). Broil or grill chicken about 6 minutes per side (or until no longer pink and juices run clear).

Spread mayo on buns and top with chicken. Top with desired sandwich toppings and serve.

Source: My family made this way back when I was in high school. I don't know where my mom found the recipe or came up with the idea. Good stuff though!

Notes:I left off the pineapple slices this time around, but it is great with whatever combination of toppings you like.

From My Sister-in-Law's Blog

 

My lovely sister-in-law has a blog of her own where she shares recipes and DYI projects. This is a yummy and easy recipe that I found on her blog that I wanted to share here (and give a shout out to go check out her blog, Spoonful of Fun!).

Crockpot Chicken and Gravy

Ingredients:

2 (0.87 oz) packets dry chicken gravy
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
2 cups water
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Garlic powder, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1/8 cup sour cream, optional
Rice or mashed potatoes

Directions:

Season chicken breasts with garlic powder and pepper.

In slow cooker, whisk together the gravy packets, cream of chicken, and water.

Add chicken and cover with gravy.

Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

Shred chicken.

Stir in sour cream, if desired.

Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

Source: Again, this came from my wonderful sister-in-law, Robin. You can check out her blog here.

Notes: I served this over mashed potatoes and rice. I personally preferred the rice. The sauce over the rice really popped. Perhaps it was because I went the easy route and made instant mashed potatoes though (I was busy!) rather than making mashed potatoes from scratch. It was delicious either way though. This was so easy and it was such a welcome dinner on a crazy weeknight.

Remember This When Soup Weather Rolls Around

 

This is a great and satisfying soup. It is easy to throw together and oh so flavorful. It is a great recipe to have up your sleeve when the cold weather sets in. I originally shared it on our blog here.

 

Southwestern Chicken Soup

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 (12 ounce jar salsa verde)
3 cups cooked chicken pieces (1 small deli-counter rotisserie chicken or leftovers)
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
Tortilla chips, optional

Directions:

Empty the salsa into a large saucepan. Cook 2 minutes over medium-high heat, then add the chicken,beans, broth, and cumin (if desired). Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top each bowl with a sprinkling of onions, a dollop of sour cream, and some tortilla chips (if desired). Four a soupier dish, use 4 cups of broth.

Nutrition information: 381 calories, 124 mg calcium, 27 g carbohydrate, 91 mg cholesterol, 13 g fat, 5 g fiber, 4 mg iron, 35 mg protein, 6 g saturated fat, 668 mg sodium.

Source: Real Simple, October 2004, found on MyRecipes.com. You can find it here.

Notes: The recipe suggests using a rotisserie chicken or leftovers. This time, I cooked my chicken in a slow cooker and shredded it prior to adding it to the soup. But you could poach it and dice it as well.

It's Got a Kick!

 

This is a meal with a kick to it. It was too spicy for my boys, but my husband and I liked it a lot.

Peppery Chicken with Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 pound red potatoes (about 6 medium), cut into wedges
1 large onion, chopped
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)

Directions:

Place potatoes and onion in a 6-qt. slow cooker. In a small bowl, mix seasonings. Tuck wings under chicken; tie drumsticks together. Rub seasoning mixture over outside and inside of chicken. Place chicken over vegetables.

Cook, covered, on low 5-6 hours or until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170-175 degrees F. Remove chicken from slow cooker; tent with foil. Let stand 15 minutes before carving.

Transfer vegetables to platter; keep warm. If desired, skim fat and thicken cooking juices for gravy. Serve with chicken.

Yield: 4 servings.

Source: Taste of Home. You can find it here.

Notes: As I said, this was pretty spicy. Not for little kids. I used a packet of chicken gravy mix and replaced the water called for on the gravy mix for the cooking juices.

 

Above: Not spicy enough for you? Sprinkle some more salt and pepper on top before serving!

One of the Best Soups Ever

 

This is an old favorite. Every time I have it, I think to myself, "This is soooo good! Why don't I have it more often?" We originally posted it here, but it just needed to be posted again.

 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. fresh, chopped garlic
2 tbsp. butter or olive oil
2 cans chicken broth
1 small can tomato sauce
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 pkg. frozen corn
1 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Saute chicken breasts in butter until done. Add onion and garlic and saute a bit longer. Add chicken broth, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, taco seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Simmer for 1 hour. Add cilantro and corn and cook a bit longer (just until corn is warmed). Serve with toppings of choice.

Suggested toppings:

Shredded cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese
Tortilla chips or baked corn tortilla strips (see notes below)
Sour cream
Additional cilantro
Cubed avocado

Source: I got this from my Mom, but I'm not sure where she got it from. I believe it was from a church activity.

Notes: I usually double this because it makes great leftovers. Tortilla chips are nice because they taste great and they are very easy. However, I think with this particular tortilla soup, I like the taste of baked corn tortilla strips. To do this, use kitchen shears to cut corn tortillas into strips. Toss tortilla strips in a plastic zip top bag with enough vegetable oil to lightly coat the tortilla strips. Or, you can spray the tortilla strips with cooking spray for a lighter version. Then, place tortilla strips on a foil lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-20 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy.

Also, I like to use kitchen shears to roughly chop the stewed tomatoes (I usually chop them with the shears right in the can before pouring them into the soup). I chop the tomato slices into quarters. Otherwise, you get some really large tomato pieces in your soup. But if you like your soup really chunky, keep the tomatoes whole.

Now I Can Make it at Home!

 

I love Greek food. Luckily for me, there are a ton of Greek fast food places nearby...but sometimes you just want to know how to make it for yourself at home. I have a fantastic Greek cookbook that my mom bought me years ago. It is called Perfect Greek (ISBN 978-1-4054-8858-7). You can find it here. It is a really wonderful, authentic cookbook. Everything I have made out of this book has been spot on. I love the meatball recipe from this book (which I have already posted here).

 

 

Chicken Kabobs with Yogurt Sauce (Chicken Souvlaki)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups authentic Greek yogurt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs such as oregano, dill, tarron, or parsley
Salt and pepper
4 large skinned, boned chicken breasts
8 firm stems of fresh rosemary, optional (I used bamboo skewers)
Shredded romaine lettuce, to serve
Rice, to serve
Lemon wedges, to garnish

Directions:

To make the sauce, put the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, herbs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and mix well together.

Cut the chicken breasts into chunks measuring about 1 1/2 inches square. Add to the yogurt mixture and toss well together until the chicken pieces are coated. Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water for 30 minutes before use.

Preheat the broiler. Thread the pieces of chicken onto 8 flat, greased, metal kabob skewers, wooden skewers, or rosemary stems and place on a greased broiler pan.

Cook the kabobs under the broiler for about 15 minutes, turning and basting with the remaining marinade occasionally, until lightly browned and tender.

Pour the remaining marinade into a pan and heat gently but do not boil. Serve the kabobs with shredded lettuce on a bed of rice and garnish with lemon wedges. Accompany with yogurt sauce.

Source: Perfect Greek cookbook as noted above. You can find the link in my introduction to this post.

Notes: I didn't have fresh herbs on hand, so I used 1 tsp. dried oregano and 1 tsp. dried dill in the tzatziki yogurt sauce.

I skipped the Romaine lettuce. Instead, we served our souvlaki with this recipe for Greek Festival Lemon Rice that we have posted before. I also served it with some of this Greek tzatziki. Finally, we put the chicken on top of some pita bread and served it with additional cucumber and tomato slices.

My boys loved this. Everyone gobbled it up. This was fantastic. Next time, I will double it. Also, I soaked the bamboo skewers for quite awhile, but they still smoked a bit when I broiled them. I had to cover the ends of the skewers with foil to stop the smoking and charring. Maybe someday I will have to invest in some metal skewers.

Hail, Caesar!

 

This is a great and easy summer meal. Easy, cool, and it hits the spot.

Chicken Caesar Salad Pitas

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
1 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Bagged Caesar salad kit
Pita pocket bread or pita flatbread

Directions:

Saute chicken in olive oil on both sides until no longer pink in the middle and juices run clear. Season with salt and pepper and Italian seasoning. Slice chicken into strips.

Prepare Caesar salad. Top pita bread with chicken strips and Caesar salad.

Source: My mom made this waaaaay back in the day. I'm not sure where she came up with the idea.

Notes: At the time, my mom actually used pre-cooked chicken strips that can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. You could also use shredded rotisserie chicken if you don't want to cook chicken for these pita sandwiches.

Summer Salads, Part 1

 

Here's a cool salad with a little kick to it. It won't keep well the next day, but it will be fun while it lasts!

Layered Buffalo Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

6 cups shredded deli rotisserie chicken
1 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup hot sauce
1 cup sliced celery
2 cups crumbled blue cheese (8 oz)
5 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups grated peeled carrots

Directions:

In large bowl, toss chicken, dressing, and hot sauce.

In 6-quart trifle bowl or glass bowl, layer as follows: Gently transfer chicken mixture to the bowl, being careful to keep sides of bowl clean. Top with sliced celery, then half the blue cheese, focusing efforts around outside of bowl. Top with romaine, then carrots, then remaining blue cheese.

Recipe notes: If you like it spicy, add an extra 1/4 cup of hot sauce to the chicken. It won't change the consistency dramatically.

Serves 16.

Source: Betty Crocker. You can find it here.

Notes: I really liked this. We served this as a side dish, but this is a perfect main course salad. We tossed the salad to make it easier to serve. This was perfect for summer!