Just a Mom, HA!

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!

Eating Out at Home: Chicken Ranch BLAT

Moving to Texas has introduced me to a whole slew of new things. Davy Crockett, H-E-B, strange German and Spanish pronunciations of names, and the BLAT.

Step aside BLT, there’s a vowel in town and this A stands for AVACADO.  Yum!

But what I’ve never understood is why BLTs are so popular when they are so flat and slim.  I like sandwiches with some girth to them.  I like to pick my sandwich up and think, “Crud, how am I going to fit that into my mouth?”

So a combo of this and a combo of that and I give you; the Chicken Ranch BLAT.

What else is awesome about this sandwich?  Besides the taste, it’s the fact that you can make this as fatty or as light as you would prefer.  I went light and used turkey bacon, low-cal sour dough bread, and fat-free ranch dip, and still I wanted to do flips for the flavors of this sandwich.  Here’s the idea:

Chicken Ranch BLAT

• Chicken breasts, cut to bite size pieces (2 breasts = about 3 sandwiches)
• 3 slices of bacon, halved to fit sandwich size
• Ranch sauce (I used fat free sour cream mixed with a ranch flavor packet with great results)
• lettuce
• tomato, sliced
• avocado, sliced
• bread – rolls, slices, hoagie style, whatever you like.
• other condiments that you may prefer – Jay liked a little mayo, I liked cucumbers

Cook bacon until crisp, set aside.  In same pan cook chicken pieces until no longer pink.  In a bowl combine cooked chicken with ranch sauce until coated.  Toast bread, then layer all ingredients as you like.

Happy Cooking!

Curried Chicken and Lentils

When I found this recipe, I knew that I found something special.  It has great flavors, tons of possibilities for add-ins, and best of all it’s SO HEALTHY!

To take the dish from a vegan meal to a one pot supper, I added chicken, extra spice, and vegetables.  No, this isn’t the meal that you’ll dream of on birthdays or Christmas, but Jay, Cee, and I were all pleased with the final (and filling) outcome.

To see the original recipe, click HERE.  For my version, read on…

Curried Chicken and Lentils*

• 4 chicken breast pieces, trimmed of fat
• 1 c. Minute Rice (I used brown Minute Rice which adds an extra element of health)
• 2 Tbs. curry powder
• 3 c. water
• 1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1/4 c. lentils (rinsed and picked over to remove foreign objects)
• 3 bouillon cubes (I used chicken, but you could use vegetable if desired)
• 1 medium red potato, cut to very small cubes
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 c. frozen peas and carrots, thawed and drained of excess moisture

Combine all ingredients, except peas and carrots in your slow cooker.  Cook on low for 4 hours, shred chicken if desired, then add the thawed and drained peas and carrots. Cook for an additional half hour.  Serve alone, or possibly over mashed potatoes.

*To serve as a side dish, leave out the chicken and up the amount of veggies.

Lemon Broccoli Chicken

This recipe is a Campbell’s classic that I’ve Kim-affied a little bit.  Though it isn’t a classic in our house, it is a fast and hearty meal that almost any crowd will love.

Click HERE if you’d like to see the original recipe, or keep reading to see my version.

Lemon Broccoli Chicken

• 4-5 chicken breasts (depending on the size of pieces and your skillet, I fit 5)
• 1 lemon (to be juiced and zested)
• lemon-pepper spice
• 1 can cream of broccoli soup
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 tsp. sugar

Clean and trim chicken pieces of excess fat or gristle.  Sprinkle chicken pieces (on both sides) with lemon pepper.  Warm skilled over med-high heat and spray with a little cooking spray.  Brown chicken in pan, turning once.  While chicken cooks, stir together in a bowl the soup, milk, sugar, and lemon zest and juice.*  Drain excess juice from skilled then pour sauce over chicken, bring to a boil, then reduce your heat to low, cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Serve chicken with sauce over rice with lots of steamed veggies.

*Kim’s notes:  I used the zest and juice of a small lemon yielding about 1/2 tsp of zest and 2 tsp of juice.  To zest the lemon without a true zester, clean the skin then run the lemon in short motions over the smallest grate on your cheese grater.  To get juice from a lemon with ease, first, before cutting your lemon, roll it on the counter, pushing down with the heel of your hand.  Do this several times loosening the juices.  Cut the lemon in half and squeeze.

Happy Cooking!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

This is an absolute favorite in our house.  Yesterday Jay told me that it is up there right with the pizza he gets at his favorite pizza place – that is quite an honor since this throw together pizza is something that I just thought of one day, and is crazy easy.

I love to impress my man.

And he even impressed me by doing all the work for this recipe yesterday.

I love it when my man cooks.

This recipe, is really just more of an idea, that you can change up according to your tastes:

BBQ Chicken Pizza

• 1-3 cooked and shredded chicken breasts (amount really depends on the size of your pizza and your own taste preferences)
• 1-2 c grated mozzarella cheese
• fresh cilantro, chopped
• thinly sliced onions (white or red)
• Your favorite BBQ sauce
• pizza crust

Cook and shred chicken early. I generally boil mine since the sauce gives it plenty of moisture. Put the shredded chicken in a ziplock bag with lots of cilantro (use lots here because it sticks to the side of the bag and you lose some) and lightly drizzle it with BBQ sauce. Shake bag until the chicken is coated. Just use a little, so that it gets on the chicken, but not so that it is sopping. Refrigerate until ready to cook pizza.

When you’re ready, either make the crust from scratch, buy a Boboli or those packet crusts. I’ve used all of these options and they all turn out fine so do whatever works best for you.

Once crust is prepared, spread the BBQ sauce over it. This doesn’t have to be a heavy layer since BBQ sauce can be quite strong and salty. Cover crust with cheese, then add the thin onion slices and chicken. Add more fresh cilantro over the top and lightly sprinkle with additional cheese if you wish.

Bake according to crust directions.

*Kim’s notes: To cut back on fat and calories, I will often load my pizza with toppings, then sprinkle a little cheese over everything (the pictured pizza was made that way).

Just like with all pizza, toppings are up to you. Some fresh pineapple might be great on this, mushrooms, or some peppers if your family likes them.  For yesterday’s pizza I caramelized the onions ahead of time, and added spinach too.  It was heavenly.

Happy Cooking!