Crock Pot Teriyaki

Here is another Chinese inspired recipe that I totally love. And it's very easy. 12 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 3 pounds) - I've used breasts and it's super tasty 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup soy sauce 6 tablespoons cider vinegar 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger 3/4 teaspoon minced garlic 1/4 teaspoon pepper 4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch 4 1/2 teaspoons cold water Hot cooked long grain rice Place chicken in a 4 qt. slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Place liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into liquid and stir until sauce is thickend. Serve with chicken and rice. Note: I halved the recipe and it still worked fine in my crock pot. It might not need the full 4 hours time.

Baked General Tso's Chicken

My husband loves Chinese food and I do not. Until I started cooking it at home. I have found a few recipes that I am in love with. This is one of them. 2 -3 pounds boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut in strips 1 egg + 2 tbsp water whisked together to make an egg wash Combine 1 cup flour ½ tsp black pepper ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 3 tbsp ground ginger 2 tsp salt Dip the chicken pieces in the egg wash then dredge them in the flour mixture. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and lightly drizzle or the tops with a little more olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 25-3o minutes. Flip the pieces at half way through the cooking time. While the chicken is baking, prepare your sauce. Don’t walk away from this sauce; it gets very hot when making the caramel base and can burn easily so pay careful attention while cooking it. In a small bowl, mix together 4 tbsp soya sauce 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar (white wine vinegar is fine in a pinch) ¼ cup water 2 tbsp toasted sesame seed oil 2 tbsp hot chilli paste or sauce (use more or less to taste if you don’t like it very hot) ½ tsp salt 2 tsp corn starch 3 cloves minced garlic 3 tbsp freshly grated ginger Set this mixture aside In a medium saucepan boil together 1 cup sugar ¼ cup water Boil this over medium heat, watching constantly until the caramel starts to turn a light amber color and you can begin to smell the caramel. When it reaches this stage, give the other ingredients in the bowl a quick stir to make sure the corn starch is dissolved then add it all at once to the hot caramel. Be careful at this stage because this sauce can foam up considerably for a few seconds and it is very hot. Simmer for only few minutes and remove from the heat and allow to cool down slightly. Toss the sauce with the cooked chicken pieces and serve over plain steamed rice.

Man Pleasing Chicken

Holy smokes... I love this. It was easy and delicious. I used chicken breast because I didn't have any thighs but I think I'll try the thighs next time. Chicken thighs- 1 package Dijon mustard- 1/2 cup Maple syrup- 1/4 cup Rice wine vinegar- 1 tablespoon Fresh rosemary Put the chicken thighs into the oven, and let them bake for 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165ºF. Baste the tops of the chicken with more sauce half way through. I find that a meat thermometer is essential in cooking because it allows me to check for doneness without cutting into the meat and losing its precious juices. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Plate the chicken, making sure to spoon some extra sauce over the top. Sprinkle over some fresh rosemary. If there is ever a time to use fresh herbs, THIS IS IT! The flavors are just so good together. Enjoy the savory goodness of this meal! This is from the blog "Witty in the City" and here is the link: http://www.wittyinthecity.com/2011/08/man-pleasing-chicken/

Slow Cooker Mexican Pulled Pork Tacos

I made these tonight, and they were DELISH!!  They were on the spicy side, so our girls had cheese quesadillas instead.  Next time, I'll take it easy on the red pepper so we can all enjoy them!

Slow Cooker Mexican Pulled Pork

serves 4

1 lb pork tenderloin, or chicken
1 15 oz can tomato sauce, or one 12oz jar salsa (I used the tomato sauce)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I didn't have any cayenne, so I used red pepper instead)
½ teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic, minced

Place pork in the base of your slow cooker. In a small bowl, stir together all remaining ingredients. Pour evenly over pork. Cook on low for 8 hours. When done, shred the pork using two forks, pulling against the grain of the meat. Serve in warmed tortillas (either flour or corn; I chose corn) with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, grated cheddar cheese, and sour cream. Garnish with chopped scallions.  We also added sliced olives and guacamole.

To.  Die.  For.  Seriously.

Baked Chicken Stuffed with Pesto and Cheese

This is one of those meals I'm going to be thinking about until I make it again.  It was that good!

From "Kalyn's Kitchen"

Ingredients:

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 (heaping) T pesto or your favorite commercial pesto
4 (heaping) T low-fat sour cream
4 (heaping) T (or more) grated mozzarella cheese
2 eggs, beaten (or if they're large eggs one will probably be enough)*
Finely grated Parmesan cheese
6 T almond flour (or almond meal, but almond flour is better for this because it's more finely ground)*
black pepper to taste

(*I didn't even use the egg or flour.  I just used Parmesan as a "crust." --Kristen's note)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Spray a small casserole dish with non-stick spray. Trim any visible fat from chicken breasts, then put them one at a time inside a heavy plastic bag and pound with meat mallet until the chicken is as thin as you can get it. Don't worry too much about the shape or whether there are some loose pieces, you can tuck them in when you roll up the chicken.  (Kristen here again, I didn't pound my meat.  I cut a "pocket" in my chicken to fill with the mixture.)

In a small bowl mix together the basil pesto, sour cream, and grated mozzarella. Use a rubber scraper to spread a thin layer of this mixture over each chicken breast, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edge of the chicken (so it doesn't run out so much as it cooks.) Roll up the chicken breasts and secure them with a couple of toothpicks. (I roll them so the finished piece is as thin as I can get it so they will cook quickly.)

Prepare two bowls, one with the beaten egg and the other with the grated Parmesan-almond flour mixture, seasoned with black pepper to taste. Dip each chicken breast roll first into the egg mixture and then into the Parmesan-almond flour mixture, patting it on so the chicken breast roll is well-coated with the mixture.

Put chicken breasts into the casserole dish and bake until the chicken is firm and lightly browned. (Start checking after about 25-30 minutes; total baking time will be 30-35 minutes.) Serve hot.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri

Our Best Bites has become a favorite of mine.  And I don't have the cook book yet...gasp!!  I can't even stand it!  Here's one I got off their website, and I cannot tell you how much delightful moaning I heard at the dinner table that night.  If the way to a man's heart is through is stomach, Nate's heart has never been more mine. 

Ingredients:

2-3 pound pork tenderloin
1 1/2 c chopped parsley
1 1/2 c chopped cilantro
1/2 c loosely packed oregano leaves (or 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp dried oregano leaves)
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp chopped garlic (6-7 cloves)
1 t kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place pork tenderloins in a ziplock bag and set aside.

Place parsley, cilantro, oregano, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor.  Pulse several times until finely chopped.  Remove mixture and place in a bowl.  Add red pepper flakes and then stir in olive oil by hand.

Remove 1/2-3/4 c chimichurri (the herb mixture you just made) and place in bag with pork tenderloins.  You just need enough to coat them well.  Be sure not to cross-contaminate since you will be serving the remaining chimichurri over the top of the finished meat.  Seal bag and set aside to marinade for an hour or longer if you need to.  Place wrap over the remaining chimichurri and set aside until ready to serve.

When ready to cook, preheat grill.  Remove tenderloins from bag and let excess marinade drip off.  Place on grill and cook for about 5-8 minutes before flipping to the other side.  You want the internal temperature to be about 160 degrees.  Remove from grill and let stand 5 minutes before cutting.  Slice, and serve with remaining chimichurri drizzled on top. 

Chile Lime Chicken Tostadas in the SLOW COOKER

Okay.  This is one of our favorite meals.  Ever.  My girls LOVE it!!  If they love a meal, and we love a meal, it's a winner! 

I'm pretty sure I got it from Real Mom Kitchen.

Ingredients:

1 can diced green chilies
4 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
3 tbsp lime juice
1 diced medium onion
2 boneless chicken breasts
1 can refried beans, warmed
tostada shells
desired toppings such as shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, sliced olives, guacamole (we use them all!)

Add chicken and onion to slow cooker.  In a bowl, combine green chilies, garlic, chili powder, and lime  juice.  Pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred.
Spread warmed refried beans on tostada shells.  Top with chicken and other desired toppings. 

Take a bite and learn what food in Heaven will taste like!! 

Breakfast Pizza

This is so good, I could eat it all by myself.  Seriously. 

I got it on allrecipes.com

1 (8 oz) can refrigerated crescent rolls
1 pound bulk sausage or bacon (I prefer bacon)
1 cup frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed (I used a bit more...just a good covering)
1 cup shredded cheese (again, use what you like)
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese


Unroll crescent dough and place on a greased 12-in pizza pan (I used a 9X13 casserole dish).  Press seams together and press up sides of pan to form a crust.  In a skillet brown sausage or bacon.  Drain and cool slightly.
Sprinkle meat, hash browns, and cheddar cheese over crust.  In a bowl, beat eggs, milk and pepper.  Pour over pizza.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 375 degrees for 28-30 minutes or until golden brown.  Let stand 10 min before cutting.

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

I'm not even sure where I got this recipe, so I'm sorry I can't give credit where credit is due.  I'll tell ya what, though, they deserve it!!  This is so good!!  It's a lot of work, but it's worth it.

44 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (about 1 1/2 12-oz boxes)--I've used Manicotti noodles before, and it's actually faster...
2 c chopped cooked chicken
2 c fresh chopped spinach
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (5 oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (26 oz) jar prepared spaghetti sauce (any variety)

Cook shells according to package directions; drain and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease 2-13X9X2 inch baking dishes.
In a large bowl, combine chicken and all the rest of the ingredients except mozzarella and spaghetti sauce.  Stir in 1 cup mozzarella.  Spoon into shells.  Spread half of the spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dishes.  Arrange shells over sauce; top with remaining sauce.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Bake, covered for 40 minutes.  Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella.  Bake for 5-10 more minutes.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Sweet Pork Burritos

My sister Liz introduced me to these.  They are so delish.  And what's better is that they are SO easy!! 

Ingredients:

Pork (I use either a roast or country style boneless ribs)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup salsa
1 can of Sprite

Throw all of it in the crock pot.  Cook it all day.  Shred the pork. 

It's the best in freshly made tortillas, topped with cheese, beans, guac, and maybe some rice.  Sooooo delicious! 

Easy Chicken Tosadas

Easy Chicken Tostadas

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 can refried beans
sliced black olives
shredded cheddar cheese
shredded lettuce
salsa
1 large avocado, sliced
4 flour tortillas

For the marinade:
juice of 3 large limes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar
handful cilantro, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the chicken and marinade in a large ziploc bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade. Grill chicken pieces over medium-high heat for about 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally, until fully cooked.

Heat the refried beans in a small pan over medium heat until hot (I like to stir in a little liquid smoke and a splash of jarred jalapeno juice to jazz it up).

Spray the tortillas with a little cooking spray and place on a baking sheet; bake for about 5 minutes, until crisp. Spread each tortilla with a thin layer of beans then top with the cheese, black olives, salsa, chicken, lettuce and avocado. Serves 2.

Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original

 

Crock Pot Chile Verde

1 small onion, diced
1 (4 ounce) can diced chile (mine were mild, your choice)
Pork roast (shoulder or chuck)
1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
10 tomatillos, diced (peel off the outer wrapper, if they have one)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons sage
1 Tablespoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

The Directions.

I used a 6 quart. Trim any visible fat from the meat, and plop into your slow cooker stoneware. Add diced bell pepper and onion. If your tomatillos have the leafy-outer skin left on them, take the skin and stem off, and dice finely (I used the pampered chef chopper thingy. You can pulse in a food processor, instead, if you'd like). Pour in the contents of the diced chile can and the tomato can. Add spices. Stir a bit to get the spices down the sides of the meat. Add chopped cilantro to the top.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, high for 6, or until meat shreds easily with a fork. After 7 hours on low, my meat was still pretty tough, so I chopped it into large chunks, and put it back in the pot for another 2 hours. By then, it had shredded nicely for me.

Teriyaki Marinade

This is an amazing marinade for chicken, and super easy.

1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 cup Oil (I used EVOO)
6 oz Sprite
1/2 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Tablespoon Horseradish (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and poor over chicken in ziplock bag. Refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours. Then grill chicken.

Chinese Chicken Salad

2 chicken breats, cooked and shredded
After chicken is cooked and shredded marinate in:
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Salad:
1 head of lettuce chopped or broken up
1/2 cup to 1 cup green onions, finely sliced
2 Tablespoons slivered almonds (I used more)
2 Tablesppons toasted sesame seeds
1 8-ounce can mandarin oranges
2 ounces won-ton shells, fried and broken up (I used more)
2 ounces rice sticks, fried and broken up (I didn't have these but I'm sure they'd be amazing)

Dressing (or you can use any oriental style dressing)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup sesame oil (I did not have this but I will get it for next time)
3 Tablespoons rice vinegar (I used 4)
1 teaspoon accent (optional)

Strawberry-Blue Cheese Spinach Salad

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
12 ounces of fresh baby spinach
1 (16-ounce) container of fresh strawberries, quartered
1 (4 ounce) package of crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup sliced sugared or toasted almonds

Dressing:
2 large shallots, minced
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Okay, here is my opinion on this salad: it is delish but the next time I ate it I added shredded chicken and crumbled bacon. It was so much tastier and more filling. Also, I used Briana's Poppy Sead dressing instead I liked it better.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

yum...

4 lrg Baking potatoes
2/3 c. Butter or possibly margarine
2/3 c. Flour
6 c. Lowfat milk
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp White pepper
4 x Green onions, minced and divided
12 slc Bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 1/4 c. Cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
8 ounce Lowfat sour cream
Directions
Wash, dry and prick potatoes with fork. Bake in 400-degree oven for 1 hour or possibly till done. Let cold. Cut into half lengthwise and scoop out pulp; set aside. Use skins for something else, such as stuffed potato skins. Heat butter in heavy saucepan over low heat; add in flour, stirring till smooth.
Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add in lowfat milk, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly till mix is thickened and bubbly. Add in potato pulp, salt, pepper, 2 Tbs. green onion, half the bacon and 1 c. cheese.
Cook till thoroughly heated. Stir in lowfat sour cream. Add in extra lowfat milk if necessary for desired consistency. Serve with remaining green onions, bacon and cheese.

Potato Cheese Soup

Mmmmmm.....we LOVE this one at our house.  I borrowed this recipe from my mom, and I've never returned it.  Oops.  If you're like me, Cheez Whiz isn't a regular staple in your pantry, but it makes this soup oh, so yummy.  What's wrong with a little fake cheese every once in a while?  You won't regret it!

3 c chicken broth
1 c diced celery
1 diced onion
5 c cubed, cooked potatoes
1 can sweet corn
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 c butter
1 qt milk
3/4 c flour
1 8 oz jar Cheez Whiz

Boil celery and onion in broth until tender.  Add cooked potatoes.  In separate pot, melt butter.  Whisk in flour.  Stir in milk.  Stir until thick and add Cheez Whiz.  Add mixture to potato broth mixture.  Add seasonings and corn.  Stir.  Serve.  ENJOY!!!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

My mom makes the BEST chicken noodle soup EVER.  When I found this recipe, I thought it was hers (don't ask me why I didn't just get it from her).  I do, however, like the THICKNESS of this and the CREAMINESS of this, so it's become MY recipe for chicken noodle soup. 

I found it on The Sisters Cafe blog.

2 cans chicken broth (14oz) (I use 3 cans.  You can use 4 if you don't want it so thick.  It's really thick with 3, so 2 would be EXTRA thick.)
1 t chicken bouillon (I just use a cube)
1 c. carrots, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped
1/2 med onion, chopped
16 oz. noodles, homestyle egg pasta (Country Pasta)
1 1/2 lbs cooked, cooled, chopped chicken breast
2 c. cream of chicken soup
1 12oz can evaporated milk

Boil the broth, bouillon, carrots, celery and onion for 20 minutes, or until tender. Add noodles and boil for another 10 minutes. (I actually cook the noodles first while the vegetables are boiling, so the noodles don't soak up all of the broth, but I do cook the noodles with a bouillon cube so they get some flavor. And then I add them.) Then add chicken, cream of chicken soup and canned milk. Heat thoroughly. Add pepper to taste.

Creamy Vegetable Soup

This is a family favorite and it's so healthy it will help you live to be 100!

1 turnip, peeled and cubed

3 potatoes (I like to sub 2 big sweet potatoes instead), peeled and cubed

1 carrot, peeled and cut in chunks

1-2 celery sticks, cut in pieces

1 small onion, quartered

1 large tomato, peeled and quartered (I don't peel mine)

2 tsp. salt

5 cups water

Cook all together for 45 minutes. Do not drain. Blend in a blender. Enjoy.

Southwest Chicken Wraps

Courtesy of Realmomkitchen.com

I just tried this recipe last week, and we all LOVED it.  It's more of a burrito than a wrap, and it is oh, so delish!

1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I just put them in the crockpot all day with some water and chicken bouillion)
3 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (green and white parts)
1/2 roasted red pepper, diced (see instructions below or purchase at store, you can also substitute with 1/2 can fire roasted chilies)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 2/3 cups shredded taco blend or Mexican blend chicken
8 burrito-sized flour tortillas (I used uncooked whole wheat flour tortillas...yummo!)
1/4 cup melted butter (I used canola oil)
Sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole

1.  Mix together rice, chicken, lime juice, chili powder, cumin and garlic salt.

2.  Add beans, green onion, peppers, and cilantro to the rice mix.

3.  Brush rolled up wraps with butter.  Place on a heated panini maker or George Foreman grill.  Cook for 3 minutes and serve with sour cream, guacamole, and/or salsa for dipping.

Note:  this can be made in a skillet if you don't have a Foreman grill or panini maker.  Heat a large skillet (or griddle) over medium heat.  Arrange 2 wraps, seam side down, in a pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side.  Serve.

TO MAKE A ROASTED PEPPER:

For grill method:  Grill pepper on the grill until charred and black

For oven method:  Brush pepper with vegetable oil and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper (I just put it on a folded piece of aluminum foil .  Broil until pepper is black and charred.

Place black and charred pepper in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Keep in bowl for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes remove plastic wrap.  remove skin, stems, and seeds from the pepper.