Greek Chicken Wraps

We loved these. I'm trying to simplify my menu planning, and this was perfect. It was quick and delicious. Perfectly light for summer, but still had flavor. I don't usually love Greek stuff like this, but I couldn't get enough. You MUST pickle the onion. It tones down the strong flavor. Even Annie was eating them like candy. So good.

yield: 6 burritos or wraps

GREEK CHICKEN BURRITOS {OR WRAPS}

TOTAL TIME: 40 MINS

PREP TIME: 25 MINS

COOK TIME: 15 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

QUICK PICKLED ONIONS:

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
• 1/2 to 1 cup thinly sliced red onion

TZATZIKI SAUCE:

• 1 medium English/seedless cucumber, shredded (I use the large holes of my box grater)
• 1 cup (8 ounces) plain Greek yogurt I forgot to buy this, I used sour cream and it worked great.
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced or pressed through garlic press
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Drizzle of olive oil

GREEK CHICKEN + EXTRAS:

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 6 flatbreads, wraps or tortillas (we bought Oroweat multigrain pocket thins and they were soooo good. Moist and delicious)
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 to 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• Crumbled Feta cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. For the quick pickled onions, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl and heat until the sugar and salt mostly dissolve, about a minute or so. Add the onions, turning them to coat in the mixture. Set aside. I forgot to microwave. Oops.
2. For the tzatziki, lightly squeeze any excess water out of the cucumber over the sink (with your hands or with the cucumber wrapped up in a towel). In a bowl, stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the drained cucumber, and stir to combine. Drizzle with a teaspoon or so of olive oil. Set aside.
3. For the chicken, in a small bowl, stir together the oregano, basil, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
4. Pat the chicken pieces dry and rub the spice mixture all over both sides of the chicken.
5. Preheat a grill (or grill pan, broiler or skillet) to medium-high. Grill/cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side (exact time will depend on the thickness of the chicken) until cooked through; an instant-read thermometer should register 165 degrees F. (I just used my cast iron skillet on the stove with the lid on. )
6. Lightly tent the chicken with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
7. To assemble, heat the flatbread/wraps/tortillas until just warm (in a skillet or I sometimes throw them into a ziploc bag and microwave with the bag opened for 30-45 seconds).
8. Cut the chicken into cubes or slices. Arrange the chicken down the center of each flatbread. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, pickled onions, tzatziki and feta cheese. Roll up, cut in half, if desired, and serve immediately.

NOTES:

Each of the components for this recipe can be made ahead of time. The pickled onions can be refrigerated for several days – same with the tzatziki sauce. 

If you have the time, try rubbing the spice mixture on the chicken and letting it rest/marinade for up to 12 hours. After being grilled, the chicken can also be refrigerated and used for leftover wraps (or for quick lunches). It was just as good or better leftover

this is easy. chicken+kale+sweet potatoes

Get yourself a rotisserie chicken from Costco (I get one every time I go) and this is a breeze.  Just add it in at the end.  I just use baby kale from a bag, but spinach would suffice too.  I added like double the greens, but would probably quadruple it next time.  It shrinks to nothing, so why not?  Also, I put the pan under the broiler at the end.

It's not some earth-shattering, over the top delicious meal, but it is really good. And totally nutritious.
carb+protein+veggies+fat. I think I did green beans on the side.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed in 1/2-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup finely diced shallot or other onion (like red or yellow)
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, stemmed and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 25 ounces, 3 to 4 cups), peeled and small-diced
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups (about 4 ounces) stemmed and chopped kale
• 1/2 to 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or other cheese of choice 

Instructions

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1. In a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot and shimmering.
2. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and add to the skillet in a single layer. Let them cook and sizzle without moving (so they can get nice and golden) for 1-2 minutes. Flip the pieces and continue cooking until no longer pink in the center, another 1-2 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate, keeping as much liquid in the skillet as possible, and return the skillet to medium heat.
3. Add a drizzle of olive oil if the skillet is dry. Add the shallot (or onions), red pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until the onions have started to turn translucent and soften. 
4. Add the sweet potato, red pepper flakes (if using), and broth. Give the mixture a good stir and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover the skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring once or twice to make sure the sweet potatoes aren't sticking (turn the heat down, if needed), until the sweet potatoes are tender. Add more broth as it cooks if the mixture becomes sticky or dry. 
5. Add the chicken back to the skillet along with the kale. Stir and heat through until the kale is bright green and slightly wilted (if you like the kale more tender and cooked, add it to the skillet first without the chicken, cover the skillet and let it steam until it is tender; uncover, add the chicken and heat through).
6. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. 
7. Sprinkle cheese over the top and cover with the lid until melted or pop under a preheated oven broiler until golden and bubbly. 
8. Serve immediately. 

Creamy Swiss Cheese Chicken Bake

I actually really, really liked this. I'm not sure everyone would, but we did. Served with quinoa and roasted broccoli --- it all went really well together. I 1.5'd the sauce because i like saucy stuff. Also, I totally didn't realize I didn't have greek yogurt until I was already making it all, so I used the closest thing and crossed my fingers that it would work --- Kefir. I'm not sure what it tastes like with anything else, but it tasted great with this. haha.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4-6 chicken pieces) I used 5
• 6-8 slices Swiss cheese (about 4-6 ounces)
• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise (so I used 3/4 c)
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used 3/4 c lowfat Kefir)
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided (so I used 3/4 c in sauce + 1/4 c on top)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (3/4 t)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (3/4 t)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (1.5 t)
• Hot, cooked rice for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and lightly spray a 9X13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season on each side with salt and pepper. Lay the chicken breast pieces in a single layer on the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Layer the Swiss cheese slices over the chicken. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, yogurt, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Spread this mixture over the chicken and cheese. Top with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
3. Bake for 45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is hot and bubbly. Serve over hot, steamed rice.

The way I made it (5 chx breasts, 5 slices swiss, Kefir + 1.5'd of all sauce ingredients), I figured 1 serving = 1/2 chicken breast + sauce divided evenly per portion = 355 kcal

let's talk chicken.

my friend brought some grilled chicken for us after i had damon. i love grilled chicken, but i hate dealing with chicken breasts and sometimes they are too big/thick. but my friend brought grilled chicken tenderloins - soooo much better than breasts. i remember mom told me to buy these in college, but i haven't since. they are perfect for grilling. or when the chicken isn't mixed in to other things (ie soup, crock pot chickens, etc ... for these things i still use chicken breasts).

we have eaten grilled chicken every week since. with grilled veg. yum.

i buy the big bag at costco.

our favorite is this recipe. super quick and easy. i let it marinade for like 24 hrs.

just thought i'd share my new discovery and renewed love of grilled chicken.

Easter Dinner

I made this yesterday for Easter. Oh Man! It was really, really good. And actually really easy too .. I thought it was going to be more difficult. We also had roasted asparagus and homemade rolls (my first time ever making rolls and they turned out!)


Chicken Cordon Bleu 
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
25 Ritz crackers (I used whole wheat crackers and loved the extra nuttiness)
4 slices hearty sandwich bread, white or wheat (again, used homemade wheat bread and it was hearty and delicious) ... I just used leftover hamburger buns from our bbq the previous night.
6 tablespoons butter, melted
8 thin slices deli ham (about 8 ounces)
2 cups shredded swiss cheese
4 thick boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total), see note
Salt and pepper
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Pulse the crackers and bread in a food processor until they are coarsely ground. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse to incorporate together. Transfer the crumbs to a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the crumbs are lightly browned. Transfer the crumbs to a shallow baking dish (a pie plate works great!). Leave the oven on.
Top each ham slice with about 1/4 cup shredded cheese. If your ham slices are too small, shingle two ham slices on top of each other to create a larger slice and roll the cheese up in that. Roll tightly and set aside. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Following the pictures below, cut a pocket in the thickest part of the chicken breast and stuff each pocket with 2 ham/cheese rolls. Pull the top flap of chicken over the rolls and press to seal (you can use a toothpick to gently secure the pocket edge, if you like). Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the stuffed chicken, covered, for at least 20 minutes.
In another shallow dish or pie plate, beat the eggs and mustard. Place the flour in a third shallow dish. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Working with one stuffed chicken breast at a time, coat the chicken lightly with flour and then dip in the egg mixture, covering both sides. Dredge the chicken in the toasted bread crumbs, pressing lightly to help the crumbs stick to the chicken. (The breaded chicken can be refrigerated covered for up to 1 day.)
Transfer the chicken to a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet. Bake on the lowest rack of the oven until the bottom of the chicken is browned, about 10 minutes. Move the chicken to a middle rack in the oven, reduce the temperature to 400 (you don’t have to leave the chicken out of the oven while the temperature adjusts, just put it back in the oven and then reduce the temperature), and bake until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through (160 degrees on an thermometer), about 25-30 minutes. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken Stew

Chicken Stew
Adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients
• 3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups medium-diced carrots (4 carrots), blanched for 2 minutes
• 1 10-ounce package frozen peas (2 cups)
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan 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. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6
cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes
in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, 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
2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the heavy cream. Add the cubed
chicken, carrots, peas, onions, and parsley. Mix well. Place the stew in a 10 x 13
x 2-inch oval or rectangular baking dish. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan
lined with parchment or wax paper. Bake for 35 minutes or until bubbly.

Note: To make in advance, refrigerate the chicken stew. Bake the stew for 55
minutes or until bubbly.

This recipe is from my friend. I saw that it was from Ina, so I looked up the recipe online to see the difference. Pretty much, my friend just omitted the frozen pearl onions and didn't use the biscuits. Here is the original recipe from Ina. You can pretty much call this Chicken and Biscuits or Chicken Pot Pie. It is soooo good and really quick and easy. I don't know if it's all the butter or what, but it is delicious. It's pretty plain jane, but so yummy. After reading the reviews online, I put in WAY less salt (like 1/2 tsp) in the stew .. but I also don't use unsalted butter ... really, who does? I also only used 1 stick of butter (rather than 1 1/2). I made the biscuits (yum!) and added less salt to them too b/c reviews had said they were too salty. I made my own half and half for the biscuits since the stew used cream ... and i still have cream from Thanksgiving :). I also left out the pearl onions like my friend does. This filled my 9x13 pan to the brim! Makes a lot. I made it on Sunday ... did as the "make ahead" instructions say and just made the "stew" and biscuits before hand, refrigerated them (separately) during church, and then just had to cook it when we got home. Oh, there's a lot of chicken in it, so if you don't have 6 chicken breasts, less would still be plenty.

THANKSGIVING!

Here's something fun ... let's all say what we are making for Thanksgiving (and doing) ... since it really is "eat or die" on Thanksgiving day. I'm always interested. I'm sure nobody will participate, but I'm trying this anyway.

We are going to a friend's house and she is pretty much doing everything. But I'm making a turkey breast (bone in) brined in this; she's doing a whole turkey. Gonna cook it in a roasting bag. Also taking a veggie tray and sour cream lemon pie. Yep, that's all I'm responsible for. Kind of nice.

What are YOU making/doing this Thanksgiving?