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!

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!

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!

Like this salad dressing for example.  I cannot sing its praises enough.  Sweet and tangy, but no fat to worry about.  Jay said it had a bit too much kick for him, but I think that may have more to do with the brand of honey dijon that I was using (French’s, the store was out of the Jack Daniel’s that I usually get) than with the dressing itself.

Works great for traditional salads, sweeter salads, or as a broccoli slaw dressing.

Creamy Honey Dijon Dressing (fat-free)
adapted from AllRecipes.com

• 1 (6 oz) container of plain yogurt (fat-free, or normal if you don’t care about that kind of thing)
• 1 Tbs honey dijon mustard
• 1/4 c honey
• 1/4 tsp. celery seed

Blend all ingredients together with wisk or spoon.  Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Happy Cooking!

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.

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!

We’re talking the BIG L.

So when we moved to TX we were kind of surprised to find that just about anything can pass for a fajita down here as long as there is meat in a tortilla.  Sadness – meat is good, but I love the flavorful slightly burnt onions and pops of peppers.

I took it upon myself to make fajitas at home and had a wonderful success!  I was surprised by some of the non-Mexican flavors that went into the original recipe that I found, but with a few tweaks of my own I ended up with a perky (but not spicy) Mexican delight.  I used chicken this first time, but will give it a whirl with other meats in the future.

Fajita Sauce

• 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbs soy sauce
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 dash cumin
• 4-5 drops of lime juice (more can be squeezed on the finished food, but this is just what goes in the sauce)

Mix all ingredients together in an air-tight container.  Add trimmed meat, seal and marinate for at least an hour.  Dump container out into a warm fry pan and saute until meat is partially cooked then add onion and peppers and cook until softened and meat is fully cooked.  Serve in tortillas with lettuce, tomatoes, beans, cheese, sour cream, whatever you like.

Oh – and that’s some non-fat dressing you’re looking at to boot!

I’m putting up the dressing recipe, but the salad recipe itself can be whatever you like – suggestions follow…

Cranberry Vinaigrette

• 8 oz whole berry cranberry sauce (about half a normal can, or one small can if you can find it)
• 1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 Tbs. honey dijon mustard
• 3 Tbs. water

Add all ingredients to your blender and liquify.  Store in an air tight contain in the fridge until ready to serve.  Can store for several days.

The pictured salad is made of:

• Sweet baby lettuces
• Spinach
• red onion
• cheese
• cucumber
• candied almonds*
• tomatoes

Next time I’m absolutely adding fresh berries and dried cranberries too.

*Rather than buying tons of candied almonds which I knew I’d eat by the truck load, I bought natural almonds, chopped them, and then sauteed them with only a little cooking spray, sugar and cinnamon.  Wonderful taste, wonderful crunch, no butter and no commitment to eat a million candied nuts.

According to most cooking forums the key to pizza sauce is tomato sauce, tomato paste, a dash of sugar and then any other italian-y spices you can think of.  After looking over lots of ideas, I came up with this:

When Jay got home, I told him to try the pizza and tell me what he thought of the sauce:

Jay: I really like your sauce.
Me: Really?
Jay: Yes.
Me: Enough to keep me around?
Jay: Yes.
Me: Enough to buy me a great present?
Jay: Yes.
Me: Enough to father my offspring?
Jay: I already did that.
Me: And all future offs that I may spring?
Jay: Yes.

It’s the positive feedback I get that keeps me going. : )

Homemade Pizza Sauce

• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1/2 Tbs. oregano
• 1/2 Tbs. basil
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder

Put both tomato products in a mixing bowl, blend together till you have an even consistency.  Add spices one at a time, stirring at each addition.

Kim’s notes:  This recipe makes enough sauce for 2 normal homemade pizzas, with a little left over. If you don’t use lots of sauce on your pizza it might even stretch to three pizzas. If you’re only making one pizza at a time, the sauce can be stored in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for longer.  Also would make a great dip for bread sticks.

Ideas for making pizza healthier:

Homemade pizza is a great way to get the flavor we love, while controlling some of the fat/calories.  I used turkey pepperoni and was so impressed with it that I may never go back.   The flavor was great and there were no pools of grease sitting on top after baking.  I will say that the texture wasn’t like normal pepperoni, but it wasn’t bad either.  It also helps to use a very fine shredded cheese – it covers the pizza but with lots of holes so it isn’t as thick of a cheese layer.

I won’t even tell you how good this will make your house smell while it cooks.  I won’t say, because it is sure to make me drool all over my keyboard.

Though this recipe uses a chicken broth base, it does have a stroganoff feel to it and therefore it lends itself to being served with noodles, rice, or POTATOES!

That did it – I did drool a bit thinking about those potatoes.  And for a bit of extra veggie goodness I layered fresh spinach on my plate and then loaded it up. YUM!

Sour Cream and Paprika Pork Chops

• 1.5 lbs. boneless pork chops
• Pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 c. flour
• 1 med onion, sliced in rings
• 2 cubes chicken bouillon
• 2 c. hot water
• 2 Tbs flour
• 8 oz fat-free sour cream (half an average container)
• 1 tsp. paprika

Season pork chops with pepper, then lightly coat them with the 1/3 c. flour (discard flour after use).  In a skillet, lightly brown the chops on each side until flour is well adhered.  Place chops in slow cooker, topping with onion rings. Add the garlic, hot water, and bouillon to the slow cooker as well.  Cook on low for 6 hours, or until pork is cooked through.

Once the pork is cooked, remove from slow cooker, cover and keep warm.  Strain excess fat or gristle from juices. Combine the sour cream, 2 tbs. flour and paprika, then add it to slow cooker juices. Turn the slow cooker to high allowing sauce to thicken for about 30 minutes.  Return pork chops to slow cooker, and reduce heat to warm until it’s time to serve.

Serve with sauce over potatoes, noodles, or rice.