Just a Mom, HA!

Chili Lime Chicken Rub

We recently came into possession of a hand-me-down grill.  It is slow, doesn’t tell you the temp, is confusing to use, but has also opened the door for all new kinds of cooking ideas (you may sense my excitement here, but I’ll spare you my attempt at typing squeal sounds).

Now that being said, this site is about Average Pantries and not everyone has a grill, so I’m just sharing recipes that could also be made by some other means – oven, broiler, etc.  This recipe is a new fav that was simple to prepare, but fresh and tasty in every bite.

Chili Lime Chicken Rub
(adapted from a Betty Crocker recipe)

• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine all powders (including lime zest) in a small dish.  Trim chicken as desired.  Lay chicken in a large sealable container then add half of the lime juice and half of the powder.  Rub and press mixture onto chicken, then flip to the other side and repeat.  Seal container and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (I let mine go all afternoon) then cook as desired.  Since I took the oil out of this dish, you may want to use a bit of cooking spray on your grill or in your pan.

*Kim’s note:  These were great along a Roasted Carrot Salad that I plan to share soon, but we’re also going to chop up the leftovers to put in Navajo Tacos tonight.  This is a very versatile dish!

Happy Cooking!

Pecan Crusted Chicken with Apple Couscous

Have you ever had a recipe that you thought was OK, but didn’t quite hit the mark? Have you ever thought of taking that recipe and pairing it up with something new to push it in a whole new direction?  That’s what I did this last weekend and the results were outstanding. This recipe will be a repeat in our house, when at first it was just a snooze.

Even if you’re scared of couscous, I would strongly recommend trying it out. You never know what the outcome will be – Cee LOVED his and gobbled it up like candy, but rice would work for this too if that’s what you have on hand.

Pecan Crusted Chicken with Apple Couscous

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into strips
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup crushed saltine or wheat crackers
• nutmeg
• 1 box whole wheat couscous
• 1 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed, divided
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons Honey Dijon mustard (I used French’s Brand with good results)
• 1 tsp corn starch

Prepare chicken coating by separating the egg white, adding a little bit of water and whisking it with a fork on a plate.  Crush/chop the crackers and nuts, mix together on another plate.  Dip chicken pieces into egg white wash, then into cracker/pecan mixture, then place in a lightly sprayed dish.  When all of the pieces are done, sprinkle them lightly with the nutmeg.  Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (longer if you are using thick or whole breasts rather than strips like me).

While the chicken bakes, place couscous in a small mixing bowl. Heat 1/3 cup of the apple concentrate and 2/3 cup water to boiling  then pour apple liquid into couscous. Stir and cover tightly with foil.

Whisk together remaining 2/3 cup apple concentrate, honey and mustard in a small sauce pan. Bring sauce to a boil, stirring constantly.  Once the sauce boils, reduce heat and add the corn starch. Allow sauce to thicken.  Serve chicken with couscous drizzling sauce over all.

Kim’s note:  Want something more? Add fresh spinach leaves to the couscous before it cooks. The warm liquid wilts them down perfectly and they are delicious!

Happy Cooking!

Chicken Tomatillo Soup

Tomatillos are bordering on the “obscure ingredient” boundary that I’ve set for this food blog.  BUT I’m letting it slide because they can be found in most grocery stores and because I wrote a little tutorial about them that can be found HERE.  I hope you’ll forgive this little jaunt, especially since I love this fruit SO much now that I’ve worked with it.

With that being said, you really ought to try this soup:

I know that Mexican Tortilla soup recipes are a dime a dozen on line, but I dare you to compare the freshness of this recipe to any of those others that use taco meat seasoning packets or bottled salsa.  This recipe got the whole family excited – even my sister in law who was visiting.  It doesn’t have a lot of kick to it since my boys are spice sissies, but if you want more spice adding some diced jalapenos or tabasco sauce would be a very simple alteration.

Chicken Tomatillo Soup

• Shredded chicken meat (about 2 breasts worth)
• 4 c. chicken broth (I used low-sodium)
• 1 can beans, drained and rinsed (I used black, but pinto or kidney would go great)
• 1/2 c. corn
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 tomatillos, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 can chopped tomatoes, including liquid
• 1/4 cup cilantro, divided
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 bay leaf

Top soup with:

• shredded cheese (cheddar, jack, mexican blend), if desired
• 1 avocado, diced (Recommended – Jay and I couldn’t get enough of the avocado in ours)
• sour cream, if desired
• tortilla chips

If not using leftover chicken, place 2 chicken breasts in a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until the chicken tests done, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the water, allow to cool a bit then shred the chicken by hand or with forks.  Store shredded chicken in fridge until ready to use it.

Add a little cooking spray to your soup pot and set over medium heat. Add onions and the tomatillos and cook for about 5 to 8 minutes, until the onions have softened and are beginning to turn a light brown. Stir in the chopped garlic cloves and cook for another 2 minutes.  Next, add the chopped tomatoes with liquid, beans, corn, chicken, cumin, paprika, bay leaf, cilantro, and finally the chicken broth.

Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Remove the bay leaf before serving.  Serve the hot soup with the toppings I used or others to your liking.

Happy Cooking!

Easy Ranch Vinaigrette Marinade

This recipe is seriously the doggie paddle of home cooking.

No chopping, no mincing, no begging ingredients to stay fresh just a little longer.

BUT, that being said, Jay and I fell over with the wonderful flavor.  It’s not much to look at since I baked it, but just you wait till I’ve got a BBQ and can get some nice grill lines on there.

This does require a little bit of planning though, because for best results this marinade should sit over night. Trust me, it’s worth it.

I should also note that this recipe originally came from AllRecipes.com, but you know me, I had to make a little tweak or two to cut back on oil.  I’m so glad that I did because this marinade REALLY soaks in.

Easy Ranch Vinaigrette (adapted from Allrecipes.com)

• 1 packet of Ranch Seasoning
• 1 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 1/2 Tbs canola oil
• 4 chicken breasts (I cut mine into 8 strips)

Mix all ingredients in a large sealable plastic bag.  Add chicken, seal bag, and work the mix until it is dispersed throughout the chicken.  Store in the refrigerator over night (mine sat for about 20 hours). Then cook as you like – on the grill, broiler, or bake.  I baked mine at 375 for about 20 minutes since they were thick-ish strips, adjust your cook time according to the size of your pieces.

Happy Cooking!

Chicken Caesar Pizza

HoLEE COW!

I’ve been seeing a lot of recipes lately for pizzas with lettuce toppings.  Not wanting to be left out of the loop, I thought I’d give Chicken Caesar Pizza a go.

I did it begrudgingly.  I blame food blog peer pressure.

However, despite my reservations going into this project, this pizza is a new favorite of mine.  Jay was late coming home from work and he’s lucky that I saved him some it was so good.

Like most of my recipes, you can make this as health conscious or as fatty as you want – I took it the healthier route and used my naan recipe for the crust and my Caesar dressing for the sauce.  I recommend those since that’s the taste I had last night that knocked my socks off, but if you don’t have the time for all that, then any prepared pizza crust or dressing will do the trick.

Let’s take a look at what you’re going for without the lettuce barrier:

Beautiful, huh?  Okay, here’s the idea…

Chicken Caesar Pizza

• Pizza crust (prepared or homemade, I used my Naan recipe)
• Caesar dressing (mine was incredible for this and can be found HERE)
• Shredded chicken (amount depends on preference, the pizza pictured has about 1 1/2 breasts worth of meat)
• Tomato, sliced very thin (light should shine through thin – this will make it become a part of the sauce, if you want more tomatoes you can chunk them and add them later)
• Spinach, shredded (about 1/4 cup or more according to taste)
• Onion, thinly sliced
• Mozzerella Cheese
• Parmesan Cheese
• Romaine lettuce, torn

Beforehand, shred the chicken and seal it in an air tight bag with enough dressing to coat the chicken.  Let chill in the fridge until it’s time to cook.  Prepare crust according to its directions.  Smear crust with Caesar dressing, then lay the thin tomato slices on top of the sauce.  Next lay down the spinach and onion slices.  Top veggies with the prepared chicken, then cover everything with the two cheeses (if you’re trying to save on calories, use a fine shredded cheese and keep it light).

Bake according to the directions for your pizza crust (mine baked at 350 for about 12 minutes).

Remove pizza from oven, top with torn lettuce and additional dressing if desired.

Happy Cooking!

Thai Coconut Stir-Fry

I knew I had to try this recipe when I stumbled across it on the Better Homes and Gardens website.  With a couple of little tweaks it was SO Jay that I couldn’t wait to make it for him.

Which meant I made it while his Mom was in town visiting us.

This is kind of an “out there” recipe for down-home Ohio types, but the flavor was subtle enough to get great reviews from everyone (even Cee).

When you read this recipe over, you might not believe me when I say that it is subtle, but it really is!  I think I just might up the Chili Powder next time to take the flavor up a notch.

Thai Coconut Stir-Fry (adapted from Coconut Chicken Chili on BHG.com)

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut to bite size pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbs flour
• 1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
• 1 Tbs. Peanut Butter
• 1 c. water
• 1 can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
• matchstick carrots (about half a bag, 2 c.)
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbs fresh cilantro, chopped
• cooked rice

In a large saucepan combine the first 6 ingredients and saute until chicken is no longer pink (don’t worry about oil, just a little cooking spray will do).  Next stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute more.  After the minute is up add the coconut milk, water, and peanut butter, stir until blended in and bring mixture to a boil.  Add all remaining ingredients, mixing until blended.  Return to a boil, reduce heat to med-low and simmer for 10 minutes or until veggies have softened and liquid has thickened.  Serve over cooked rice.

Happy Cooking!

Cilantro Ranch Salad

Fab new salad coming at ya:

Boom Baby!  You can make this as lean or as fatty as you want (I went lean – imagine that?!), but either way it is a taste KNOCK OUT.  The first time around we went fancy with the lime chicken, but for the week after I made quick salads with lettuce, beans and corn which were also amazing.

Thanks to The Double Dipped Life who gave me the idea for this (thought I did make the occasional tweak here and there).

Cilantro Ranch Salad

Dressing

• 1 packet of Buttermilk Ranch Dressing mix
• 1 c. mayo (I used fat free)
• 1/2 c. buttermilk (to make this fat free, simply take one Tbs of lemon juice, then add enough skim milk to it to make one cup)
• juice of one lime (about 2 Tbs, add zest for extra kick if desired)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 c. rough chopped cilantro
• 1/4 c. green salsa

Toss everything in a blender and blend it until everything is pureed.  Store in the fridge until ready to use. (For best results make the dressing early in the day so that it is chilled for serving.)

Kim’s note:  This dressing is THICK and this recipe makes TONS!  Adjust accordingly for texture and amount preferences (I might try adding a bit extra milk the next time I make it).

Lime Chicken (Salad topping or for any Mexican food filling)

• Juice of one lime
• 1 Tbs sugar
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/4-1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp fresh chopped cilantro
• 3-4 chicken breasts cut to bite sized pieces
• 1 small onion, sliced

Combine all marinade ingredients and chicken in an air-tight container, let chill for at least 30 minutes (mine was in the fridge all afternoon).  Dump out chicken and sauce in a frying pan and cook with sliced onion until done.  Serve warm.

Serve the salad as you wish with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, beans, corn, cheese, chips, quesadilla wedges, whatever you like.

Picante de Pollo

Picante de Pollo is a classic Bolivian dish which I ate often while living there.  When I saw this recipe I knew I’d have to give it a try.  The name is deceiving, this IS NOT a SPICY DISH.  It’s savory with a touch of sweet underlying the salsa flavors.

It wasn’t like the Bolivian dish that I knew, but it has become a new favorite of mine.  I see HUGE potential here for making it as a taco/burrito filling, making it in the slow cooker and shredding it, or just serve it simply over rice as the recipe calls for.

Picante de Pollo (from Campbell’s Kitchen)

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 c. fresh salsa
• 3 Tbs brown sugar
• 1 Tbs honey dijon mustard

Place trimmed chicken breasts in a baking dish.  Mix remaining ingredients together until blended then pour over chicken.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until cooked through.  Serve over rice.

Happy Cooking!

Lemon Herb Chicken

It’s been FOREVER since I posted a recipe!  With the move things have been hectic and cooking experiments have taken a back burner (ha ha, that’s pretty punny for a recipe blog), but I still have a few recipes that I’ve been saving for just such a time as this.

One day I found myself with a bag of chicken breasts and no idea what to do, so I threw a little of anything that I had in with them to marinate and this is what I got:

Not a new fav, but not too shabby either for a last minute, throw together meal.

Lemon Herb Chicken

• ½ Tbs rosemary
• ½ tsp dill (this amount was pretty strong, can be cut back according to your tastes)
• 2 Tbs honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced fine
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1 tsp canola oil
• 2 Tbs warm water
• 4 chicken breasts (or whatever meat you are using)

Mix all marinade ingredients together until well blended.  Add chicken and seal in an air tight container.  Shake container until marinade is evenly dispersed over meat, then refrigerate until time to cook.  Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes or until cooked through (cooking time will depend on the thickness of the meat).

Happy Cooking!

Stuffing Casserole

We had a box of stuffing.  Stuffing that didn’t get used at Thanksgiving and that I didn’t know what to do with now.

I’m not roasting another turkey just to make dollar stuffing, I thought.

But Jay told me that men need stuffing sometimes and that he knew I’d come up with something.

I usually don’t even like stuffing, but I do like experimenting, so I took him up on the challenge.  I looked over all of the recipes on the box, threw together the parts from all of them that I liked, added what I had in my average pantry and ended up with, Stuffing Casserole:

Easy, tasty, flavorful.  Not a bad use of lost, abandoned, forgotten, stuffing mix.

Stuffing Casserole

• 4 Chicken Breasts, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 medium onion, sliced or chopped depending on your preferences
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 can reduced fat cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 c. skim milk
• 1 c. frozen peas and carrots
• 2 celery stalks sliced lengthwise then chopped medium-thin
• 1 package turkey stuffing (I used Stove Top)
• 1 2/3 c. hot water

Saute chicken with onions until mostly cooked, then add celery slices for the last few minutes.  Mix stuffing with hot water and let stand, covered for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile drain excess moisture from the chicken and veggies, then mix them with remaining ingredients.  Prepare a 2 quart baking dish with a little cooking spray, put down a thin later of stuffing, top with chicken mixture, then top chicken with remaining stuffing.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Happy Cooking!