Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry

What? Chicken!?  I know, but the people I cook for must be pleased sometimes :)  This was a specific request from Jesse, and I am a sucker for requests, especially when it is for something I haven't tried before.  It definitely takes away a lot of the fun when that recipe involves touching raw chicken, but I'm working hard on not being a total brat about it!  Did I hate every second of touching it?  Yes, most definitely.  But I made it through, with only a little bit of crying.

Let's talk about the rest of the this dish, since in my opinion, it would be way better without chicken (or perhaps with ficken?).  There's broccoli, carrots, peppers, onion, snap peas and mushrooms in there!  Minus the chicken, it's a vegetarian's dream!  And then there is the sauce: chicken broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and sesame oil are thickened with cornstarch so it sticks to all your veggies and rice.  Plus there's garlic and ginger for flavor.  It's actually a really great stir fry, minus chicken.  Or plus chicken, depending on your carnivorous tendencies.  Serve it over rice and reheat it for days.  Or, send all of it home with the carnivores in your life like I did, and just bask in the glow of the compliment "this is better than my mom's" ;)

Recipe:

chicken and vegetable stir fry
from Cooking Classy

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breasts, sliced into small strips
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups broccoli florets, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots (about 4)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced into strips and halved (1 1/2 cups)
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 small)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, halved
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions:

1) Place chicken in a gallon-size resealable bag.  Ina  2-cup liquid measuring cup or bowl, whisk together chicken broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil.  Immediately after whisking well, measure out 1/4 cup before oil returns to the top.  Pour the 1/4 cup over chicken in bag and let marinate in refrigerator 10-15 minutes.  Whisk cornstarch and sugar into remaining soy sauce mixture.

2) Heat oil in a wok or nonstick pot over medium-high heat.  Remove chicken from marinate and add chicken to wok.  Heat chicken until halfway cooked through, about 3 minutes, tossing occasionally.  Add in broccoli, carrots, bell pepper, onion, and ginger.  Cook, tossing occasionally, for 4 minutes.  Add in snap peas, mushrooms, and garlic and cook 2 minutes longer.  Whisk soy sauce mixture once more and then pour into pan.  Toss frequently until sauce has thickened and veggies are tender, about 2 minutes.  Serve over white or brown rice.

Roasted Chicken with Veggies

Last month, Poppy threw up at my mom's house two days in a row.  I am fairly certain it's due to her trips to the neighbor's dumpster or her affinity for turkey poop, but either way, she had an upset stomach.  I decided to make chicken and rice for the dogs to settle all bellies.  I grilled my mother on how to prepare chicken and what cuts (do you say cuts of chicken or just beef?) I would find at the grocery store.  When I got there, I found that my cheapest option, surprisingly enough, was an entire chicken.  I was terrified, but I bought it anyway and started frantically texting my mom and Laura, and googling "how to cook an entire chicken for dogs," which shockingly didn't get me that much help.

I decided that even my two (no Ginny yet!) were not going to be able to eat an entire chicken, so I let Jesse know that I was roasting an entire animal and that he should come help.  Secretly I was super scared of actually having to cut the meat off the chicken, and I knew I wouldn't be happy to do that myself.  So inviting him was not purely selfless.

I used lots of information from The Kitchn, my mother, and LG, and this is what I came up with.  Apparently, you want to roast the chicken slightly raised off the bottom of the baking dish.  Of course I don't own a roasting pan (what do I roast besides brussels sprouts!?) and my cooling racks didn't fit in my baking dishes.  So I improvised; I had read somewhere that you can always rest the chicken on top of some vegetables, which will allow air to circulate a little bit better.  So I sliced up some potatoes and carrots and an onion, and tossed those on the bottom.  Then I had to touch the chicken - gag - and put it on the veggies.  Then everyone told me to "find the giblets" but I never did!  So thanks everyone for having me shove my hand inside a chicken's butt and neck.  Clearly there was a giblet thief for my chicken.

Then I stuffed it, and really, I don't know why people do that.  Does stuffing herbs inside a chicken really make it taste better on the outside? The jury is still out on that one.  Either way, I put herbs, garlic and lemons inside, which was unenjoyable.

Into the oven it went.  I am always so worried about giving people salmonella, so I was hoping that little white button thing would pop out and tell me it was done, but it didn't.  I ended up double checking with a meat thermometer, and I was good to go in about an hour and a half.  Then I handed Jesse a knife and realized he, too, had no idea what he was doing.  He had never carved a bird before either.  I have to admit that I have never liked him more than I did when I saw him dry heaving as he hacked the meat off the carcass.  I think we were both pretty scarred from the entire experience.

But in the end, I was proud of myself.  I roasted an entire chicken and used the meat to feed a human and two happy dogs.  I felt very grown-up.  Having a mortgage and knowing about 401Ks is grown-up, but nothing is more grown-up than roasting a chicken.  And Jesse said the chicken was juicy and delicious and the veggies were cooked perfectly. What kind of freaked me out is that the vegetables suddenly had a sauce on them... I had not made a sauce... but okay.  Most importantly, the dogs loved the chicken and rice, and there was no more throwing up.

Do you see how much I love my dogs?  I love them enough to roast a chicken for them.  This is why my heart is so heavy this morning.  I miss you, Daisy Mae.

Recipe:

roasted chicken with veggies

a Trust the Vegetarian original (what irony!)

serves 6

Ingredients:

4 - 6 pound while chicken

4 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

4 carrots, peeled and broken in half

1 onion, quartered

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 lemon, halved

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2 sprigs rosemary

2 sprigs thyme

1 small bunch parsley

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Place the potatoes, carrots and onion in the bottom of a large baking dish.  Put the chicken on top.  Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, and then rub olive oil over it to ensure the skin gets crispy.  Generously salt and pepper the chicken.

2) Place lemon, garlic and herbs inside the chicken.  Place it breast-side up in the roasting pan.  Put the chicken in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 400 degrees.  Roast for 50 - 90 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken.  Other ways to know when it is done: until it registers 165 degrees at the thickest part of the thigh, the juices run clear, and the legs and wings wiggle loosely.  

3) Transfer chicken to a cutting board and lest it rest 15 minutes.  Then carve and serve.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

I know, what is this?!  Buffalo chicken chili on Trust the Vegetarian?!  Alas, sometimes you have to do what you have to do, and this weekend, I had to make some meat.  And watch football.  Two of my least favorite things.  But I must admit, even if I loathe football, I do love going to football parties and spending the afternoon in the kitchen.  I have said it before, but I really am a dream football party-goer because I just want to cook you delicious food and let you lay on the couch and watch!  I think that's why Kenzie invited me over on Saturday, and did all the grocery shopping.  This was a recipe she had pinned and purchased everything she needed, so how could I say no?  Besides making blueberry muffins and soft pretzel bites, I also made this buffalo chicken chili.

I guess the meat part wasn't too terrible because Kenz bought a rotisserie chicken.  My mom ended up doing most of the shredded for me, too, which was awesome.  This whole recipe kind of freaked me out because I am not the kind of girl who shreds chicken or uses ranch packets, but, lo and behold, there I was doing both!  The chicken is flavored with buffalo sauce, a ranch dressing packet, and salsa.  There are even two different types of beans in there, luckily, so you aren't just eating chicken and sauce (although I am pretty sure this group would have been fine with that).  The recipe suggests adding a pint of cream; I stirred in maybe 1/4 cup because it wasn't really necessary.

Besides my mom saying that it was a bit too spicy for her, the carnivores loved the chili.  They liked it served with tortilla chips, but I think it would have been great over rice too.  It's definitely a good football party dish!  Go Patriots?

Recipe:

buffalo chicken chili
from Reasons to Come Home


Ingredients:
4 cups shredded chicken
1/2 red onion, diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 bottle buffalo sauce (I used a mixture of 2 different sauces per request!)
2 packages dry ranch mix
1 can chicken broth
1 cup chunky salsa
1 can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions:

1) Saute the diced onion with olive oil.  Add shredded chicken, ranch seasoning, and buffalo sauce.  Saute for a few more minutes.

2) Add beans, salsa, and chicken broth.  Simmer on low until heated through and thick.

3) Stir in heavy cream before serving.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sliders

This recipe freaks me out on a lot of levels, but with that said, it was a huge hit, so I suppose I have to share it.

First of all, it's chicken.  Enough said there.

Second of all, it uses lots of not-so-fresh foods, like a packet of ranch dressing mix, and a bottle of buffalo sauce.  Nothing homemade in there whatsoever.

Third of all, it makes your house smell like meal.  I like to use my slow cooker, but the smell of slowly-cooking meat is really my worst thing.

Okay I've done enough complaining (right, Laura?).  These slow cooker buffalo chicken sliders made Jesse and my family very, very happy.  Sometimes you just have to give the people what they want, and if they want meat without any trace of a vegetable, fine.  To appease my on misgivings, I made slider rolls from scratch.  They were absolutely delicious and easily doubled as dinner rolls (for me especially, since I wasn't eating the chicken!).  More on those in the next post.  But the chicken was flavorful, and... chickeny... and everyone loved it.  And it was super simple to make.  So, there's that!

Recipe:

slow cooker buffalo chicken sliders
from Plain Chicken
serves 8

Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless chicken
1 12-ounce bottle Frank's Wing Sauce
1 1-ounce package ranch dressing mix
12 slider buns
2 cups cheddar cheese (optional; I left it out)
1/4 cup prepared ranch dressing

Instructions:

1) Place chicken, wing saue, and ranch dressing mix in slow cooker.

2) Cook on low for 4 - 6 hours.  Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred.  Return to slow cooker and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes.

3) When ready to be served, top slider buns with chicken and top with cheese and/or ranch dressing.  Place under oven broiler and broil until cheese is melted.

Chicken Marsala

Yeah I still hate meat.  I hate cooking it and I hate eating it.  But sometimes, you gotta go what you gotta do.  And so sometimes, you gotta make chicken marsala for the carnivores in your life.  I have a direct quote that this meal is "life changing."  I'm pretty sure Jesse said it as a joke, but when my mom and Nick ate the leftovers, they agreed whole-heartedly.  I know it might be hard to take it from a vegetarian when I tell you a chicken dinner went well, so take it from them: this is a life-changing chicken marsala.

The chicken gets prepared first.  No, I did not like touching it.  But I bought chicken cutlets, so there was less touching necessary (otherwise the recipe recommended pounding the chicken flat... EW!).  It's salted and peppered, and coated with flour, then cooked on the stove.  I have to admit that I was a little panicky about cooking chicken in a skillet.  I don't think I have ever done that.  How the heck do you know if it's done or not!?  I like to bake things until there is no chance of salmonella!  Telling me to cook it for 3 minutes per side is really not enough for me.  I started to be sure that I was going to poison Jesse with raw chicken, but I refused to cut one open to check.  (Spoiler alert: he lived).

Anyway, then there's the sauce, and here is where the lives begin changing, I think.  Imagine this: pancetta (or bacon if you can't find that), mushrooms, garlic, and shallot, sweetened a bit by some tomato paste, cut with lemon juice, and of course that classic marsala flavor.  I ate some of the mushrooms, and even I can attest that the sauce was incredible.  If you're craving marsala, this is your sauce.

Serve this over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.  Just serve it.  Trust the vegetarian.  Or, if you don't, trust the carnivores who called it life changing.  If you want to take my word for something, roast some broccoli and sprinkle it with salt, pepper, and a little lemon juice.  Now that was life changing.

Recipe:

chicken marsala
from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
2 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
kosher salt
ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 slices bacon or pancetta, chopped
2 cups white or cremini mushrooms
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 cups Marsala wine
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 small lemon)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions:

1)Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position.  Place a large heatproof dinner plate on the oven rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees.  Heat a 12" heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes.  Pat chicken breasts dry.  Meanwhile, place flour in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Season both sides of chicken cutlets with salt and pepper.  Working one piece at a time, coat both sides with flour.  Lift breast from tapered end and shake to remove excess flour; set aside.

2) Add oil to hot skillet and heat until shimmering.  Place floured cutlets in a single layer in the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes.  Using tongs, flip cutlets and cook on second side until golden brown and meat feels firm when pressed with finger, about 3 minutes.  Transfer chicken to heated plate and return to oven.

3) Return skillet to low heat and add pancetta or bacon.  Saute, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom loosen browned bits until pancetta is brown and crisp, about 4 minutes.  With a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a paper-towel lined plate.  Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high; stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom, until liquid released by mushrooms is evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes.  Add garlic and shallot and saute for one minute.

4) Add cooked pancetta and tomato paste.  Stir while sautéing, until tomato paste begins to brown, about 1 minute.  Off heat, add marsala.  Return pan to high heat and simmer vigorously, scraping browned bits from pan bottom until sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 5 minutes.  Off heat, add lemon juice and any accumulated juices from the chicken.  Whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley.  Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

Chicken Pot Pie

Sometimes you just have to give the people what they want.  Especially when "the people" is your family, and they have gone grocery shopping, and they show up at your house for a dinner party, bringing the groceries they'd need for chicken pot pie.  How can I say no?

Plus I have never tried a chicken pot pie before.  That is actually pretty surprising because one of my mom's favorite meals - and one that she often used to cook - was chicken pot pie.  To be exact, it was "chicken pot pie filling on rice."  No pie crust - and isn't that the best part?!  Not according to Mom, who says it's her least favorite part "and the most fattening."  Luckily this pie has not your average pie crust; it has no bottom, and uses puff pastry on top.  Even Mom was willing to try it.

The filling is a thick, creamy mixture of onion, celery, carrot, peas and chicken, flavored with fresh thyme.  I scooped some of it out before I added the chicken and added some chopped tempeh to mine.  Instant tempeh pot pie for me!  Then I cut the puff pastry intro strips and made a lattice top crust for both pies.  A little egg wash makes sure the pastry comes out golden and perfect.  They came out looking absolutely beautiful, didn't they?

My family was obsessed with these pies.  They claimed it might even be better than my mom's old chicken pot pit filling recipe.  They happily took all the leftovers with them, and I equally as happily had no leftover chicken my fridge!  For you vegetarians out there, the tempeh was a perfect addition if tempeh pot pie is more up your alley.

Saturday was daylight savings, and it's currently 5:00, and pitch black outside.  Yuck!

Recipe:

chicken pot pie
from Lovely Little Kitchen
serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup carrot, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon "Better than Bullion"  chicken base
2 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
1 egg, beaten slightly with a fork

Instructions:

1) Allow puff pastry to thaw at room temperature, then gently unfold.

2) In a large pot, melt butter over medium high heat.  Add onion, celery, carrot, and salt, and saute until onions are translucent and vegetables start to get tender.

3) Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook for 1 - 2 minutes.  Gradually whisk in milk, heavy cream, and bullion, and bring to a slow boil.

4) Simmer gently over medium heat until sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.  Turn to low, and add chicken, peas, and thyme.

5) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Pour chicken mixture into a 9x9 baking dish.  Cut puff pastry into 12 equal strips.  Lay strips over chicken mixture, weaving it together to form a lattice pattern.  Using a pastry brush, brush egg onto the top of the puff pastry.

6) Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.  The puff pastry will be a deep golden brown.  Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

What do you do when the Super Bowl happens to have the Patriots in it, and it also happens to fall on your sports-obsessed sister's birthday?  Obviously the answer is that you throw her a party, even if you weren't feeling the greatest.  And it also means that you probably have to put on some plastic gloves and make buffalo chicken meatballs.

The cool part about these is that they are actually healthy (I got the recipe from Skinny Taste).  There are lots of "hidden" vegetables that you can sneak in there for the carnivores, like celery, carrot and scallion.  They get minced up tiny and mixed in with the meat, garlic and panko.  Then they get baked and slathered in your choice of buffalo sauce.  Nick, being a buffalo sauce expert, requested two different batches, one with regular buffalo and one with some sort of sweet and spicy sauce.  Hey, what did I care?  I wasn't eating them, so I agreed.  The recipe calls for a drizzle of bleu cheese on top of the meatballs, but I left out dipping bowls in case people didn't like it.  This made for some messy bowls, but I think it was still a good decision.

Considering there were only 3 meatballs left after the party - and they had to compete with wings from The Hangar - I'd say they were pretty popular with the birthday girl and her guests!

Recipe:

buffalo chicken meatballs
from Skinny Taste

Servings: 26 • Size: 1 meatball  • Old Points: 1 pts • Weight Watcher Points+: 1 pt 
Calories: 37 • Fat: 2 g • Carb: 1 g • Fiber: 0 g • Protein: 4 g • Sugar: 0 g
Sodium: 135 mg (without salt)  • Cholest: 26 mg


Ingredients:
oil spray
1 1/4 pound ground chicken
1/4 cup panko crumbs
1 large egg
2 scallions, chopped
1/3 cup finely minced celery
1/3 cup finely minced carrot
1 clove crushed garlic
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/3 cup buffalo hot sauce of your choice
1/4 cup blue cheese dressing

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly spray a non-stick baking sheet with oil.

2) In a large bowl, combine the chicken, panko crumbs, egg, scallions, celery, carrot, and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Using clean hands, mix until combined.  Roll the mixture (1/8 cup each) into 26 meatballs.

3) Place meatballs onto prepared baking sheet and bake until cooked through and golden, about 16 to 18 minutes.

4) Place meatballs in a bowl, add the buffalo sauce and gently toss to combine.  Serve immediately, drizzled with bleu cheese dressing if desired.

Lemon Chicken

I'm sure you have been on the edge of your seat wondering how my first big meal for the in-laws went.  I shared in my last post that I had, after much stress and frantic texting with my sister-in-law, decided to make a salad and roasted fall vegetables, along with chicken.  I was trying to avoid chicken at all costs.  There is just something about raw chicken that, as a vegetarian, I just cannot handle.  You may have noticed that I have posted numerous meat recipes since Mark and I got married, but I very rarely attempt to do anything with chicken.  However, I realized that for this night, I wasn't going to be able to avoid it.  With all the dietary restrictions my in-laws were bringing to the table, lemon chicken was added to the menu.

Let me explain the choice.  First of all, it came from Annie's Eats, who I can always trust.  Second, it called for chicken thighs or drumsticks.  I liked that, because it meant no cutting - that's the worst part.  Third, I liked the idea of cooking chicken with the flavors of lemon and fresh herbs, so I braced myself and drove to the grocery store and bought a package of drumsticks and thighs and tried not to notice that it said "fresh young chicken."  TMI - I don't want to know their ages.

Okay let's talk chicken.  I decided - after conferring with meat-eating friends - to marinate the chicken the night before to make the next day easier.  It sits in a marinade of lemon zest and juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper - even a vegetarian can appreciate that mix of flavors.  Then on roasting day, I brushed the chicken with melted butter and roasted it in the oven, adding the marinade halfway through baking.  As far as a meat dish goes, this was pretty easy, so my fingers were crossed!

The final result?  My whole meal was a hit!  I was so happy to see my newest family at my dining room table, happily eating my salad, roasted veggies, lemon chicken, and bread that Andrea brought from Rose32.  It was a great dinner.  Mark's dad, who is a great cook, even asked for the recipe, which I knew was a big deal.  I will definitely be making this again for the carnivores I know and love.

I am very happy that I sucked it up and made chicken for a chicken-loving group of people.  I happily ate side dishes and lots of bread.  After all, what is more important these days than making the ones you love happy?  Merry Christmas, everyone.  This has been both the best and hardest year in many different ways, but I am glad you were a part of it.

Recipe:

lemon chicken
from Annie's Eats
serves 6 - 8

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 - 3 tablespoons melted butter
2 - 4 pound of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and/or drumsticks
thinly sliced lemons for garnish

Instructions:

1) Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper in a large zipper-lock plastic bag.  Seal the bag and shake well to blend.  Place the chicken pieces in the bag with the marinade, pressing out excess air and sealing once more.  Refrigerate and let marinate for 2 hours.

2) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Remove the chicken pieces from the marinate and transfer to a baking dish, skin-up, reserving the leftover marinade.  Brush the top of each piece of chicken with melted butter.

3) Bake for 50 - 55 minutes, until the skins are crispy and well-browned.  Halfway through baking, pour the remaining marinade over the chicken pieces in the baking dish.  Once fully cooked, cover loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes before serving.  Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with lemon slices, and serve.

Chicken Apple Sausage Couscous

I'm really becoming a master at this cooking meat thing.  I've tried lots of different types of meat in an attempt to feed my husband more than just quinoa and lentils - although, gotta love him, he happily eats those too.  In fact, I think he is really a vegetarian in disguise.  There are some meats he will not eat, like anything that has been ground, or sausage.  Yeah, I found out about the sausage after I had already bought the ingredients for this chicken apple sausage couscous.  Oh well.

Forget about the sausage, since it was in there but neither Mark nor I ate it.  Let's talk about the other flavors.  This is no ordinary couscous.  Thyme, cumin, coriander, and curry powder (not to mention a hefty helping of pepper) spice it up beautifully, and then there are dried cranberries to give it a touch of tart sweetness.  Pine nuts give it a great crunch, and, for sausage-eating carnivores, there's some apple sausage in there for ya.

Mark and I agreed that the couscous itself was delicious, and invited over Kenzie, Nick and my mom to eat with us and help us out with the sausage.  How did they feel about it?  I'll let this picture speak for itself.

If you eat sausage, please make this.  It's tasty and quick and easy and healthy.  You won't be sorry.

Recipe:

chicken apple sausage couscous
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 yellow onion, sliced into half moons
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
12 ounces precooked sweet apple chicken sausages, or other type sausage/kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, divided
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dry whole wheat couscous

Instructions:

1) Start the couscous cooking according to the package directions.  You can cook it in water, but cooking it in chicken broth gives it a boost in flavor.

2) Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium-low to medium heat, tossing frequently, until they are golden.  Remove the pine nuts to a small bowl and return the skills tot medium heat.

3) Heat the olive oil until rippling and hot.  Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to turn translucent, about 4 minutes.  Add the chicken sausage and brown lightly, about 2 - 3 minutes.  Add 1/3 cup of the chicken broth to the skillet with the salt, pepper, thyme, cumin, coriander and curry powder.  Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a simmer.  Cook until the onion is very tender and most of the liquid has evaporated and/or absorbed.  It should still be slightly wet but not soupy.

4) Add the cranberries and the remaining chicken broth (2/3 cup) to the skilled.  Simmer for 2 - 3 minutes until the cranberries are heated through and softened a bit.  Stir in the cooked couscous and let the entire mixture simmer for 2 - 3 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed but the couscous is not dry.  It should still have some tender moisture to it but not be saturated with broth.

5) Stir in the toasted pine nuts and serve immediately.

Honey Soy Chicken Drumsticks

Yes, you're reading the title right.  Chicken.  Drumsticks.  (And honey and soy, but you probably weren't so shocked about that).  Yup, I made chicken.  Believe it or not, I made these honey soy chicken drumsticks twice.  Once during some sort of sporting event mini-party here, and once for my mom's surprise birthday party.

I am not sure what got into me there.  I saw the recipe on Pinterest and for some reason decided to try it.  Chicken is one of the meats that I never ever make.  I absolutely would rather do anything on earth than touch raw chicken (which is ironic these days because back when I ate meat, chicken was the one I liked the most).  I have been trying to be a good little housewife and make Mark some meat every now and then, but never was it chicken... until this.

I still don't know why I suddenly decided to try it out.  I think I noticed that drumsticks don't involve any cutting.  It's the cutting of chicken that gets me, so this was far less heinous that chicken breasts.  As far as meat goes, this is quick an mostly painless (yes, I wore gloves, but there was minimal touching). And I also love anything with sesame oil - not that I was going to try these, but still.  Sesame oil plus honey plus soy sauce?!  And fresh garlic and ginger?  Meat or not, I had to try it.

The first time I made them, they were all eaten up quickly by my carnivores.  When they were so successful, I added them to Mom's surprise party menu.  That time, Nick and Kenzie went to BJ's for me and bought some other cut of chicken... it was wings with some other part attached to them?  You can tell I'm not up on my chicken cut lingo... anyway, Nick had to cut the wings from the other part, and I cooked them all up the same way and they came out fine.  I guess my point is that you could probably use a different chicken part if drumsticks weren't your thing.

How are they?  No idea. But I can tell you that everyone loves them and they get devoured pretty quickly.  Plus even I have to admit that they're pretty with that deep caramel brown color.  Flavor-wise, no idea, but I am more than happy to let my friends and family eat the chicken for me.  As for me, I am planning a honey soy tofu... anyone want in on that?

Recipe:

honey soy chicken drumsticks
from Jo Cooks
serves 4

Ingredients:
2 to 3 pounds chicken drumsticks, bone in, with skin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
5 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic, or about 3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder)
salt and pepper to taste
parsley for garnish

Instructions:

1) In a shallow 4.8 quart baking dish about 2 inches deep, whisk all the ingredients together, excluding the chicken.  Add chicken and toss, making sure each piece is coated with the marinade.

2) Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for a couple hours or overnight.

3) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Remove plastic wrap and bake the drumsticks for about am hour, turning them over halfway through.

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls

Happy snow day!

I am thoroughly enjoying this day off.  It was needed.  Very needed.

I took this opportunity as my first one to make some food since I grocery shopped Sunday night (Monday was our wedding tasting and last night we went to the Bruins game!). I made lunch and dinner, and these little guys debuted as lunch.  Now, those of you who love my creamy chicken taquitos - and there are many of you - listen up, because these baked southwestern egg rolls are rather similar but just as awesome.  Chicken, cheese, black beans, onions and corn - even some baby spinach - all spiced up with cumin and chili powder and baked inside soft tortillas that turn crispy in the oven... what's not to like? I mean, besides the chicken ;) In fact, it makes me want to start including corn in my regular taquitos. God I love corn.

My mom spotted them on my "Meat: Yuck" Pinterest board and begged for them, particularly after we went to Chili's for dinner last weekend and ordered southwestern egg rolls, which she loved.  I had planned on making them without the chicken, until Mom came grocery shopping with me and insisted on picking up a rotisserie chicken.  I forced Nick to cut it up for me today if he wanted it in the egg rolls, so that part was done (the recipe calls for raw chicken, so I just tossed mine into the mix when I added the beans). Basically everything gets tossed together and sautéed, then rolled up into tortillas and baked.  They come together pretty quickly, and bake for just under a half hour. The recipe says to brush them with olive oil, but I found a quick spray with oil was plenty.

When they are done, you have these perfectly portable, incredibly flavorful, "egg rolls" (they're more like taquitos than anything from a Chinese restaurant!).  I made a double batch and there are plenty left for dinner tonight and for lunch for the rest of the week. The recipe recommends serving them with cilantro cream sauce, which I neglected to do for lack of cilantro, but I served mine with sour cream and that was quite fine.  Taquito lovers, rejoice!

Check out my new giant pan - only $10 because of a tiny dent!

Recipe:

baked southwestern egg rolls
from Mrs. Happy Homemaker
makes 10 egg rolls

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced
1 medium-large onion, minced
1 cup frozen corn
1 (14.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese (I used cheddar jack)
salt and pepper to taste
10 taco-sized flour tortillas

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2) In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium. Add in the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the diced onions and cook until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the spices, black beans, corn, and baby spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted. Remove from the heat, and stir in the cheese.

3) Spoon about 1/4 cup of filling into the center of each taco-sized flour tortilla, roll up like a burrito. Brush each side with a good coating of olive oil (or spray with cooking spray), and place into a baking dish. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, flipping halfway through until crispy.

Chicken Parmesan Baked Pasta

I know this might surprise you, since you see the word "chicken" in the title.  And yes, this dinner did have chicken in it.  But before you get too excited, just understand that this was a special occasion.  We had Anne over for dinner and I know I can't always make my guests east vegetarian.  Also, Kenzie chose the entire menu (we started with hummus cups and had this pasta dish served with cheesy biscuits), and even offered to deal with the chicken for me.  And I will admit that chicken parm is one meat dish that I used to enjoy. So I got to make a pasta dish that included meat but never had to touch it.  Not a bad deal.

You make your own tomato sauce for this baked chicken parm dish, which I think makes it a lot tastier than using a jar of sauce.  You also cook the pasta right in the sauce with some chicken broth and water.  I will say that you really need to watch the pasta carefully; I doubled the recipe so the pan was really full, and the pasta took a long time to cook (except for the poor souls who got pushed - and burned - to the bottom).  By the time they were all cooked, some of the noodles were a bit mushy.

But besides the mushy pasta, the recipe is a pretty good one.  I obviously baked myself a little bowl of chicken-less pasta (see below!), but my family was happy to have some meat.  It was saucy, cheesy and indulgent.  Not my favorite meal of all time, but it was a pretty big hit with my favorite carnivores.

Recipe:

chicken parmesan baked pasta
from Tracy's Culinary Adventures

Ingredients:
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatotes
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups water
1 - 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
12 ounces pasta shells (12 ounces.... grrrrrr)
2 ounces (about 1 cup) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 ounces (about 1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

2)  Add the tomatoes to the bowl of your food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped, about 10 pulses.  Set an oven-safe 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the oil, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt, and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the chopped tomatoes, the water, 1 cup of the chicken broth, and the pasta to the pan, stirring to combine.  Bring the mixture to a vigorous simmer, then cover the pan and continue simmering (you may need to reduce the heat slightly) until the pasta is tender, about 16-18 minutes.  Stir the pasta frequently as it cooks,

3) Once tender, remove the cover and stir in 3/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the pepper, and the chicken.  Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if necessary.  If the mixture seems dry, mix in as much of the remaining 1/2 cup of the chicken broth as needed to loosen it up.  If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, transfer the mixture to a baking dish at this point

4)  Sprinkle the top evenly with the mozzarella cheese and add the add the remaining Parmesan cheese. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and bubbled around the edges.  Garnish with the basil, then serve.