Roasted Lemon Chicken and Vegetables

 If you are looking for a new chicken dish that is easy and full of flavor, then this is just for you.  This is my new go to chicken dish.  The chicken is moist and juicy and the vegetables pair nicely with the marinade.  If you try it you will love it!

Ingredients:

2 tsp lemon zest

1/4 cup olive oil

2 TBS. fresh lemon juice

3 TBS fresh oregano, minced

1 TBS fresh basil, minced

1 tsp kosher salt

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

6-8 small red potatoes

1 medium red pepper cut into strips 1 medium red onion, cut into wedges

8 oz. fresh whole mushrooms

4 chicken quarters with the the bone in

Preheat oven to 400°. In 1 qt bowl, combine lemon zest, juice and oil. Press garlic into lemon mixture. Add oregano, basil, salt and black pepper; set aside.

Set chicken on a baking sheet and bast with half of the lemon mixture.

Cut each potato lengthwise into 8 wedges; place in 9 X 13 baker. Add bell pepper, onion, mushrooms and half of the lemon juice mixture; toss to coat. 

Place vegetables around chicken. Bake 1 hour or until chicken is no longer pink in center, basting chicken and vegetables with pan juices after 30 minutes.

Teriyaki Chicken Bowls

This is a super easy way to have teriyaki bowls.  My brother made this at our family reunion this year.  I took what he did and added a few things.  You can add or substitute any of the vegetables for your favorites.

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast

 3 cups broccoli florets

1 red pepper

1 red onion

1/2 cup carrots, julienned

Teriyaki Sauce

Brown sugar

Rice

Vegetable Oil

The first thing you want to do is flatten your chicken breast.  This helps the chicken to cook evenly.  Lay some plastic wrap down on the counter.  Place your chicken on top of it and then cover with another piece of plastic wrap.  Carefully pound to about 1 inch thick with a meat mallet.  If you do not have a mallet then you can use a rolling pin.  Be careful to not rip the meat.  

Once that is done place the chicken breasts in a shallow dish.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle 2 TBS of vegetable oil over the chicken.

Now here is the trick to the teriyaki sauce.  I use the Very Very Teryaki sauce that they carry at Costco but you can use what teryaki sauce you like.  In a small sauce pan empty 2 cups of the sauce and add 1/2 cup of brown sugar.  Bring to a boil and dissolve the sugar.  (You do not need to do this step but the brown sugar tames the sauce so that it is not so strong).  Once this is done cool the marinade and cover the chicken. Reserve 1/2 cup of the sauce.  Let marinade for at least 3 hours.

Prepare your vegetables and set aside. Steam the broccoli for about 5 minutes and set aside. 

Prepare the rice according to the package.

When you are ready to pull it all together heat 1 TBS of oil in a large saute pan and add the peppers and onions.  Saute for about 3 minutes

Add the carrots and saute for another 2 minutes.

Add the broccoli and saute for another minute.

Put the chicken on a hot grill and cook until done.  

In a bowl put a half cup of rice then add some vegetables and cut up chicken.  Drizzle with more sauce and then eat.

Green Chile and Chicken Enchilada Casserole

We love Mexican food at our house.  There usually is not a week that passes by that we do not eat it.  So here is one of our favorites. You do not have to make this in a casserole.  You can make individual enchiladas but I usually take the easy way out on this one!!

Salsa Verde:

• 12 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed and cut in half
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 TBS white vinegar
• Water
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup pickled jalapeno peppers
• 2 limes, juiced
• Salt
• 3 poblano peppers
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups canned chicken stock
• 1 deli roasted chicken, about 3 pounds, boned and shredded
• Leaves from 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 large corn tortillas
• 1/2 pound Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• sour cream

DIRECTIONS

Make the salsa: Put the tomatillos, jalapenos, and onion in a saucepan with the vinegar and water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook until the tomatillos are soft. Drain. Put the vegetables in a blender, add the cumin, and puree. Add the cilantro, pickled jalapenos, lime juice, garlic powder and salt. Pulse to combine. Set aside. (If you do not like your salsa hot, then taste before adding the pickled jalapeno peppers.  Add until it is the right heat for you.  Also, add enough salt and garlic to taste as well. The key for this to be good is taste, taste, taste!!)

Meanwhile, place the poblano peppers directly over the flame on a gas stove and cook, turning with tongs, until the skin is charred and blackened. (Or, if you have an electric stove, put the chilies on a baking sheet and broil, turning with tongs, until the skin is blackened.) Skin the peppers; then seed, core, and dice them.

Heat a 2-count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the cumin and cook 1 minute. Then sprinkle on the flour and cook, stirring, 1 more minute. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring constantly. Bring to a simmer, stirring to make sure the flour doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan; the liquid will thicken. Fold in the chicken, diced peppers, and cilantro, and season well with salt and pepper.

To assemble the dish: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Dip 4 of the tortillas into the tomatillo salsa and layer it in a 9x13 inch pan. Put half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas and sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese.  Repeat with tortillas, chicken and cheese.  Top with the four remaining tortillas, pour the remaining tomatillo salsa over the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Serve hot with sour cream.

Chicken Rolls (can be used as a make ahead freezer meal)!

I will make a large batch of these and put them in my freezer for nights that I have no time to cook.  They are great!

3 packages crescent rolls

1 8 ounce cream cheese

1/2 cup butter softened

1/4 cup green onions

2 cups cooked chicken

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 can cream of chicken soup

4 ounces sour cream

1 TBS lemon juice

In a medium size bowl cream your butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer.  Add the cooked chicken, pepper and onions.  

(If you do not have a favorite way to cook your chicken, this is how I cook mine.  I like to boil my chicken because this way makes the chicken really tender and it shreds easily.  Place your chicken breast in a sauce pan and cover with water.  Let the water come to a boil and skim off the white foam from the top of the water.  Then add 1 beef bouillon cube, 2 chicken bouillon cubes and 1 tsp dried onion.  Cover, turn to low and simmer for about 30-40 minutes.  Once done remove form water, shred the chicken and set aside.)

Open the crescent rolls and separate.  With one roll form it into a rectangle and add a spoonful of mixture into the middle of the roll.  Bring the side up around the chicken and pinch the dough together so that the chicken mixture is sealed in side.  Set on a sheet pan and repeat until all of the chicken mixture is gone. (HINT: use cold dough; the warmer it is the more difficult it is to work with)

Roll the chicken pillows in the melted butter and then roll in the bread crumbs and return to the pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

While the chicken pillows are baking make the sauce.  In a small pot put the soup, sour cream and lemon juice.  Heat over medium heat until warm.  Serve over the chicken pillows and voila.

(If you want this as a make ahead meal,  wrap each chicken roll in plastic wrap and place in a zipper bag and put in the freezer.  These can be taken out directly from the freezer and baked but you will need to add about 10 minutes to the baking time. Do not make the sauce ahead. It will curdle when you thaw!)

Chicken Pot Pie

THIS POT PIE IS TO DIE FOR!  IT IS THE ULTIMATE COMFORT FOOD AND HITS THE SPOT every time I make it.  FOR A QUICK SHORT CUT YOU CAN BUY A ROTISSERIE CHICKEN AT YOUR LOCAL STORE AND US IT.  IT ADDS SOME GREAT FLAVORS!

• 3 whole chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 2 chicken bullion cubes
•  1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onions, chopped
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups medium-diced carrots
• 2 cups diced russet potatoes
• 1/4 cube of butter
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen pearl onions
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

For the pastry:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cube cold salted butter, diced
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
• Kosher Salt and cracked black pepper
• Fresh grated Parmesan Cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Shred the chicken into small pieces. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small frying pan melt 1/4 cube of butter.  Add carrots and potatoes.  Season with salt and pepper and fry over medium heat until cooked through.  Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 1 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, potatoes, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water slowly and enough to just moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Chicken Enchildas

Here is another dish that I grew up on.  This Fun twist on enchiladas is super Easy and great to make on a busy night.  

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 cans cream of chicken soup

4 oz. diced green chilies (I used jalapenos instead.  We like the heat)

1 pint of sour cream

1/2 tsp dry onion flakes

1/2 pound of grated cheddar cheese

10-12 flour tortillas

In a crack pot, put your chicken breast.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and onion flakes.  Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours or until cooked through.  The chicken should be very tender.  Once it is done, shred it and set aside.

In a saucepan combine the cream of chicken soup, green chilies, sour cream, and onion.  Mix thoroughly and warm through.

On a flour tortilla, spread a heaping tablespoon of sauce.  Then top it with 1/4 cup of chicken and a couple tablespoons of cheese.   

Roll up the tortillas and place in a 9x13 in glass dish.  Repeat with remaining tortillas until the chicken is gone.  Top the enchiladas with the remaining sauce and the remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Chicken Enchilada Ring

Many of you know that I was a Pampered Chef consultant for several years.  It was great and I got to really stock pile my kitchen with wonderful gadgets!!  This recipe is one that I did numerous times at shows.  It is great for parties and tastes great.  So, I thought I would pass it along.  Enjoy

2 C. coarsely chopped chicken                                  

¼ C. chopped olives                                                 

1 C. Shredded Monterey Jack cheese   blend          

1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies, undrained           

2/3 C. finely crushed corn tortillas 

1 TBS. Southwestern Seasoning (if you can't find a southwestern seasoning you can use taco seasoning instead)

2 Plum Tomatoes

1 Lime

½ C. Mayonnaise  

2 packages crescent rolls

If you have a favorite way to cook your chicken, anything will work.  But, my mom cooked her chicken like this for soups and different recipes and I love it because it is so moist and shreds really easy.  In a small saucepan place two chicken breast and cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  With a spoon skim off the white foam from the water.  Once the water is clear add 1 TBS of chicken bouillon, 1 TBS of beef bouillon and 1 TBS of dried onions.  Cover and simmer on low for about one hour.  Your chicken will be nicely flavored and super moist!

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Chop chicken and olives; place in bowl.  Add cheese, green chilies, mayonnaise and seasoning mix.  Seed and chop 1 tomato. Slice lime in half.  Using juicer, juice one half of lime to measure 1 teaspoon juice.  Reserve remaining lime for garnish.  Add tomato and lime juice to mixture.  Reserve 2 tablespoons crushed chips and add remaining chips to chicken mixture.  Sprinkle reserved crushed chips over the round cooking stone. Arrange dough over the chips.  Separate triangles.  Arrange in a circle with wide ends overlapping in the center and points toward outside.

Scoop chicken mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle.  Bring points of triangles up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center of ring. 

Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. 

***For garnish, cut remaining tomato into 8 wedges.  Cut remaining half of lime into 4 slices, cut in half.  Arrange between openings of ring.  Serve with salsa and sour cream.***