Chicken Fajitas in the Microwave

Fajitas are a relatively easy dish to make- if you want to fire up the grill. So we rarely made them outside of the summer months.

A couple years ago my sister in law began selling Pampered Chef products and I bought the Deep Covered Baker for its versatility. Besides, who doesn’t love Pampered Chef? Anyway… I got the following recipe for chicken fajitas that can be made in the microwave in 15 minutes. Including prep time you’ve got dinner in less than 30 minutes. And it’s really good!

Ingredients:
2 medium onions
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T Chipotle rub (or fajita seasoning)
1 pkg fajita tortillas
8 oz sour cream
8 oz block or shredded cheese

Directions:
Slice onions and peppers; place in bottom of deep covered baker. Sprinkle with 1 T chipotle rub.
Sprinkle remaining chipotle rub on both sides of chicken and place chicken breasts on top of vegetables. Cover and microwave for 12-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in foil and put in oven to warm at 250° (or place on microwave safe plate with damp paper towels and heat for about a minute).

When the chicken is done remove peppers and onions to a separate bowl and chop the chicken- leave it in the broth.

Serve with sour cream, cheese and your favorite fajita toppings.

*Obviously you would use the same ingredients if you want to grill your fajitas. The vegetables will take less time, or use indirect heat on them. I really like a BBQ grill basket for veggies.

Creating a Meal with Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken Breast

It's been a long time coming, but I am beginning to realize that I am busy. As in crazy busy. And when my family is otherwise occupied I need to be able to create a meal for myself quickly. Otherwise I find myself grabbing something from a convenience store that is 1) bad for me, 2) not really that tasty and 3) insanely expensive for what I am actually getting.

I try to prep food before hand but lately I've been running about on Sunday- my usual food-prep day. Recently I received a coupon to try the new Tyson® Grilled & Ready frozen chicken breast. The fact that it is fully cooked and takes only a couple minutes to heat in the microwave makes this my go-to meat for meals.

Since I mainly use leftovers and kitchen staples I am eating healthier and saving money!

Grilled Chicken Tacos

2 flour tortillas
1 cup Spanish rice
1/2 c lettuce
1 Tyson® Grilled & Ready frozen chicken breast
1/2 c shredded Cheddar
Salsa
Sour cream (optional)

Heat chicken breast, rice and tortillas. Layer as desired. Enjoy a quick and delicious meal!

Mexican Chicken Salad


Lettuce of choice
1 Tyson® Grilled & Ready frozen chicken breast
1/2 c Spanish rice
Salsa
Light ranch dressing
Shredded Cheddar

Heat chicken breast and rice. Layer salad. Mix salsa and ranch for a creamy yet spicy dressing. Enjoy an easy salad with a Mexican flair.

Chicken Pasta Salad

1 c spinach leaves
1/2 c tomato
1/2 c wheat pasta (cooked)
1 1 Tyson® Grilled & Ready frozen chicken breast
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T Balsamic vinegar
1 t Italian seasoning

Heat and chop chicken breast. Layer spinach, tomato, pasta and chicken breast in a bowl.
Mix EVOO & vinegar with Italian seasoning; toss with salad.
I usually put this in a divided container and tote it along when I know I won't make it home for dinner. It travels well and I'm not so tempted by the drive thru.

I received a coupon to try Tyson® Grilled & Ready frozen chicken breast. Thoughts, photos and meals are my own.

Lime Chicken Tacos

I've been trying to eat healthier. Really, I have. But sometimes you really just want "comfort food"- good, filling food that doesn't scream "DIET!" I've been trying recipes from the Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook for a while now and this is one of my favorites.

Not only is it great for tacos, but it makes a nice chicken taco salad and chicken nachos. It reheats nicely for lunch the next day and, because it's cooked in the slow cooker I classify it as quick and easy. The entire family loves this recipe!

Makes 12 Servings Time: Prep: 10 min. Cook: 5-1/2 hours (or 2 1/2- 3 if cooked on high)

Ingredients

* 1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
* 3 tablespoons lime juice
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 1 cup frozen corn
* 1 cup chunky salsa
* 12 flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed
* Sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and shredded lettuce, optional

Directions

* Place the chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Combine lime juice and chili powder; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours (or 2 1/2-3 hours on high) or until chicken is tender.
* Remove chicken; cool slightly. Shred meat with two forks and return to the slow cooker; heat through. Stir in corn and salsa.
* Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve in tortillas with sour cream, cheese and lettuce if desired. Yield: 12 tacos.


Nutrition Facts: 1 taco (prepared with fat-free tortillas; calculated without sour cream and cheese) equals 148 calories, 2 g fat (trace saturated fat), 31 mg cholesterol, 338 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 14 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 very lean meat, 1 starch.

Disclosure: I am an Amazon affiliate. If 10 of you happen to buy this cookbook using the link to the left I may make enough money to buy some sour cream for my tacos.

Chicken Tikka Masala

I love to expose my girls to new flavors and cuisines. And, thankfully, they try new foods without protest. Because this dish was served with rice the girls thought it was Chinese- a favorite in our house. Trying to explain that it is an Indian influenced meal.... Well, I'll save that for another day.

The only change I have made in this recipe is to cut the curry paste in half- 2T was just a bit spicy for the girls.

Recipe from Good Housekeeping. Serves 4.

Ingredients
* 1 cup(s) basmati rice
* 1 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil
* 1 medium (6 to 8 ounces) onion, chopped (I use dried onion flakes)
* 2 teaspoon(s) grated, peeled fresh ginger
* 1 clove(s) garlic, crushed with press
* 2 tablespoon(s) Indian curry paste (this makes the dish quite hot- I cut it in half when I am serving this to the girls)
* 1 1/4 pound(s) skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves, cut into 1-inch chunks
* Salt and pepper
* 1 cup(s) (from 15-ounce can) crushed tomato
* 1/2 cup(s) half-and-half or light cream
* 1/4 cup(s) loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped, plus additional for garnish

1. Prepare rice as label directs.
2. Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium 1 minute. Add onion and cook 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add ginger, garlic, and curry paste; cook 3 minutes longer.
3. Add chicken, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and cook 2 minutes or until no longer pink on the outside, stirring occasionally. Add tomato; cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes longer or until chicken just loses its pink color throughout.
4. Uncover and stir in half-and-half and cilantro. Spoon rice into 4 shallow bowls; top with chicken mixture and garnish with chopped cilantro.


Nutritional Information
(per serving)
Calories 430
Total Fat 13g
Saturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 93mg
Sodium 685mg
Total Carbohydrate 42g
Dietary Fiber 6g
Sugars --
Protein 39g
Calcium --

Ginger Chicken with Rice Noodles

My girls are big fans of Chinese and Asian influenced foods. I'm not sure if it's because of the chopsticks or what, but the mere mention of "Chinese" for dinner makes them giddy.

This recipe was very easy to make and is quite good served cold, too. If you happen to be grilling chicken the same week you make it, just grill a couple extra, cut them and heat in a saute pan before adding to the noodles. Also, I can't always find rice noodles- it depends on where I'm shopping. I substitute angel hair pasta and get great results.

I pulled this recipe out of a magazine quite a while back... I think it was Fitness.

• 4 tablespoons finely chopped scallion
• 3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 4-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 4 ounces dried rice noodles
• 2 limes
• 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 4 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
• 4 tablespoons chopped peanuts

In a small bowl, combine scallion, ginger, 6 garlic cloves, olive oil, and salt. Coat chicken breasts with mixture and place on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once.

Slice chicken diagonally; keep warm. Cook noodles in a large saucepan in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes until tender; drain. Shred 2 teaspoons lime peel and squeeze 2 tablespoons lime juice into a bowl. Add sugar and remaining 2 garlic cloves; stir until sugar dissolves. Add noodles, carrot, cilantro and peanuts; toss. Spoon onto plates; arrange chicken on top.

Chicken Enchiladas with Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is always in our refrigerator. Caelan prefers it for breakfast and Brenna enjoys it "on the side" for lunch. So when Roberts Dairy and Mom Select sent me a couple of coupons for free cottage cheese I was excited! Not only because that is what we already use but because it's spendy!

Of course the night I planned to make these Chicken Enchiladas I was out of cottage cheese- Caelan had finished it for breakfast- so they were delayed until my next trip to the grocery store.

When we finally had these for dinner they were devoured! Caelan liked them because they had cottage cheese, Brenna liked the spicy chicken and Doug said they had a really good flavor and the creaminess was a nice contrast with the spice from the green chilis.

I did, however, make some changes to the recipe (don't I always?). I'll give you the recipe in full and my changes in italics.

You Need:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 boiled and shredded skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (we grilled the chicken the day before)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 7-ounce can chopped green chile peppers (I used a 4 oz can and it was plenty)
1 1-ounce package taco seasoning mix
1/2 cup Roberts Sour Cream
2 cups Roberts Cottage Cheese
1 pinch ground black pepper
12 6-inch corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 10-ounce red enchilada sauce

To Prepare:
For meat mixture, heat oil in medium skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, onion and green chile peppers and sauté until browned. Then add taco seasoning and prepare meat mixture according to package instructions.

For cheese mixture, mix sour cream with cottage cheese in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and stir until well blended. (The girls helped with this- they love to stir)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make enchiladas, heat tortillas until soft and place a spoonful of meat mixture, a spoonful of cheese mixture and a small amount of shredded cheese in each tortilla. Roll tortillas and place in a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with any remaining meat and cheese mixture, enchilada sauce and remaining shredded cheese. (I hate rolling corn tortillas. They always crack when I try to roll them. So I made this more like a lasagna. Pour a tiny bit of enchilada sauce in the bottom of the baking dish to help with sticking -about 4T- and spread it around. Layer 6 tortillas over the bottom of the dish. Pour in 2/3 of meat mixture, 2/3 of cheese mixture and sprinkle 1 1/3 cup of the cheese over the top. Cover with remaining tortillas and repeat layers with remaining meat and cheese mixtures, add enchilada sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

This recipe serves 12 and reheats really well as leftovers.

This post sponsored, in part, by

Beef and Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce

Satay is, traditionally, a dish of diced or sliced meats that is skewered and grilled or barbecued. It's largely popular in Southeast Asia where you will find it as "street food" (like a New York hot dog or a cheesesteak in Philly).

I like to make satay for a couple of reasons.

1. It's quite easy. Slice meat, marinate, skewer & grill (or broil)
2. It's food on a stick- what's not to like?
3. Peanut sauce. My kids will tell you that everything is better with "dippies".
4. I can make these on the grill, in the oven (on broil) or on the stove-top in a grill pan.
   

I have two recipes, one for beef, one for chicken; both from Everyday Food. I'll publish them both in full and then tell you how I combined them to make a recipe I really love.

Chicken Satay Skewers
* 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each), thinly sliced lengthwise into 12 strips
* 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
* 1 teaspoon soy sauce
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
* 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
* Vegetable oil, for pan

Directions

1. In a bowl, toss chicken with sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and teaspoon red-pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Thread each chicken strip lengthwise onto a skewer.
2. Make dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, and 2 to 3 tablespoons water.
3. Heat grill pan over high. Working in batches, brush pan with oil, and cook chicken until opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Serve chicken skewers with dipping sauce.

Beef Satay with peanut sauce
1 lb flank steak thinly sliced across the grain
1 T veg. oil such as safflower
1 t coriander
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
2 T light-brown sugar
1 T soy sauce
2 T lime juice

Heat broiler with rack set 4 inches from heat. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil
On sheet toss stead with oil and coriander season with salt and pepper. Dividing evenly, thread beef strips onto skewers. Arrange on the sheet and set aside

Broil skewers of meat without turning 2-5 minutes.

In a small bowl whisk together peanut butter, sugar, soy sauce, 2 T lime juice and 1/4 C water. Serve beef skewers with peanut dipping sauce.

My version

I thought the beef was a bit bland so I used the chicken marinade for both meats. Instead of skewering right away, though, I let them both marinate for 30 minutes or so. This gave the meat a flavor of its own.

Then skewer. (Remember that if you are using wooden skewers to soak them at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning.)

I know the beef recipe says not to turn the meat. I recommend turning the meat- I've done these in a broiler and on the grill. It just works best for me to turn the meat.

The peanut sauce: I prefer chunky peanut butter, but it's really personal preference. I basically used all the ingredients, together, to make a great dip: brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, rice wine vinegar & red pepper flakes. I whipped it up in my Magic Bullet (seriously, one of the best kitchen tools I own) and add water until I like the consistency (again, a personal preference).

These are always popular in my house and are great for entertaining and backyard barbecues!

Grilled Chicken with Sesame Noodles (in Peanut Sauce)

I'm not really sure why this recipe was titled the way it was - which is to say without mentioning peanuts in the title- as I don't think the noodles are so much sesame as peanut-y. So I modified the title a bit.

I also made a couple of changes, which I will point out when they come along. The initial recipe came from Cook's Country in an unsolicited free trial issue. This is an easy recipe to toss together and doesn't even require a grill- I used the broiler. If you have more time I would recommend letting the chicken marinate for half an hour.

Ingredients

3 cloves minced garlic
2 T minced fresh ginger
1/2 c soy sauce
3 T rice vinegar
2 t hot sauce (I halved this as the girls don't like things too spicy)
3 T light brown sugar
2 T toasted sesame oil (if it's regular sesame oil, or even peanut oil, it will be ok)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lb)
1/4 c peanut butter
salt
1 lb fresh Asian noodles (I have no idea where to get fresh Asian noodles. I used dried Asian noodles, they looked like spaghetti. Or just use spaghetti. If you use dried noodles you want 12 oz.)
6 scallions, sliced thin (I omitted these, too. Honestly, they're only for color.)

Instructions

Bring 4 quarts water to boil over high heat. In a small bowl whisk garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, brown sugar and oil. Toss chicken with 3 T garlic mixture (I would marinate it for half an hour). Puree remaining garlic mixture and peanut butter (I love my Magic Bullet
for this!) until smooth.

Add 1 T salt and noodles to boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain well, rinse under cold water and drain again. Toss noodles,peanut sauce & scallions in a large bowl. Adjust seasonings.

Grill chicken breasts over high heat until cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side. (I broiled for about 6 minutes per side). Slice and serve over noodles.

Note: The next time I make this I'll probably steam some broccoli to toss in. It will add some color & nutrition. Snow peas would probably be quite good, too.

Crispy Un-Fried Chicken and Popcorn Cauliflower

I'm actually a bit torn about this chicken recipe. Not that it isn't good- because it is- but because it seemed like kind of a hassle. And, honestly, the place I got it (an unsolicited "trial issue" of Cook's Country) was a bit pretentious for me, stating "no self-respecting fried chicken lover would dream of using anything other than bone-in chicken parts." Well, I'm sorry to disappoint the cooks but, having grown up on a farm and actually killing, plucking and taking apart entire chickens I'm well over anything having to do with chicken bones. I used boneless chicken breasts- I actually cut them into strips (gasp!)- and all was well.

But Caelan loved these, eating three strips, so this recipe will be appearing on my table again. Along with these simple and tasty popcorn cauliflowers, which both girls ate greedily. I suppose it's because they love popcorn...

Crispy Un-Fried Chicken
Serves 8

2 c buttermilk
2 T Dijon mustard
2 1/4 t salt
1 1/2 t garlic powder
1 1/2 t black pepper
1 t hot pepper sauce (I omitted this)
8 (split bone in) chicken breasts, 10 to 12 ounces each, skin removed, ribs trimmed with kitchen shears
2 1/2 c corn flakes (crushed. To do this place in a plastic bag and let the kids play steamroller over it with a rolling pin)
3/4 c fresh bread crumbs
1/2 t ground poultry seasoning (I omitted this)
1/2 t paprika
1/8 t cayenne pepper
2 T vegetable oil

Whisk buttermilk, mustard, 2 t salt, 1 t garlic powder, 1 t black pepper & hot sauce in a large bowl. Add chicken, turn to coat well, cover & refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.

Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and heat to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil, set wire rack on sheet and coat with baking spray. (I used the broiler pan)

Gently toss corn flakes, bread crumbs, 1/2 t garlic powder, 1/2 t black pepper, 1/4 t salt, poultry seasoning, paprika and cayenne in shallow dish until combined. Drizzle oil over crumbs and toss until well coated. Dredge chicken, one piece at a time, in crumb mixture; firmly press crumbs into all sides of chicken. Place chicken on prepared rack, leaving 1/2 inch of space between pieces. Bake 35-45 minutes until chicken is deep golden brown, juices run clear and thickest part of the chicken breast (away from the bone) reaches 160 degrees.

Spice it up: increase the hot pepper sauce to 1T, replace salt in crumb mixture with 1/2 t chili powder and increase cayenne to 1/4 t.

This chicken reheats really well. Just heat the oven to 400 degrees and bake a few minutes. Or serve it cold.

Popcorn Cauliflower

Cut a head of cauliflower into small florets (about 3 c). Toss with 2T olive oil and 1/4 t pepper (I also added some garlic salt). Roast at 450 degrees, uncovered, until lightly browned stirring once or twice; about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese & serve.

Pork Chops with Apples and Stuffing

I'm gonna be honest here and tell you that for all the cooking that I do from scratch I have a tendency sometimes to be lazy. As in seriously lazy. As in I don't want to spend a lot of time making dinner because, honestly, I'd rather be playing with my girls in the crispy leaves outside.

So this dinner is perfect for fall. It has apples (and the only thing that is more fall to me than apples is pumpkin) and stuffing. Oh, and only 3 ingredients.

The best part? Noone has to know how unbelievably simple it is unless you tell them. Because, honestly, it tastes like you spent the afternoon in your kitchen.

I got this recipe from Kraft's Food & Family magazine (it's free, so you should definitely sign up for it) and we've had it twice in a month (once with chicken instead of pork).

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 50 min
Makes: 6 servings

Three Ingredients:

1 pkg. (6 oz.) Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 can (21 oz.) apple pie filling
6 boneless pork loin chops (1-1/2 lb.), 3/4 inch thick

Make It

HEAT oven to 375ºF. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package.

SPREAD pie filling onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with chops and stuffing. Cover with foil.

BAKE 30 min.; uncover. Bake 10 min. or until chops are cooked through (160ºF).

Now remember- no one has to know how easy it was!

Grilled Chicken Reubens

I had chicken reubens on my menu this summer on a day that was supposed to be raining. When the rain didn't appear and we were all ready to be out of the house I slapped the reubens together and decided that we would try them on one of the barbeque grills at the park. It worked out really, really well and I now have another quick meal that we can pack and tote to the park with us.

For the chicken: if you are grilling earlier in the week go ahead and toss on a couple chicken breasts. Or save some if you've roasted a chicken. Or buy some oven roasted chicken breast in the deli meat section at the grocery...

Grilled Chicken Reubens

Chicken Breast
Rye Bread
Swiss Cheese slices
saurkraut, drained and squeezed dry
1/3 c mayo
2 T ketchup

Mix the ketchup and mayo to make your dressing.
Make sure your kraut is dry otherwise it will make the bread wet. (not so good)
Build sandwich: bread, cheese, chicken, dressing, bread.
Wrap tightly in foil.

When you are ready to grill just place the foil wrapped sandwiches over the coals for about 10 minutes per side (less if your coals are really, really hot). You want the cheese melted and the bread beginning to toast.

Mmmmm...

You can make these in the oven, too... No foil necessary.
Turn on your broiler and have the rack about 4 inches from the heat. Build in the same way. Broil about 2 minutes per side.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

I love dishes that appear like you spent the afternoon in the kitchen but really didn't take as much work as they look like. This Parmesan Crusted Chicken recipe from Cuisine Magazine
tastes like you spent half the day in the kitchen. The crusting keeps the chicken juicy inside and gives it tons of flavor.

In fact, this recipe was in the sample issue they sent to me and is one of the reasons I subscribe to that magazine! I usually pair this with a roasted potato (chop 3-4 medium potatoes into bite size, toss in olive oil and spices and roast in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes; toss them in right after you crust the chicken) and side salad but they are also great with these stuffed potatoes.

Makes: Four Servings Total Time: 1 Hour

You need:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 egg whites
2 t. cornstarch
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup coarse bread crumbs (to dry, bake at 200� 10 - 15 min.)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper
Zest of one lemon, minced
3 T. olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450�.
Prepare chicken breasts. Cut in half lengthwise, then pound between plastic until 1/2" thick.
Whisk egg whites, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a shallow dish for the dipping mixture; set aside.
Combine ingredients for crusting mixture (coarse bread crumbs thru lemon zest) in a wide, shallow dish. Crust prepared chicken by dipping both sides first in the dipping mixture, then in the crusting mixture. Transfer the crusted chicken to a rack set over a baking sheet. Air-dry chicken 20 - 30 minutes to help set the crumbs. (See tip at bottom)
Saute the chicken in a large, nonstick, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until golden and crisp on one side. Flip the chicken, then transfer pan to preheated oven to finish cooking, 8 - 10 minutes. (See tip at bottom)

Tip: Dipping and Crusting Chicken
Pat crumbs onto both sides of the chicken breasts - it's okay if some crumbs fall off. Rest at room temperature on a rack for 20 - 30 minutes.
Tip: Sauteing
Saute chicken until golden, about 3 mintues. Carefully flip the chicken (use your hand to help guide it). Then transfer the pan to the oven.

Herbed Chicken in Pastry

There are recipes that I see and think, "Wow, that looks delicious." And my thoughts go no farther than that because the recipe looks too difficult or time consuming.

I'm working on overcoming that because, quite often, my fear is unfounded. Like with this recipe that I found inside my Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry. This chicken dish was much more quick and easy than I imagined it would be. Try it... Soon! You'll be hooked!

Thaw Time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 25 minutes
Chill Time: 15 minutes


Serves: 4

Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breast halves
2 tbsp. butter OR margarine
1/2 pkg. Pepperidge Farm® Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet)
1 egg
1 tbsp. water
1 container (4 oz.) garlic & herb spreadable cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
SEASON chicken with salt and pepper if desired. Melt butter in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned. Remove chicken. Cover and refrigerate 15 min. or up to 24 hours.

THAW pastry sheet at room temperature 30 min. Mix egg and water. Preheat oven to 400°F.

UNFOLD pastry on lightly floured surface. Roll into 14" square and cut into 4 (7") squares. Spread about 2 tbsp. of the cheese spread in center of each square. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp. parsley and top with cooled chicken. Brush edges of squares with egg mixture. Fold each corner to center on top of chicken and seal edges. Place seam-side down on baking sheet. Brush with egg mixture.

BAKE 25 min. or until golden.

Shredded Chicken Enchiladas

If you're grilling or baking chicken breast toss in a few extra (about a pound) to make these super easy enchiladas later in the week.

I made these last night and they were so yummy! The cream cheese gives the filling a creaminess and counters the zest of the salsa. To easily shred the chicken just use two forks to pull the cold chicken apart.

Shredded Chicken Enchiladas

1 clove minced garlic
About 1 pound chicken breast, shredded
1 cup chunky salsa
4 oz cream cheese, cubed (I use the fat free)
1 T cilantro
1 t cround cumin
1 c shredded taco cheese
8 tortillas

Preheat oven to 350. Line 13x9 baking dish with release foil (for easy clean up).Heat large skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat. Add garlic, cook about 2 minutes. Add chicken, 1/4 cup salsa, cream cheese, cilantro and cumin; cook until heated through. Add 1/2 cup of cheese, mix well.

Heat the tortillas in the microwave between two moistened paper towels for about 25 seconds. Spoon about 1/3 c of chicken mix into each tortilla, roll. Place seam side down in baking dish. Top with remaining 3/4 c salsa and 1/2 c cheese.

Bake 15 minutes until heated through.

Oven Fried Chicken Strips

We plan to do a lot of biking to parks in the evenings so I want to have options besides cold sandwiches, hot dogs and burgers for dinner.

I made these chicken strips last night and I just have to say: YUMMY! A great alternative to fried chicken and they are great straight from the oven or cold. And you can make the tangy dipping sauce or just use ranch dressing or ketchup.

The secret to making these crispy is baking them in two glass pans. You don't want them too crowded. Another great recipe from Cuisine.

Oven Fried Chicken Strips
with tangy BBQ Dipping Sauce

For the chicken:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb)
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/2 t paprika
Salt
2/3 c panko crumbs (in the oriental foods section)
2 egg whites
1/2 c buttermilk
Tabasco to taste (optional)
3 T vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 450.

Slice chicken breasts into 12 strips. Combine flour and seasonings (but not panko!) in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour mixture and set on wire cooling rack. Add panko to remaining flour.

Whip egg whites to soft peaks in a bowl. Gently whisk in buttermilk and Tobasco. Dip each strip into the egg mixture then dredge in panko/flour mixture. Return to wire rack.

Heat 1 1/2 T oil in two 13x9 glass baking dishes for 5 minutes in the preheated oven. Arrange half the strips in a single layer in each dish- you want them to have space- and roast for 15 minutes. Flip the strips over and roast for another 15 minutes or until coating is crisp and cooked through. (I had to add a bit more oil to the pans).

For the sauce:

1/4 c apple juice
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/4 c ketchup
1 T honey
1 t Worchestershire sauce
1/2 t dry mustard
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Pinch each of whole celery seed and red pepper flakes (optional)
1 T unsalted butter

Simmer all ingredients (except butter) in a saucepan over medium low heat for 10 minutes. Off heat swirl in butter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Taco Salad for One And All- Taco Salad Big & Small

We love tacos. As the weather gets warmer I like to change things around a bit and serve taco salad. I make large bowls for us and smaller bowls for the girls. It's fun for them to have a dish they can eat. Somehow even this small variation makes the meal a treat and there are many giggles as they break the bowl and eat it.

Taco Salad Bowls

This is a slight variation of a Kraft recipe.

Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 20 min
Makes: 4 servings

4 flour tortillas (8 inch) (if using wheat tortillas see tip below)
1 T chili powder, divided
3/4 lb. extra lean ground beef or 2 c shredded chicken(to make this a meatless dish use one 15oz can of black beans, drained)
1 cup matchlike carrot sticks (I just use salad with shredded carrot in it)
1/2 cup chunky salsa
4 cups torn salad greens
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup Mexican style cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* I will also line the bottom of the taco bowl with black or refried beans.
* Fresh salsa for garnish

PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Crumple four large sheets of foil to make four 3-inch balls; place on baking sheet. Place 1 tortilla on top of each ball (see tip below); spray tortilla with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 tsp. of the chili powder. Bake 6 to 8 min. or until tortillas are golden brown. (Tortillas will drape over balls as they bake.)

MEANWHILE, brown meat with carrots (if they aren't in your salad) and remaining 2-1/2 tsp. chili powder in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup of the salsa; cook 2 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

PLACE beans in tortilla bowl (if desired). Add salad to tortilla shells; top with meat mixture, cheese, cilantro and tomato.

TO make the smaller taco bowls press 1 tortilla into a 2-1/2-inch muffin cup to form a bowl. I put a small ball of foil in the tortilla to keep an opening for the filling. Bake 10 min.

TIP: to make shaping the tortillas easier heat tortillas about 10-15 seconds each so they aren't so rigid and prone to ripping. So one at a time because as they cool they are more prone to tearing.

TIP: Wheat tortillas won't shape themselves around the foil like flour tortillas. For wheat tortillas shape them inside a large oven proof bowl or around a smaller oven proof bowl.

Herbed Chicken in Pastry

I made this last night and it was YUMMY! And easy!

Herbed Chicken in Pastry

Thaw Time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 25 minutes
Chill Time: 15 minutes


Serves: 4

Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breast halves
2 tbsp. butter OR margarine
1/2 pkg. Pepperidge Farm® Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet)
1 egg
1 tbsp. water
1 container (4 oz.) garlic & herb spreadable cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
SEASON chicken with salt and pepper if desired. Melt butter in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned. Remove chicken. Cover and refrigerate 15 min. or up to 24 hours.

THAW pastry sheet at room temperature 30 min. Mix egg and water. Preheat oven to 400°F.

UNFOLD pastry on lightly floured surface. Roll into 14" square and cut into 4 (7") squares. Spread about 2 tbsp. of the cheese spread in center of each square. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp. parsley and top with cooled chicken. Brush edges of squares with egg mixture. Fold each corner to center on top of chicken and seal edges. Place seam-side down on baking sheet. Brush with egg mixture.

BAKE 25 min. or until golden.

If my photos don't whet your appetite here's the photo from puffpastry.com.