Coconut Curry Chicken

After searching around my pantry and searching the internet for a possible coconut curry chicken, I came up with a recipe that my husband proclaimed the best meal ever!
I am currently not eating gluten, dairy, or sugar...so this recipe had to fit that bill as well!...and it did! :)
Sorry I don't have a picture to post yet, but I'm sure I'll be making this again in the real near future and I'll get one then.

Ingredients *:
1 T coconut oil
1 large carrot, grated or use a peeler to make thin peels of carrot
1 medium onion, sliced in strips
1 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into matchstick sized strips
1 large garlic clove, crushed and chopped
1 pound chicken breast cutlets (basically one breast sliced in 3 thin pieces)
2 1/2 teaspoons curry
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1 can light or regular coconut milk
2 T tomato paste

Directions:
In large pan or wok, heat coconut oil on medium high and place each slice of chicken breast flat on pan, so you can slightly sear each side. (don't move the chicken around or you won't get a nice sear) Give each side 3-5 minutes, then flip. After the chicken is cooked through, juices running clear, remove from pan and set aside. Without cleaning out the pan, place carrot, onion and zucchini in hot pan. Stir them a bit and let them sit to get a little brown. They should still be tender crisp, just with a little color on them. While veggies are cooking, slice the chicken into strips, again matchstick size. Then, add chicken, garlic, curry, and garam masala. Stir to coat. Add tomato paste and stir to coat. Add can of coconut milk and mix thoroughly. The sauce will slightly thicken. Finally add salt to taste.
Either serve over quinoa or in lettuce wraps (I used butter lettuce).

*All of my ingredients are organic except for my spices, though I am trying to head in that direction.

Chicken Goodness

This awesome recipe you might already know, but my dear friend Alecia made it for me after I had one of my children. It was an instant hit! That was over 4 years ago and I have no idea why this recipe hadn't made it on here yet! So, since I wanted to cook it tonight for dinner, I thought it was about time to post it too! Crazy enough, I had to call said Alecia for the recipe! Now it will forever be on the internet so I can always remember how to make it. Really it is easy enough that I should know it by heart. Maybe now I will! Thank you Alecia for many awesome recipes and for being a totally awesome friend!
Ingredients:
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
8 oz reduced fat sour cream
1 can (10 1/2 oz.) reduced fat cream of chicken soup (undiluted)
1/2 cup or less chicken broth (dependent on how thick you want the sauce)
1 sleeve ritz crackers (crushed)
1 stick butter (4 oz. - melted)
Serve with rice of choice (we use Texmati organic brown rice found at Costco)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook chicken breasts. I just boil mine until cooked through (no pink), then cube.
In a 2 quart casserole dish, spray bottom with non stick spray. Then mix sour cream, chicken soup, broth and toss in chicken pieces.  Pour mixture directly into the bottom of the dish. Finally put crushed crackers on top and  drizzle melted butter over crackers.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
While cooking, prepare rice, as it usually takes about 30 minutes for rice to cook on the stovetop.
Finally, ENJOY!!!

Italian Seasoned Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes

Hi folks! I know it has been a loooooong time since I've posted anything. Please forgive me! :)
It has been super busy as my oldest started kindergarten and I started baking and decorating cakes!
I've been having a lot of fun though!
So, on to the recipe...this is one of my new favorites and it is super duper easy!!! Everyone in the family gobbles it up, which is GREAT!

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I put them in frozen)
1/2 C Italian salad dressing (I use homemade, with grapeseed oil)
1 t Italian seasoning
1/2 C grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
4-6 medium red potatoes, quartered

Directions:
Place chicken in the bottom of crockpot. Sprinkle with half of dressing, seasoning and grated cheese. Place the potatoes on top and sprinkle with remaining ingredients. Cook on high 6 hours or low 10 hours until chicken is done and potatoes are tender. Serve with your favorite vegetable and ENJOY!

Chicken Dressing Casserole

My husband's cousin just had this last night and all of her kids ate it and loved it!! She said, "that's a big deal in our house"!  This is also one that she and her sister used for the once a month cooking because it does freeze well!

 

Ingredients:

1 chicken cooked and deboned, or about 4 cooked chicken breasts chopped, or a can of chicken

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup chicken broth (divided)

8 oz Pepperidge Farm Stuffing (any brand will do)

1 cup sour cream

1 can cream of celery soup (i didn't have crm celery tonight but used cream of mushroom and it was really good)

Directions: 

Mix together stuffing and butter.  Place 1/2 of it in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.  Next spread chicken over.  Pour 1/2 cup chicken broth over chicken.  Mix soup and sour cream and spread over chicken.  Spread remaining stuffing over and pour other 1/2 cup of chicken broth over.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

Here is another recipe from Carrie's friend. This one sure looks easy! Let me know what you think by checking one of the boxes below if you try it! Happy cooking! :)

Ingredients:
3 large chicken breasts
1 pkg cut up brocolli (you can one steam bag for this)
1 pkg shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of brocolli soup
2 cups milk

Directions:

Boil chicken breasts until no longer pink. Chop breasts into bite size pieces. Place chicken in bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Add the rest of the ingredients into a bowl and them add all of it to a casserole dish (save a little cheese to sprinkle on top). Bake for 40 min at 425 degrees.

Cook rice while casserole is baking.

Serve atop white or brown rice! :)

Lemon Feta Chicken

Thanks to my friend Carrie, I can post a new recipe! Sorry it has been so long! Anyhow, she made this one up on her own and her whole family enjoyed it...including the kids! She said that it is even good using tilapia or salmon as a substitute for the chicken. I like the fact that this is a simple recipe. I'm looking forward to trying it myself!

Ingredients:
thin sliced chicken breasts
butter (optional)
salt & pepper
garlic powder
Feta cheese
1-2 lemons

Directions:
Place chicken breasts in a sprayed 9x13 glass dish. I like to slice each chicken breast down the middle so they are thinner(like butterflying), but that's just my preference. (So they're wide, but thin. Hope that makes sense!) I cover each breast with a little butter. (This is optional!) Then sprinkle each piece with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Sprinkle with feta. Take a lemon and cut in half. With one half, squeeze over the chicken. Slice the other half and lay slices over each piece of chicken. Cook at 350 for about 20 minutes. I broil it for the last 5-7 minutes so the chicken and feta are browned slightly. Voila! Enjoy!

Burrito Pasta?

I'm not even sure what to call it, but all the props go to my hubby for creating it! We had some random leftovers in the fridge and he was hungry...so he put them together!!! AND it was DELICIOUS! I will absolutely without a doubt make it again!

Ingredients:
1 serving:
1 Chicken breast, cooked with taco seasoning and shredded
1/2 C Salsa (we used Lime and Garlic from Walmart)
3/4-1 C Pasta (we used bowties)
a touch of butter (optional)

Directions:
I had already cooked the chicken (from frozen) in the crockpot. Simply place 4 frozen boneless skinless breasts of chicken in the crockpot, with 1 packet of taco seasoning and 1/2 C water. Cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours. Then shred. You can use this with burritos, tacos, or this little creation!
Next cook pasta as instructed on box.
Lightly (like 1/2 t per serving) butter pasta in a small pot. Pour salsa over pasta, stir. Add shredded chicken breast, stir. Cook on medium/low until warm throughout.
Then enjoy! YUM!

Light Tuna (or Chicken) Pasta Salad

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com, but dramatically changed the ingredients to make it nearly fat free and higher in protein. My husband said it was surprisingly good. He was a little worried as he saw me making it, but told me that he'd be happy if I made it again!

Ingredients:

1 (12 ounce) package barilla plus rotini 3/4 cup fat-free sour cream 2 T light mayonaisse 1/2 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix 2 (5 ounce) cans tuna, drained and flaked (you may sub canned chicken if you wish)

1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (optional) 1 large apple - peeled, cored and chopped 1 cup matchstick carrots 1/3 cup raisins

Directions:

1.	Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, cook for 7 to 9 minutes, until al dente. Drain, and cool.
2.	In a large bowl, mix the cooled pasta, sour cream, mayo, ranch dressing mix, tuna (or chicken), cheddar cheese (optional), apple, carrot, and raisins. Chill 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.

Hearty Chicken and Noodle Casserole

My friend Chara begrudgingly shared this recipe today. Ok, so she was just kidding...she's a wonderful gal actually! She said that it is the easiest thing ever! Her words from the email she sent me said that she's made it so much recently that she has stopped measuring and now just dumps the stuff in. Hah! Here's the "exact" recipe though.

Ingredients:
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use the healthy kind)
1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. crated Parmesan
1 c. frozen veggies
2 c. cubed chicken (cooked)
2 c. medium egg noodles (cooked)
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Dump it all together in a dish and sprinkle the cheddar on top and cook on 400 for 25 min. It's THAT easy!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is a great dip to take to a party or to serve at home during some sort of sporting event. At least that is what we do at our house :). Every time I take it somewhere at least one person asks for the recipe. Not to mention that my husband could down a half recipe in one sitting! So, I'd call this one a winner!

Ingredients:
2 small cans (or 1 large can) chicken breast all white meat
3/4 C hot sauce (I use Franks Red Hot)
2 8oz packages of cream cheese (I use 1/3 less fat)
1 C ranch or blue cheese dressing (I use ranch)
grated cheddar cheese

Directions:
Saute drained chicken and hot sauce in a small sauce pot for 3-4 minutes on Medium High. Add cream cheese and ranch or blue cheese dresssing and turn down to medium low. Stir frequently until well blended and smooth.
Pour into Casserole dish (8x8 or 2 quart round). Top with a sprinkle of grated cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until bubbly.
Serve with celery and tortilla chips.

Mummies Italian Chicken

Today I was looking for a crockpot recipe to incorporate the ingredients in my cupboard, which were very limited and I found a recipe for Italian chicken using spaghetti sauce, tomatoes and dry spaghetti sauce mix (in a packet). Well, since I didn't have any of those things I am trying my own little concoction. I'll report back this evening to give you the verdict!

Ingredients:
3-4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breast
1 28oz can organic diced tomatoes
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch fresh basil leaves, torn
fresh ground pepper & sea salt to taste
1/2 - 1 pound cooked pasta

Direcitons:
Place frozen chicken in the bottom of the crockpot.
Pour remaining ingredients on top.
Gently push basil down into tomatoes so it does not dry out during cooking time.
Cook on High for 6 hours or Low for 10 hours.
Serve over cooked pasta.

THE VERDICT: A winner, my husband said he REALLY liked it and that I can make it again! HOORAY!

Light Chicken Salad

Ever heard of P90X? Well, my husband and I started this program on Monday. It consists of about an hour workout each day and a healthy eating regiment. Nothing bizarre, just a well rounded diet of just the right amount of fruits, veggies, dairy, carbs and protein. No sugar for the next 90...well 85 days! And if you know me, you know my biggest weakness is sweets. Surprisingly, I am doing pretty well. My fresh strawberries are fitting the bill for now! Ok...so that is the reason for some new lighter recipes you'll find coming from me. Feel free to keep submitting all your other yummie recipes...I'll try them eventually! :)
On to my new version of an old favorite.

Ingredients:
1 breast of chicken, 6 oz (cooked in the crockpot...directions below)
1 T fat free plain yogurt
1 t mayonaisse
1-2 T chopped red onion
1-2 slices cooked turkey bacon
1 t crumbled blue cheese (optional)

Directions for cooking chicken:
Place 3-4 fresh or frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts in the crockpot. Sprinkle with about 1/4-1/2 t garlic salt
a couple twists of freshly ground pepper
1 T extra virgin olive oil poured over top
1/4-1/3 cup water to just cover the bottom of the crockpot
cook for 4-6 hours on high (6 for frozen breasts) or 8-10 on low (10 for frozen)

Directions for chicken salad:
Shred chicken and mix all ingredients together.
Serve on top a bed of romaine or iceberg lettuce and chopped tomatoes or wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla, with the lettuce and tomato.
Enjoy!

Open Faced Southwestern Chicken Sandwiches with Black Bean Salsa

This recipe is from my friend Kelly, she said it's not too tough to make despite how it looks. She found this recipe in the Southern Living magazine.

Ingredients:
- 4 skinned and boned chicken breast halves (I love to use the thin sliced ones if I can find them)
- 2T chopped fresh cilantro
- 2T vegetable oil
- 2 t chili powder
- 1/4 t ground red pepper
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup (4 oz) shredded Mexican four-cheese blend
- 1/3 cup mayo
- 4 (1 inch thick) French bread slices, lightly toasted
- Black Bean Salsa (recipe below...don't worry, it's easy)

Directions:
Place chicken breasts b/t 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and flatten to 1/2" thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.
Stir together cilantro and next 4 ingredients (veg oil, chili powder, red pepper, garlic). Spread on chicken.
Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes on each side or until chicken is done.
Meanwhile, stir together cheese and mayo. Spread on bread slices. Place bread, cheese mixture side up, on a baking sheet.
Broil 6 inches from heat for 1-2 minutes or until cheese melts. Place chicken on bread and serve (cover) with black bean salsa.


Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients:
- 1 plum tomato
- 1 avocado
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion
- 1 (15-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1.5 T chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 T lime juice
- 1/8 t dried crushed red pepper
- 1/8 t salt

Directions:
Dice tomato. Peel, seed, and dice avocado. Combine tomato, avocado, onion, beans and cilantro in a bowl.
Whisk together oil and remaining 3 ingredients (lime juice, crushed red pepper, salt). Toss with bean mixture. Cover and chill, if desired.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Here is a recipe from my friend Mary. She said she didn't think it was contest worthy, but it looks pretty good to me.

Ingredients:
4 fresh or frozen skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 can chicken broth
oregano
salt
pepper
garlic
parsley
2 cans low fat cream of chicken soup
1 cup low fat sourcream
1 T cumin
shredded monterey jack cheese w/ jalapenos (pepper jack cheese)
tortilla chips
3-4 small tomatoes, chopped


Directions:
Poach 4 chicken breasts in chicken broth seasoned with oregano, salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley to taste for 15 minutes.

Mix the following in a bowl: 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, 1 cup of sour cream, and 1 tablespoon of cumin.

Put chicken and contents of bowl into casserole dish. Sprinkle layer of Monterey jack cheese with jalapenos. Cover and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Then remove from oven and sprinkle crumbled tortilla chips (I like the restaurant -style ones for this dish) and chopped tomatoes (about 3 or 4.) Then bake uncovered for 10 minutes.

Chicken Pasta Primivera

Here is a recipe from Stephanie, a previous contest winner. She submitted this one asking that someone else win this time. She is a wonderful gal! :)


Ingredients:

12 ounce(s) cavatappi or fusilli pasta
2 green onions
4 teaspoon(s) olive oil
1 1/2 pound(s) boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves, cut into 1-inch chunks
Salt and pepper
1 clove(s) garlic, crushed with press
1 pound(s) asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup(s) heavy or whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon(s) crushed red pepper
1/2 cup(s) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/4 cup(s) fresh basil leaves, loosely packed, thinly sliced


Directions:

1.Heat large covered saucepot of salted water to boiling on high. Add pasta and cook as label directs. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Return pasta and reserved cooking water to saucepot.
2.Meanwhile, slice green onions; reserve 2 tablespoons sliced dark green tops for garnish. In 12-inch skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil on medium-high until hot. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Add chicken to skillet and cook 7 minutes or until chicken is browned and no longer pink throughout, stirring occasionally. Transfer chicken to medium bowl; set aside.
3.To same skillet, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil; reduce heat to medium. Add green onions and garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring. Add asparagus and red pepper; cook 6 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring frequently. Stir in cream, crushed red pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat mixture to boiling on medium high. Stir in reserved chicken pieces and remove skillet from heat.
4.To sauce pot with pasta and reserved cooking water, add Parmesan, chicken mixture, and basil; stir to combine. To serve, spoon into bowls and garnish with reserved dark green onion.

Oriental Chicken Salad

This is a recipe that one of my best friends family used to make when I was growing up. It is a great recipe especially for summertime. The dressing has a sweet and sour type flavor and is just all around good! It does take a bit of time to prepare, but I think it is worth it.

Ingredients:
1-2 lbs chicken (I like to use tenders)
1/4 c butter
1/4 c cooking sherry (or dry white wine)
1/2 - 1 t dried tarragon (I really like tarragon, so I use about 1 t tarragon)

1 can crunchy chow mein noodles
1/2 c sunflower seeds
1 1/2 lbs leaf lettuce (approx 2 heads...I like one green and one red)
8 green onions

1/2 c vegetable oil
1/3 c tarragon vinegar (or 1/4 t tarragon + 1/3 c white vinegar)
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 c sugar

Cut chicken in bite sized pieces. Poach in cooking sherry, 1/4 cup butter and 1/2 t tarragon.
Cook on med for 25 minutes until cooked thoroughly.
In small bowl, combine last 5 ingredients for the dressing.
In large bowl, toss chicken, lettuce, onion, noodles, and sunflower seeds.
Top with dressing, toss and serve immediately.

Honey Salsa Chicken

This recipe comes from my good friends The Hokes. . . I had it at their house and keep making it often!

• 6-12 chicken pieces (enough to feed your family)
• 1/2-1 cup of salsa (use whatever level of spice your family can tolerate)
• 1/2-1 cup of honey (local raw honey, can help with the seasonal sniffles and allergies)

Toss ingredients together and cook in the crockpot for 4 hours on high or in the oven for an hour on 350 degrees.

Serve over a carb - we like mashed potatoes the best - and spoon the sauce over as a sweet and spicy gravy.

Crescent Chicken Squares

First of all, I need to apologize for it taking 1 week to get a new recipe up! Yeesh! Anyhow... thanks to Polly! So excited to have 1 follower!!! Hooray! Do I have any other followers out there? Maybe it will give me some extra motivation to know someone cares if I post recipes or not...wink wink.

On to the recipe...

Ingredients:
1 3oz package cream cheese (softened)
3 T butter, divided
2 cups cooked chopped or shredded chicken
2 T milk
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1 8oz can refrigerated crescent rolls
3/4 cup seasoned croutons, crushed

Directions:
Combine cream cheese and 2 T butter; stir in chicken and next 3 ingredients. Set aside.
Unroll crescent dough, separating into 4 rectangles press perforations to seal.
Spoon chicken mixture into center of each rectangle; bring corners together over chicken, and twist gently to seal.
Brush packets with remaining 1 T melted butter; dredge in crushed croutons, and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Salsa Chicken

This is a recipe that I just made up when I had next to nothing in the house. And it is yummie and easy! :)

Ingredients:
Chicken (any kind, breast, tenderloin...)
Costco's Mango Salsa

Directions:
Take frozen or thawed chicken, put in crockpot or stove-top pot.
Dump Costco's mango salsa on top.
Add 1/4 cup water to pot.
Simmer on medium-low for 2-3 hours stovetop or 4-6 hours low crockpot!
I like to serve with corn and a baked potato!!!

Chicken Enchiladas

This is a new take on chicken enchiladas from Kristen given to her from her sister...super easy and kid friendly!!!

Ingredients:
1 pack of burrito size spinach tortillas
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can cheddar cheese soup
2 cans of chicken or pulled rotisserie for a healthier alternative (both yummy)
Jar of mild salsa
sour cream

Directions:
Drain and shred chicken (or pull chicken apart if rotisserie)
Mix chicken, enchilada sauce, cheddar cheese soup and half a jar of salsa. (Do not add water for soup)

Spray pan

Place mixture in tortillas and roll

Pour can of enchilada sauce on top of enchiladas
Sprinkle with cheese

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes

dab sour cream on top

YUMMY!!