Category Archives: Chicken

Austin Chicken

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Took a month away from posting and during that time, went to Austin, Texas for the MotoGP at Circuit Of The Americas. Of course, it wouldn’t really be much of an adventure if we didn’t ride the ” Adventure” the whole way there and back!

We ate lots of good food while we were there and a few places in between, but this dish was inspired by one I had at the Iron Cactus in Austin. It’s a little time consuming in that it has many components, but each one is easy to make. Seasoned and grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts, covered with peppers, onions, and a creamy, spicy cheese sauce, topped with fresh chorizo and guacamole.  We just ate it with chips and salsa, but Mexican rice and refried beans would go great with this dish!

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For the chicken breast marinade:

  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp cilantro
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp chili garlic hot sauce

Place chicken breasts in a zip top bag. Combine remaining ingredients in a small mixing bowl and pour over chicken breasts. Toss to coat and refrigerate for at least two hours.

For the guacamole:

  • 3 ripe Hass avocados
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp minced onions
  • 1 tsp cilantro
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • dash red pepper
  • juice of one lime
  • 1/4 tsp cumin (optional)

Remove skin and seeds from avocados. Place in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork until desired consistency is reached ( some like it chunkier than others!). Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Place guacamole in an airtight container. Press a piece of parchment or wax paper down on the top of the guacamole and seal tightly to keep it from turning to a brown yucky color. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cream cheese sauce:

  • 4 oz. cream cheese
  • 1 seeded and chopped jalapeno, or 3 tbsp canned, diced jalapenos
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup half and half

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To finish:

  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1/2 pound fresh chorizo (not the dried, Spanish kind!)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Marinaded chicken breasts
  • Prepared guacamole
  • Prepared cream cheese sauce
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend

Preheat a grill over medium heat and preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Grill chicken breast for about 8 to 10 minutes per side, until slightly under done, about 150 to 155 degrees. Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, brown and crumble chorizo. When cooked through, remove from heat. Wipe skillet and add olive oil. When hot, add peppers and onions to skillet and cook and stir until soft; season with salt and pepper.

Place chicken in a baking dish and top evenly with peppers and onions, cheese sauce, and shredded cheese. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until chicken is done and cheese has melted and slightly browned. Top with chorizo and guacamole to serve. Savor the flavor!

Chicken Sausage And Roasted Vegetable Pasta

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“Pasta?” you say? “I thought you were gluten-free?” you say?

Well yes, I’m still gluten-free! Thankfully, several companies make gluten-free pasta so I don’t have to give up that which I so adore!

Since I now have to read ingredient labels to make sure I’m not unintentionally “glutened”, I’ve noticed more and more all of the un-natural additives that goes into food to preserve it. Italian sausage is no different! So I went from the pork variety to the all-natural chicken and its just as yummy if not more so!

I have to apologize for the photo! I seemed to have misplaced the battery for my good camera and have been using the good old iPhone to take pictures for the blog. Though I really don’t think this dish would photograph well either way!

Just trust me, it’s delicious!

Oh, and I should mention that I used a quality jarred sauce for this, but if you have the time and energy, using homemade would not be frowned upon!

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  • 1  lb bulk Italian chicken sausage
  • 12 oz gluten-free tri-colored vegetable pasta
  • 24 oz tomato basil sauce
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 large or two small zucchini, chopped
  • 8 oz mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 3 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 beef steak tomatoes, sliced
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • dash crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On a baking sheet lined with foil, add onions, peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms with a few drizzles of olive oil and salt & pepper. Toss to coat. Roast veggies  for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.

Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with a spatula. While sausage browns, cook pasta to package directions. When sausage is cooked through, stir in tomato sauce. Let heat through, for about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, spinach, and red pepper flakes. Cook until spinach is slightly wilted, then stir in roasted vegetables, and parmesan cheese. Allow to cook 5 more minutes. Add pasta and stir until well incorporated.

Pour pasta mixture into a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Top with sliced beef steak tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350, for 25 to 30 minutes. Would be great served with a Caesar salad!

**This holds up well in the fridge. For the three of us, I was able to get two dinners out of one pan.

Pretzel Chicken With Mustard Cheddar Sauce

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This recipe is one I found in a Rachel Ray cook book and it’s one that’s in our regular menu rotation, but since the whole “no gluten” thing, I didn’t think I’d be eating it ever again. But thanks to all the brands that have produced “gluten free” products, I’m able to eat it once more!

Synder’s Of Hanover makes these wonderfully tasty gluten free pretzels that I crush up to coat the chicken, then pan fry it, and drizzle a mustard cheddar béchamel over top that’s made with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. It really tastes just like the gluten-y version without the nasty side effects! photo 1

For the béchamel:

  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar
  • 1 tbsp mustard

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then add milk. Continue to cook, and stir constantly, until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in mustard and cheddar. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm while preparing the chicken.

For the chicken:

  • 6 chicken breast cutlets
  • 2 cups crushed pretzels
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • vegetable oil for frying

Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of the large skillet over medium-high heat.

Place chicken in a zip-top bag with the flour and shake to coat. Dip a piece of chicken in the eggs, then in crushed pretzels, continue with remaining pieces.

Fry chicken in two batches, about 5 minutes per side, and remove to a plate lined with paper towels.

Spoon a tablespoon of béchamel on to a plate, place two cutlets on plate, then drizzle with a few heaping tablespoons over chicken. Goes great with a salad and steamed vegetable of  your choice.

Chicken Cacciatore Over Polenta

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Boneless, skinless chicken thighs with tomatoes and mushrooms served over creamy polenta. This is so easy and inexpensive. The chicken cooks all day in the crock pot so there’s no fuss, and this uses prepared, store-bought polenta that you heat up just before serving. Dinner in no time flat!

I didn’t keep track of the seasoning when I was throwing everything together before work, so adjust to your preference!

  • 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, untrimmed
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 pound mushrooms, quartered
  • 4 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 2 tbsp oregano
  • 1 tbsp basil
  • 1/2 tbsp marjoram
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 24oz tube prepared store-bought polenta
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup reserved sauce from chicken
  • 2 to 3 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese

The night before, cut up your onions, peppers, and mushrooms, and place in ziplock baggies in the fridge.

In the morning, place onions and peppers in the bottom of the crock pot, then untrimmed chicken thighs, then mushrooms.

In a mixing bowl, combine diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, wine, oregano, basil, marjoram, and salt, mix well.  Pour over ingredients in crock pot and let cook for 8 hours on low.

At dinner time, place polenta in a medium sauce pan and break up with a fork. Heat over medium-low heat. Add butter and stir in milk and Parmesan cheese. Slowly stir in reserved cup of sauce from the chicken. *You may need more or less cooking liquid to get the polenta to your desired consistency.

To serve, place 1/4 of polenta on a plate, top with 2 chicken thighs, and desired amount of sauce. Great with a side salad and steamed green beans!

* If you don’t care for polenta, this can be served over pasta or rice!

Chicken Shawarma With Cucumber Sauce

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I find this confusing, but not to the point it will keep me from eating it! This dish, other than flavors, has nothing in common with a gyro or real shawarma, but it’s tasty and easier than gyros! Most recipes call for topping this with a tahini sauce, but myself and my family are crazy about the cucumber sauce that usually accompanies gyros, so we top ours with this! Don’t forget the sliced tomatoes, red onions, lettuce, and flatbread!

For the cucumber sauce:

  • 6 oz plain greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup cucumber, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp dried dill
  • 1 tsp mayo
For the chicken:
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
  • 4 tbsp canola oil
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp marjoram
  • 1/4 tsp cardamon

Prepare the cucumber sauce. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl, and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Next, prepare the chicken. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except for the chicken, and stir until well combined. Place chicken strips in a large ziplock bag, and pour marinade over chicken, seal bag, and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Drain off marinade from the chicken, and add it to the skillet. Cook chicken for about 10 minutes, or until strips are firm and juice runs clear. Don’t over cook! Serve chicken over warmed flatbread with the cucumber sauce, and onions, tomato slices, and shredded lettuce. Roll up and eat like a taco! Enjoy!

Fried Fajitas

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It’s the New Year and everyone is making the resolution to eat healthy and lose weight, and I’m posting a recipe that is chicken, onions, and peppers, wrapped in a flour tortilla and deep-fried, then smothered in cheese sauce and topped with more cheese! (Sorry if you’re dieting!) 🙂 I’ve made a baked version of this too, and it’s just as tasty,but not as crispy!

For the fajitas:

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
  •  2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 green pepper, sliced
  • 1/2 lg onion, sliced
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Fajita seasoning
  • 12 flour tortillas
  • 1 qt vegetable oil
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
For the cheese sauce:
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 1/4 cup half and half
  • 2 cloves garlic

Prepare the cheese sauce first. In a food processor, chop jalapeno and garlic. Add cream cheese, sour cream, and half and half. Pulse until smooth and well blended. Place in the refrigerator while preparing fajitas.

To make strips with the chicken breasts, place the chicken breast on a cutting board. Place your palm flat on the chicken breast, and starting at the thick end, cut breast into two pieces by running a knife horizontally the whole length of the chicken breasts. You should have 2 cutlets.

Cut the cutlets into strips as shown. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

( This is a great way to make your own chicken breasts cutlets for other recipes, and it’s cheaper than buying them already cut! You pay more per pound for the extra processing!)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and peppers and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and cook and stir about 10 minutes. Add fajita seasoning and cook about 3 more minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat while preparing fajitas.

To assemble, spoon about 3 heaping tablespoons of fajita meat and veggies on to a flour tortilla and roll up as shown. Secure with toothpicks. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Fry rolled up tortillas, 2 at a time, until tortillas are golden, and remove to a paper towel lined plate. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once cool enough to handle, remove toothpicks from the fajitas, and line up in a greased 13×9 baking dish.

Spoon cheese sauce evenly over the fajitas, then sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake, uncovered about 15 minutes, until cheese melts and starts to brown. Serve with black beans, and fresh pico de gallo.  Enjoy!

Death-By-Chicken Chili

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This is my most favorite chili of all time! It uses a whopping 4 pounds of chicken! I’m not sure when or how I came up with this recipe, I’ve been making it for so long, but I know I’ve changed it several times and it keeps getting better! The seasoning measurements are approximate, so feel free to adjust to your taste!

I roast Poblano peppers to dice up and throw in there, but if you don’t want to go through the trouble, canned diced green chilies can be substituted, but I think the flavor of the home-roasted Poblanos takes this chili to another level!

  • 1 12 oz bottle low-sodium garlic and lime marinade
  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 lbs ground chicken
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
  • 3 Poblano peppers, roasted, seeded, and chopped (See Below)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp cumin
  • 2 tbsp oregano
  • 2 tbsp cilantro
  • 2 tsp white pepper
  • 2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 15 oz cans Cannellini beans
  • 1 recipe for Salsa Verde (Click Here) or, 1 16 oz jar store bought Salsa Verde
  • 32 oz low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Place chicken breasts in a ziplock bag and pour in marinade. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours up to overnight.

To roast peppers, place on a foil lined baking sheet, and place under the broiler in the oven, turning to char on all sides. Remove peppers from the oven and place in a paper bag. Close bag, and let peppers rest 20 minutes. Peel skin from peppers, remove seeds and stems. Rinse peppers, and pat dry. Chop peppers, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place marinaded chicken breasts on a greased, foil lined baking sheet, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

In a large stockpot, crumble ground chicken, and cook, stirring occasionally,  over medium-high heat, until chicken is cooked through. Drain any fat from the pan. Add onions, jalapenos, chopped Poblanos, and garlic. Continue to cook for 5 minutes until onions are soft. Add cumin, oregano, cilantro, white pepper, and cayenne pepper, and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in beans, salsa verde, and chicken broth. Reduce heat, cover and simmer.
Remove chicken breasts from oven and let cool 10 minutes. Cut into bite size pieces and stir in to chili. Let chili simmer for an additional 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Stir in shredded cheese until well blended. Serve with additional cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips!

Chicken Parmesan Pasta Pie

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Years ago, we had a restaurant in town called “The American Cafe”. They had these pasta dishes called “Pasta Pies” and of the three they sold, this was my second favorite! (My first being the Smoked Chicken.) Since it’s been way too long since my last Pasta Pie fix, I decided to create my own! It’s an easy recipe, but has several steps that make you feel like it takes a while, but you’ll find the end result well worth it!

 

For the sauce:

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp parsley
  • 1 tbsp basil
  • 2 tbsp oregano
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 6 oz water

For the chicken:

  • 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast cutlets
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 tsp water
  • 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup flour
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • 12 oz Penne pasta
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese

Prepare the sauce first. In a stock pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, garlic, and 1/2 tsp salt. Let cook 10 minutes until onions are soft. mix in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, seasonings, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a slight bubble. Reduce heat, cover and simmer while preparing the chicken.

In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil to a height of 1 inch, and heat on medium high. Set up a frying station; breadcrumbs in one bowl, beaten eggs and 1 tsp water in another, and flour in a large zip lock bag. 

Place chicken cutlets in the bag with the flour and shake well to coat the chicken. Take cutlets, one at a time, and dip in egg mixture, coating well, then dredge in breadcrumbs. Fry cutlets two at a time until golden brown and center is firm, about 3 or 4 minutes per side. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate to cool for 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
While chicken is cooling, cook pasta according to package directions, drain. Stir pasta into sauce. Cut cooked chicken into bite size pieces and stir into pasta. Pour pasta into a greased 13×9 inch casserole pan. Sprinkle mozzarella on top and bake, uncovered for 20 minutes, until cheese is melted on top. Serve with a salad! 

Chicken Verde Enchiladas

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Flipping through my recipe books the other day, I came across a recipe for chicken nachos using green salsa and cheese sauce, and I thought “That would make great enchiladas!” Turns out, I was right! They’re delicious! It’s a little time-consuming, but if you’re in a hurry, you can use precooked chicken breasts and a jar of tomatillo salsa from the store.

  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless,skinless chicken breasts
  • 5 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
  • 2 jalapenos, seeded
  • 1 large onion, divided (half chopped, half cut into chunks)
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 4 tbsp flour
  • 2, plus 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus some for drizzling
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • dash white pepper (Optional)
  • salt
  • 12 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Trim any excess fat from chicken breasts, and place on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes or until juices run clear.

Meanwhile, place tomatillos, 1 half of the onion, jalapenos, and garlic in a medium sauce pan with enough water to cover, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 10 minutes, until veggies are soft. Remove from pan with slotted spoon to a food processor or blender, and pulse until smooth. Add cilantro and cumin and mix well.

When chicken is fully cooked, remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before shredding, pulling apart with 2 forks.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat, and add chopped onion and bell pepper, and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low, and add chicken, 1/2 cup chicken stock, and all but 1/2 cup of salsa verde. Stir and simmer while making cheese sauce.

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour, cooking and stirring continuously, for about 3 minutes, then stir in 2 cups chicken stock. Stir constantly until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat, and stir in reserved 1/2 cup of salsa, 1 cup of cheese, salt to taste, and add white pepper (if desired).

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Spoon two heaping spoonfuls of chicken mixture into a flour tortilla, roll up, and place in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, and pour cheese sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cup of shredded cheese, cover with foil, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned. Serve with sour cream, and fresh pico de gallo. Enjoy!