Chicken Teriyaki

I know, it's been forever since I have posted.  I have been busy and when I am busy I don't have time to find new recipes and just stick to the same old basics.  Eventually we get bored and then I go and search, which is what I did this week.  In the chicken department we usually eat boneless skinless chicken-and by usually I mean almost exclusively.  I am always on the lookout for a way to make this cut of chicken juicy without adding a lot of  sugar or fat.  Which is why I was excited when I found this recipe for chicken teriyaki.    It was simple yet flavorful with minimal added sugar or fat.  I cut down the cooking time as my chicken was pounded very thin but adjust so that the chicken is fully cooked.  I also substituted the fresh garlic and ginger for the frozen cubes.  I didn't get a picture before it was all gone.

4 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 C. Teriyaki Sauce
1 Tbls. Vegetable Oil
4 Cloves Garlic, crushed
1 tsp. Ginger, minced or 1 frozen cube

Place the chicken in a pan.  Combine remaining ingredients and let the chicken marinate for an hour at least.  Preheat the over to 350.  Bake chicken uncovered for 10 minutes.  Turn chicken and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside.  

Pesto Chicken

I made a really yummy pesto chicken last week. I took pictures and had planned on putting them up later in the week and then I dropped my laptop. Bye bye all unpublished pictures. Oh well. You'll have to use your imagination for this one.

1 recipe of Dairy Free Nut Free Pesto
Chicken for grilling(I used some pounded boneless skinless chicken breasts and some legs and thighs)

Madinade the chicken in the pesto for several hours or overnight. Perheat grill to medium high heat. Grill to your liking. I grilled the boneless skinless breasts for about 3 minutes per side. The chicken with a bone was about 20 minutes per side.
Really good served with rice.

Spicy Grilled Chicken

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I just began working full time out of the house and haven't had much time to cook or post. I made this grilled chicken recipe last week and we loved it. I didn't use the lime zest as we didn't have one. It had a slight kick to it but not overwhelming that the kids couldn't eat it.

1/3 C. vegetable oil
2 Tbls. lime juice
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves cut into cubes

Mix the oil, lime juice, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Add chicken, and turn to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour, turning occasionally.
Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Drain and discard marinade. Grill chicken for 6 to 8 minutes each side, or until juices run clear.

Crazy Chicken Marinade

I came across this chicken marinade and it sounded good so I figured I'd give it a try. It was really good. This one would go well in a pita with some homemade hummus. I found that there was not a lot of marinade left to boil so I skipped that step. Otherwise aside from cutting the chicken into cubes I stuck to the original recipe.

4 limes, juiced or 6 Tbls. lime juice
2 Tbls. Olive oil
2 Tbls. Chili powder
1 tsp. Sage, dried
1 tsp. Oregano, dried
1 tsp. Ground Cumin
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into chunks

Whisk the lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, sage, oregano, and cumin together in a small bowl. Marinade the chicken, coating evenly and tossing every 30 minutes for a total of an hour and a half. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Remove the chicken to a platter and allow to come to room temperature. Grill the chicken on medium-high heat basting with the marinade remaining marinade until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 8 to 10 minutes per side.

Pistachio Crusted Chicken Breasts

I found this recipe in the Passover By Design cookbook. I never got around to making it on Passover but did try it after. The recipe is for chicken tenders on skewers but I was too lazy to make it that way so I kept it simple. The original recipe also has a raspberry sauce to serve it with but I wasn't interested in serving it with a sweet sauce and knew nobody in my family would enjoy that. I served it with a mayonnaise based sauce but any sauce/dressing will do. It was a big hit and I will be making it again both during the year and on Passover.

4 Bonesless skinless chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
1 C. White Wine
1 C. Shelled Pistachio, coarsely chopped

Flatten chicken. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place them in a bowl and add wine. Marinate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350. Roll piece of chicken in nuts, pressing them so the nuts adhere to the chicken. Bake 13-15 minutes, turning once.

Herb Roasted Chicken Legs

Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best. When I first saw that this recipe included cilantro I was excited as it is one of my favorite herbs and I have a nice amount growing in my yard(If you live nearby and want to make this please come by and take some). Then when I saw how simple it was I was even more excited to try it. It comes from weelicious.com which is one of my favorite cooking websites. Speaking of which, I am compiling a list of my favorite food sites so if you have one(healthy or not) that you think I would enjoy please email me and I will take a look.
Back to topic-I made this one as it says with both boneless skinless chicken breast and with legs. If you use the boneless skinless chicken breast I would recommend pounding them and cooking for about half the time. If you don't pound the chicken(which I did) it will take the full 40 minutes to cook through. We all enjoyed this one, especially my daughter who couldn't get enough.

1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 Tbls. Lemon Juice
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
2 Tbls. Olive Oil
2 lbs Chicken Legs

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place tall except chicken into a ziploc bag and mix well. Add the chicken legs, coat with the mixture, close and marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge. Place chicken legs in a greased baking dish, pour the marinade over and roast for 40 minutes.

Roasted Carrots with Garlic

This recipe is from the Uncommonly Kosher cookbook. I have cut down the oil but otherwise left the recipe as is. We have been enjoying this one for quite a while. I often double this one as many get gobbled up before serving and we like the leftovers too.

10 large Carrots, sliced
8 large Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Tbls. Olive Oil
2 Tbls. Parsley, chopped
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Place carrots in a bowl. Mix garlic, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Toss garlic mixture with carrots. Arrange on a single layer on a cookie sheet(I use parchment paper for easy cleanup) and bake for 40 minutes. Turn carrots while roasting.

Tiny Taco Meatballs

I had some ground turkey in my freezer and was trying to decide between tacos and meatballs when it came to me-how about taco flavored meatballs? Well a quick google search showed that I wasn't the only one who had this idea. I found this recipe and we were not disappointed. The only change I made was I used ground turkey rather than ground beef. They would probably be good half beef and half turkey as well-it was just what I had in the freezer. I served them over brown rice and some of my more adventurous family members enjoyed them with a little taco sauce poured on top.

2 eggs
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 envelope taco seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds ground turkey
Taco sauce, optional

Combine the first five ingredients. Add the turkey and mix well. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place meatballs on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 400° for 14-18 minutes. Serve with taco sauce if desired.

Thai Quinoa

I had planned on posting a different recipe today however I made this recipe for Thai Quinoa and it was so good that I needed to share. I never got a chance to take a picture because it was gobbled up so fast-I hardly got a spoonful of it myself as it was such a hit with my guests but the spoonful I got was delicious. The combination of the jalapeno, basil and cilantro were wonderful. I did make one change. I didn't have any mango so I threw in a handful of craisins instead. I served it at room temperature. Next time I am doubling this one.


1 Cup dry quinoa
3 cups water
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
6 leaves fresh basil, finely chopped
3 sprigs fresh cilantro, leaves gently torn (discard stems)
1⁄3 cup minced red onion (about 1/2 small red onion)
1 handful Craisins
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
fine sea salt
1 tablespoon lime juice

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly either in a strainer or in a pot and drain. (Do not skip this step or a bitter-tasting, natural soap-like coating will remain.) Once the quinoa is drained, place it into a medium pot with the water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 10–15 minutes or until the grains turn translucent and the outer layer pops off. In the meantime combine the minced jalapeño, basil, cilantro, red onion, and craisins in a medium bowl. Drizzle in the oil, soy sauce, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and lime juice. Stir to combine.
Add the drained quinoa and toss to combine. Season with salt to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield: 6-8 servings

Sun-Dried Tomato and Garlic Chicken

Are you looking for a use for all the sun dried tomatoes you have? I know I was. I came across this one for Sun-Dried Tomato and Garlic Chicken.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
15-18 Garlic Cloves
1 Onion, sliced
1 Green Pepper, sliced
1/2 cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes (not packed in oil), chopped
1/4 cup White Wine
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1 tsp. Dried Oregano
1/4 tsp.Ground Black Pepper

Rinse and cut all visible fat off of chicken breasts. Coat a pan with Pam and preheat oven to medium heat. Mince 2 of the garlic cloves, and place them in the pan with the chicken breast. Surround the chicken with the remaining garlic cloves. Cook the chicken for 2-4 minutes on each side, or until the chicken and garlic cloves are browned. Remove the chicken from the pan. Lay the onions, green peppers, and tomatoes over garlic cloves in a 9X13 baking pan. Arrange the chicken over the tomatoes, onions, green peppers, and garlic. Pour wine and broth over chicken, and sprinkle with oregano and pepper. Cover and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Serve chicken breasts with the vegetables and pan juices.

Chicken and Rice Revisited

When I originally posted the recipe for Simple Chicken and Rice Bake it went up with a really bad picture of the tiny amount of leftovers. My sister and brother-in-law, who is one of my "followers"(if you want to be a follower just click on the follow button on the right of the screen) made the recipe and took a much better picture:

Much prettier than mine-thinking I may make it again soon!

Stir Fried Tofu with Peppers and Onions

With Passover approaching the dinner options in my house are minimal. I had a package of tofu in the fridge that I decided to make last night with no real recipe. I took a chance and was pleasantly surprised that both my husband and 2 year old really liked this one.

1 Package Firm Tofu, drained, squeezed and cubed
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Tbls. Soy Sauce, divided
1 large Onion, diced
1 Red Pepper, diced
1 Tbls. Olive Oil

Combine 1 Tbls. soy sauce with garlic and toss together with tofu. Let sit 1/2 hour. Heat oil in frying pan. Saute onions and peppers. Add tofu with sauce. saute until browned. Add remaining soy sauce at the end to taste.

This would be great over rice.

Turkey and Rice in One Pot Dinner

I made this a week ago but forgot to take a picture at the time so I was waiting to take a picture of the leftovers-which got eaten before I got to them with my camera. So if you make this and take a picture I will add it! I really made this one up based on random ingredients I had in my pantry. This one is simple and tasty.

1 lb. Ground Turkey
1 Tbls. Olive Oil
1 C. brown rice(I used brown basmati)
1 C. tomato sauce(I used the Yachin Bolognaise)
2 1/2 Tbls Onion Soup mix
2 C. Water

Brown turkey in oil. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for half hour or until water is absorbed and rice is cooked.

Roasted Cauliflower and Red Pepper Soup

Remember a while back I told you about Cauliflower Carrot Soup? Well I have another cauliflower soup recipe for you. Today's recipe is similar to the Cauliflower Carrot Soup but kicked up a notch. I have actually been making this recipe for quite a while and it is good! I based it on this recipe from Closet Cooking but mine is a little simpler, healthier and a lot less fancy. That said it is really good.

1 head fresh Cauliflower, cut into florets OR 1 large bag frozen Cauliflower(which is what I use)
1 Tbls. Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Pam
1 Onion, Chopped
2 cloves garlic, Chopped
2 Roasted Red Peppers (I roast them using this technique from Closet Cooking)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
4 C. Water

Put cauliflower on cookie sheet and sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast the cauliflower in a preheated 400F oven until lightly golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. Spray soup pot with Pam and saute onions until tender about 5 minutes. Add garlic for 30 seconds. Add the cauliflower, roasted red peppers, cayenne and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes. Puree with a hand blender.

This one isn't such a kid friendly recipe as it is quite spicy however it is so good.

Stay tuned for a mash up(no pun intended) of the 2 cauliflower soups....

Baked Omelet

I came across this recipe for Egg Vegetable Casserole on a blog I recently started reading. I used to make something similar several years back but it also had cottage cheese in it (I can't find that recipe so if you know what I am talking about please pass it along). It sounded simple, good and kid friendly.

(Sorry the picture is so bad-my camera is sort of broken)

We renamed it Baked Omelet:

1 Tbls. Olive Oil
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 C Fresh Spinach, chopped
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
18 eggs
2 Tbls. Skim Milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. Seasoned Salt
1 C. Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Parmesan cheese, shredded (optional)

In a large skillet, saute the peppers and onion in the olive oil. Add in the spinach for a minute or two. Allow to cool. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and seasonings. Pour the eggs in a greased 9 by 13 pan. Add in the sauteed veggies and tomatoes. Stir everything in the pan. Stir in mozzarella cheese. Make sure everything is distributed evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes or until the eggs are set and golden. Sprinkle the casserole with Parmesan cheese if desired.

The recipe says that the Parmesan is optional however I thought it added a lot of flavor. My husband toasted some whole wheat bread with the Parmesan cheese and added the eggs to make a sandwich which sounded like a good school lunch to me. Also-just like any omelet, you can change the vegetables and spices. I think the key is the cheese and making sure the egg is set when you cook it. A hit in our house. I may even attempt these in muffin form next time for a good portable breakfast.

Simple Split Pea Soup

I found this recipe on the Weight Watchers website years ago. It originated as a crock pot recipe- just toss all in the crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 2 hours.

Simple Split Pea Soup:

12 Oz. Bag of dry Split Peas*
1 Clove Garlic(I use the frozen)
2 Carrots, cut into chunks
1 Onion, Diced
8 C. Chicken Broth*

Put all ingredients in large pot and simmer on low for 2-3 hours until smooth. You may need to add water when you reheat as the peas absorb the water.

This is always a hit and I often double or triple the recipe.

*I use either 500 grams of split peas with 10 C. broth OR I double and use 1 Kilo split peas and 20 C. broth and double everything else.

Steak Chicken

I found this recipe for chicken marinade a while back. It quickly became a staple and one of our favorite chicken recipes. We thought that the Worcestershire sauce gave the chicken a steak like taste so we have dubbed this recipe Steak Chicken. When making this recipe I use boneless skinless chicken breast that come already pounded from the butcher. I have made a few changes-when don't I? I have used canola in place of the olive oil on occasion. When making this recipe I use red wine vinegar as it was all I had the first time I went to make it. I have also made it both with and without the thyme and it is delicious either way.

I give you Steak Chicken:

1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
3 Tbls. Full Fat Mayonnaise
1 Tbls. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbls. Lemon Juice
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 Tbls. Poultry Seasoning
1 Tbls. Garlic Powder
1 Tbls. Sweet Paprika
1/2 Tbls. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Thyme (optional)

Put all ingredients in container with tight-fitting lid and shake well until all ingredients are combined not worrying if there are some beads of mayo that don't combine; they will dissolve when you're marinating.

Put the chicken in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Pour over just enough marinade to cover the chicken, then let it marinate in the fridge for 6-8 hours or longer.

Grill over medium to high heat making sure the chicken is fully cooked. When using the pounded chicken breasts it takes just a couple minutes on each side.

Enjoy!!!

Quick, Easy and Moist Meatloaf

Tonight I decided to make meatloaf. It wasn't until I was an adult that I truly appreciated and enjoyed meatloaf. This recipe was adapted from a family recipe. Over the years I have changed all of the ingredients except for the egg. We hope you like this one as much as we do.

Quick, Easy and Moist Meatloaf:

1 Pound ground beef or turkey
1 egg
1/3 C. whole wheat bread crumbs
2 tsp. onion soup mix
1 can tomato sauce
1 tsp. ground flax seed(optional)

Combine all and bake in loaf pan at 350 for an hour.

A note about the tomato sauce. I used the Yachin 260 grams tomato sauce for lasagna

and it was delicious-if you live in Israel I recommend using that one.

Part Whole Wheat Pizza

After last nights chili disaster I decided to move back into the kids comfort zone. I decided to make the same pizza I always make them but making the crust part whole wheat-repeat after me-baby steps. The recipe for pizza dough that I always use is from my 7th grade home economics cooking class. So thank you Mrs. Purtell. I just change the white flour to part whole wheat.

Part Whole Wheat Pizza

1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
3/4 C. warm water
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbls. oil
3/4 C. whole wheat flour
1-1 1/4 C. white flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, salt, oil, whole wheat flour and 1/4 C. white flour. Stir. Slowly add remainder of white flour until moderately stiff. Turn dough onto greased board and kneed until smooth and elastic-approximately 5-10 minutes. Place dough in a bowl sprayed with Pam. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes. Refrigerate for 2-24 hours.
Roll out dough to cookie sheet or pizza stone. Add sauce, shredded cheese and toppings. Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Everyone loved it and nobody had a clue that I changed anything. I guess that is the key-slow, small changes.

Chili

Tonight I made chili for dinner. I based it on this recipe I found for Four Bean Chili.
I made a few changes however. I could not find pinto beans so instead I used a can of Spicy Chili Beans. I also didn't include the meat so it was vegetarian. Lastly, I did not prepare it in a crock pot but in a pot on the stove. So I present to you my version of

Four Bean Vegetarian Chili:

1 Tbsp Canola Oil
1 Large Onion, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1-15 Oz Can White Beans, rinsed and drained
1-15 Oz Can Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
1-15 Oz Can Chili Beans, rinsed and drained
1-15 Oz Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1-28 Oz Can Chopped Tomatoes with Juice
2-15 Oz Cans Tomato Juice
2 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
2 Bay Leaves
2 Tsp Salt
Grated Cheddar Cheese

In a large pot over medium heat heat oil and saute onions for 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute another minute until the onions start to caramelize, then remove and place in a crock pot. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and stir to combine. Cover and simmer the chili for 2-4 hours on low. Top with cheese and serve.

My husband and I loved it. My kids- not so much. Part of the problem I think was that it was slightly spicy. Not sure if that was because of the chili powder or the chili beans. When it was reheated the next day it was not as spicy. The other problem is that my kids don't like to try new things and this was way outside their comfort zone. Perhaps I tried this too early. I am not giving up though-I will try this one again(perhaps with meat next time). I highly recommend it with the cheddar mixed in. Also, my kids enjoyed mixing in the cheese and watching it melt.