Hawaiian - Teriyaki Chicken

• 3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 1/4 teaspoons peeled, grated fresh ginger (from about a 1-1/2-inch piece), grated on the small holes of a box grater
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 medium scallions, thinly sliced

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring the soy sauce and honey to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often until the honey has completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, stir to combine, remove from the heat, and set aside.
2. If using chicken breasts, place them on a cutting board and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet or a frying pan to gently pound them to a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut each in half so you have 4 pieces roughly the same size. (If using chicken thighs, no need to pound or cut.) Season both sides of the chicken with pepper.
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook without disturbing until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook the second side until browned, about 3 minutes more.
4. Reduce the heat to medium, slowly pour in the reserved sauce, and cook, flipping the chicken occasionally to coat in the sauce, until cooked through, about 3 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken from the pan, letting the excess sauce drip off, to a clean cutting board. Reduce the sauce in the pan over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes more. Slice the chicken crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Place on a serving dish, top with the sauce, and sprinkle with the scallions.

Hawaiian - Chicken Long Rice

HAWAIIAN CHICKEN LONG RICE
(Adapted from a recipe by Sam Choy)

Serving size: 6

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken thighs (about 4 thighs), skin and bones removed, cubed
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 inch thumb length ginger, julienned
1/2 medium onion, minced
2 carrots, julienned
5 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
3 ounces of mung bean noodles or vermicelli (the long rice)
1 scallion, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt

1. Soak the long rice in warm water for one hour.
2. Pour chicken broth into large pot, add chicken and ginger and simmer for five minutes.
3. Add onion, carrots, mushrooms, and simmer for another 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Drain long rice. Add salt, green onions, and long rice to pot and cook five minutes or until long rice becomes translucent.

Fajita-Ranch Chicken Wraps

Fajita-Ranch Chicken Wraps

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ingredients

• 12
  ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast strips for stir-frying
• 1/2
  teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4
  teaspoon garlic powder
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1
  small red, yellow, or green sweet pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 2
  tablespoons bottled reduced-calorie ranch salad dressing
• 2
  whole wheat, tomato, jalapeno, or plain flour tortillas, warmed*
• 1/2
  cup Easy Fresh Salsa*
• 1/3
  cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese

directions

1.Sprinkle chicken strips with chili powder and garlic powder. Coat a medium nonstick skillet with nonstick spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook chicken and sweet pepper strips in hot skillet over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and pepper strips are tender. Drain if necessary. Toss with salad dressing.

2.Divide chicken and pepper mixture between warmed tortillas. Top with Easy Fresh Salsa and cheese. Roll up; cut in half.

- See more at: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/meat/fajita-ranch-chicken-wraps/#sthash.3XmgVv2V.dpuf

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Chicken-Noodle Casserole

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ingredients

• 4
  stalks celery, chopped
• 1
  medium onion, chopped
• 1
  tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2
  pounds chicken legs and/or thighs
• 1/2
  teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1
  teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1/2
  teaspoon salt
• 1
  slice bread
• 1
  12 ounce package jumbo or extra-large egg noodles
• 1
  8 ounce container sour cream dip, cheddar French onion dip, or French onion dip
• 2
  tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2
  tablespoons fresh parsley

directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a Dutch oven cook two-thirds of the celery and two-thirds of the onion in hot oil over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add chicken, pepper, thyme, and salt; cook for 2 minutes. Add 6 cups of water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes until chicken is no longer pink.

2.Meanwhile, for topping, tear bread in small pieces. Finely chop remaining celery and onion. In a small bowl toss together the bread, celery and onion; set aside.

3.With a slotted spoon transfer chicken to a cutting board to cool slightly. Add noodles to simmering broth; boil gently for 7 to 8 minutes, just until tender, stirring occasionally. With a slotted spoon transfer noodles, celery, and onion to a 3-quart baking dish.

4.For sauce, in a bowl whisk together sour cream dip and flour. Gradually whisk in 1 cup of the hot broth until smooth. Add sauce to broth in Dutch oven; cook and stir until boiling.

5.Meanwhile, discard skin and bones from chicken. Chop chicken, then add to noodles in dish. Gently stir in sauce. Sprinkle with topping, then lightly coat with cooking spray.

6.Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes until casserole is heated through and topping begins to brown. Top with parsley just before serving.

- See more at: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/chicken-noodle-casserole/#sthash.dmbHsffF.dpuf

Lettuce Wraps

I purchased a HUGE bag of lettuce from Sam's Club and then realized that I should try something new, besides our standard salad.  When I found lettuce wraps, it sounded like the perfect idea! (These are courtesy of thaifood.about.com)

This Thai lettuce wraps recipe is quick and easy to make. Lettuce wraps are also a fun dish to eat, either as an appetizer or main course. Serve the filling on a platter with whole lettuce leaves on the side, and let your friends and family wrap their own. They'll love the combination of crisp, cold lettuce with the warm, flavorful filling. This easy lettuce wrap recipes makes a low-calorie, low-fat treat that's also very nutritious. Lettuce wraps make a great party food too!

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: SERVES 4(starter)/2-3(main)

Ingredients:

• 1 head fresh iceberg lettuce OR prepackaged lettuce for wraps
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, grated
• 1 red chili, minced, OR 1/4 to 1/3 tsp. chili flakes
• 2 shallots, sliced finely
• 1/2 cup firm tofu, cut into "matchsticks"; OR 1/2 cup cooked chicken or pork, shredded, OR 1/2 cup cooked baby shrimp
• 1 carrot, grated or cut into thin strips
• 5-6 mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 egg (omit if vegan)
• 1/2 cup shredded cabbage (any type will work)
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• approx. 2 cups bean sprouts
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1+1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce OR 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce; Vegetarians: use vegetarian oyster sauce OR vegetarian stir-fry sauce
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• TOPPINGS:
• 1/3 cup fresh basil OR mint, chopped if leaves are large
• 1/3 cup fresh dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
• fresh bean sprouts
• OTHER: 2 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying

Preparation:

1. Drizzle oil into a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, galangal (or ginger), chili, and shallots. Stir-fry one minute, or until fragrant. Stir-frying tip: add a little water or white wine if the wok/pan gets too dry instead of more oil.
2. Add tofu (OR shrimp/chicken/pork), carrot, shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, and spring onions. As you stir-fry, add the lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce (or vegetarian substitutes) and sprinkle over the sugar. Stir-fry about 1 minute.
3. Push ingredients to the side of the wok or pan, and crack in the egg. Stir-fry quickly to break the yolk. Mix in with the other ingredients.
4. Add the bean sprouts and stir-fry briefly to mix (avoid over-looking or it will go limp). Remove from heat and do a taste test for salt, adding more fish sauce if not salty enough.
5. Cut off the stem part of the iceburg lettuce so it's easier to separate the leaves. Now place the lettuce, sir-fried filling, and the toppings on your table in separate bowls/plates, allowing family or guests to make their own wraps.
6. To assemble, take a whole lettuce leaf and place 1-2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center. Top with a sprinkling of fresh basil and peanuts plus fresh bean sprouts if desired. Then wrap up and eat! (For those who like it extra spicy, fresh-cut chili can be added as another topping.) ENJOY!

Sweet Potato Chicken Curry (with coconut rice)

(Recipe and picture courtesy of Workitmom.com)


4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 onion
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2/3 cup orange juice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3 tsp curry powder
1 clove garlic, minced


Dice onion, chicken and sweet potatoes.  Place in crock pot.  Mix spices into orange juice and pour over chicken/sweet potatoes/onions.  Cook on low for about 6 hours.


Tastes great served with Coconut Rice! (Cook rice as usual, just replace 1/2 of the water with coconut milk.  So, for 2 cups of uncooked rice, cook in 2 cups of coconut milk and 2 cups of water.)

Chicken and Artichoke French Bread Pizza

(Courtesy of Jamie Cooks It Up)

Chicken and Artichoke French Bread Pizza

Time: 30 minutes

Yield: about 12 thick slices

Recipe from MyHandsomeHusband

PRINT RECIPE

1 loaf french bread

1/2 C mayonnaise (I use Best Foods Light)

2 t Johnny's Garlic Seasoning

2 1/2 C Mozzarella cheese

1/2 C Parmesan cheese

1 C cooked chicken, chopped

1/2 C spinach, finely chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1/4 C red onion, chopped

1 C marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

2 T juice from the marinated artichoke jar

1. In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise and Johnny's Garlic Spread. These two make a very lovely pair.

2. Slice that loaf of french bread open. Slather the mayo/johnny mixture all over the insides. Place the bread on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle about 1/4 C mozzarella cheese on each piece.

3. Get all of your toppings chopped up and ready to go! I have been purchasing these handy Grilled Chicken Strips at Costco lately. Wow. What a time saver! They are very moist and have a wonderful flavor.

Artichoke Hearts can also be found at Costco. They come in a big jar, but don't you worry. They last quite a long time in the fridge. We always seem to work our way through it before the expiration date.

4. Evenly distribute the chopped chicken, spinach, tomato, red onion and artichoke hearts over each bread half.

5. Sprinkle with the remaining cheeses.

6. Take a spoon and dish it into the artichoke jar. Drizzle it all over the top of each pizza. Extra yum!

7. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is all bubbly and wonderful and heavenly and delicious.

8. Remove from the oven and let the loaves sit for about 5 minutes. Cut and enjoy!

White Chicken Tortilla Soup
(courtesy of Erica)

Ingredients:
4 ounce can of diced green chili's (you can make your own if you prefer)
4 cups chicken stock
1 rotisserie chicken - I get mine from Costco. Remove meat and cut chicken in to bite size pieces( you can also use 2 lbs cooked boneless, skinless chicken).
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 cans Great Northern Beans (white beans)
1 cup sweet white corn (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to tasteDirections:
In a large pot saute onions and garlic in the EVOO over medium high heat for 4 minutes. Add chicken stock, green chili's, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add chicken, sweet white corn and beans. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

To thicken soup and add body: Add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch in a cup-sized container, mix as little cold water as possible to form a thin paste. Bring the soup back up to a boil; stir with 1 hand and pour the paste in slowly with the other. Continue to cook on high heat for a minute, then reduce to low. The soup will look cloudy at first but will clear up and thicken slightly. Remove from heat.

Add Cilantro and lime juice.

Garnish/toppings: sour cream, Mexican style shredded cheese, corn chips (you you can make your own - see below), lime wedges, chopped cilantro, chopped chives.

{As you can see I didn't add all the garnishings for the picture}

This soup is delicious and very easy to make (especially if you get the chicken like I do and use corn chips). It yields about 8-12 servings.