Chicken Mole

The first time I made this sauce, I grossly underestimated the amount the recipe called for.  We since have had this sauce 4 more times from the same batch!  Yowzer!

It really has nice, complex flavor with a lot of layers.  The chocolate is savory, not sweet, and the whole sauce is spiced but not spicy.  I have reduced the recipe by 1/2 for you.

Chicken with Mole Sauce
Adapted from Create (Hugh Carpenter)

3 dried ancho chiles
2 tablespoons raisins (17.5gm)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 cup brown sugar (55 gm)
2 cups red wine
2 oz bittersweet chocolate

Blend all ingredients BUT CHOCOLATE in a blender til smooth.  Place into a pot and bring to a boil, then simmer until thick, about 1 hour.  Add chocolate off heat, and cool to room temperature.
Serve with grilled chicken, or pork.

Chipotle Chicken Salad

This salad was so delicious!  It is a great light meal.  Even my father, who is not exactly adventuresome, pretended to enjoy it.  The dressing is not spicy, and I love the avocado in this salad.  It is absolutely awesome!  I ate it for lunch the second day, and it was still wonderful.

Chipotle Chicken Salad
adapted from Nutmeg Notebook


Dressing:
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 whole chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce, with 1 tsp of sauce added
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce (2 heads)

1 1/2 lbs chicken (I marinated in 3 tablespoons canola oil, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp salt for a minimum of 6 hours)

1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced

1 cup yellow tomatoes, sliced

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 diced peeled avocadoes
1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
2 ears corn, boiled for 2 minutes and then cut off the cob.

To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients in a food processor until well combined.

To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Romaine, Chicken, Avocado, and Balsamic Reduction Sauce Salad

Here's the nice, light salad I promised!

We have this great place by us.  It's total bar food.  There's lousy, not so fresh popcorn served as soon as you sit down.  It has great burgers, great hot dogs, and also-unexpectedly- some amazing salads. This is one of them.  Any way I can eat more avocado is always welcome.  The balsamic reduction sauce is really sweet- I want to try it with strawberries!

 Romaine, Chicken, Avocado, and Balsamic Reduction Sauce Salad
Balsamic reduction adapted from Jeff Mauro

Balsamic Reduction

4 cups balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
8 fresh basil leaves
5 sprigs fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large shallot, roughly chopped

1 head romaine lettuce
Grilled chicken breast or thighs
Cherry tomatoes
1 avocado

Heat the balsamic vinegar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, salt, pepper, basil, thyme, garlic and shallots into the saucepan and stir. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and let cook until the liquid is reduced to 1 1/3 cups, 45 to 60  minutes. To measure, you may have to strain at 45 minutes, see where you are, then poor back in pot.  It's ok not to re-add all the onions and such back at that point.  Otherwise, once the mixture is reduced, strain it through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl and let cool. Store the balsamic base in the fridge; it's great as salad dressing, marinade, drizzled over steaks, over strawberries.

Chicken Parmesan with Pepperoni

I know it's summer, and you don't want to turn your oven on.

I respect that.  I promise a nice, summery meal tomorrow.  Today, cook up some chicken til crispy.  Bathe it in tomato sauce until it's braised and tender, and completely flavor melded.  And you are welcome.

Chicken Parmesan with Pepperoni
Adapted from Eat, Live, Run


serves 4

4 chicken breast halves, pounded thin
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded mozzarella
2 ounces turkey pepperoni
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
28 oz  marinara sauce
1/4 cup canola oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.

In a shallow dish or pie plate, combine the eggs and milk. In another dish, pour the panko and in one more, spread the flour.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and working with one breast at a time, dunk in the eggs/milk, then the panko and finally the flour. Repeat until all chicken breast halves have been battered.

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and lightly fry until golden on each side and cooked through. Drain the chicken on paper towels and then lay in a greased casserole dish. Cover with tomato sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella. Finally, lay the pepperoni slices on top.

Bake for 60 minutes. Serve with spaghetti or bucatini noodles.

Curried Chicken Salad

I have been addicted to this salad at my work.  I've been looking for a replica, and this salad does my work one better!  I love that it has no rice, that the raisins get plump with the curry mayo-yogurt mix.  It's a nice sweetness, and it also makes sure my husband will stay away from my "raisin salad."

This is a great weekday lunch!

Curried Chicken Salad

Adapted from Cook Like  a Champion

Ingredients:

3-4 tablespoons mayonnaise

3-4 tablespoons plain or Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon curry powder

Large pinch cayenne pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 cup red grapes, halved; or raisins, or chopped apple

2 scallions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro or parsley

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, curry powder, salt and pepper. Add the chicken, celery, fruit and scallions and toss to coat evenly with the yogurt mixture. Stir in the cilantro/parsley. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets & Honey Mustard Sauce

OK, so my daughter loved these.  I loved them, my husband loved them-  my son refused them.  After all, they are distinctly NOT in a dinosaur shape.  Mea culpa.  No accounting for taste.  The honey mustard sauce is very mild, not very sweet, but just a nice hint of mustard without being neither acrid nor bland.

Honey Mustard Sauce
Adapted from All Recipes

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions

Mix the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, Dijon mustard, honey, and lemon juice together in a bowl. Cover and chill in refrigerator overnight.

Chicken Nuggets
Adapted from Bobby Deen and Sugar Free Mom

1 lb chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
1 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
4 cups ground corn flakes
1 eggs white
butter spray

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Place chicken, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, pepper and 1 tsp. of salt in the food processor and process until smooth.

Combine 1 tsp salt with cornflakes in a bowl and beaten egg white in another bowl.

Liberally spray a cookie sheet with baking spray.

Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, roll the chicken paste into a ball and flatten. I suggest making as many as will fit into your egg bowl before coating them in flour as your fingers get quite sticky.

After dipping in egg on both sides, dip into cornflakes.

 Make sure both sides are coated well. Place them on a baking sheet and flatten slightly.  Spray tops with cooking spray, bake for 8-10 minutes.  Flip over and broil for 60 seconds at close range if more crisp is desired.  (see right most nugget...)

Spinach Artichoke spread, Mozzarella, and Sun dried Tomato Chicken sandwiches

Mmmm.   This sandwich has a lot of components, but they all work.  It's the perfect sandwich for a lunch with someone special-  easy to prep in advance, but thoroughly impressive in a "yes, you're special" kind of way.  You can even grill the chicken in advance, but I like the temperature contrast with the spinach spread!

Adapted from Jeff Mauro


Chicken:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Balsamic  vinegar

Spinach and Artichoke Spread:
5 ounces (1/2 a box) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, drained
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, grated
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
One 6-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained

Sandwich Build:
Fresh Focaccia, recipe follows
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced into thin strips
1 pound ball fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
2 cups arugula
Directions

For the chicken: Marinate the chicken in the Balsamic for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat a grill pan or grill over medium-high heat.

Let any excess marinade drip off the chicken, and then grill the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side until cooked through. Once cooked, let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Then slice thinly on the bias.

For the spinach and artichoke spread: Squeeze the drained spinach with a kitchen towel to dry it out. Place into a food processor with the sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon zest and juice. Puree until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add the artichokes. Pulse 2 to 3 times to leave the artichokes slightly chunky.

For the sandwich build: Cut the Fresh Focaccia in half into triangles.  Spread each half with Spinach Artichoke Spread. Then, on the bottom of the bread, sprinkle over the sliced sun-dried tomatoes, top with chicken slices, place a layer of mozzarella down and top with arugula. Place on the other half of bread.

Pulled Chicken Sandwich

I never stop looking for easy, tasty meals that are ready when I come home for dinner after work.  This has to be my favorite pulled chicken recipe I've tried.  I put it in the slow cooker at night, then the fridge and just heated it at night, but if you are at home doing it during the day would be even easier.

It's not spicy, just flavorful!

Adapted from Alida's Kitchen


Ingredients
1 pound chicken breast, boneless, skinless
Salt
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce (or regular hot sauce), adjust to taste
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 whole wheat buns, toasted
1 cup broccoli slaw (optional, for topping)

Directions
Put raw chicken in a slowcooker.
Whisk the ketchup, mustard, vinegar, sugar, hot sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and cumin until combined. Pour over chicken and cover, cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Shred chicken with 2 forks.


Divide chicken evenly among buns and top with pickles or slaw, as desired. Serve immediately.

Moo Shu Chicken

We make moo shu chicken quite a bit.

It's a great meal without the flour tortillas, because it's light but satisfying without a lot of nighttime carbs.  You can play with it too- add bean sprouts, red peppers, a little crushed red pepper- any of the above!
A vegetarian permutation is easy to imagine, too- just add more egg and omit the meat.

Moo Shu Chicken or Pork
Adapted from Martha Stewart


1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 pork tenderloin or chicken breast (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound shiitake mushrooms (stems removed), caps thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 head napa cabbage, shredded
5 oz snow peas
5 scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
Flour tortillas and hoisin sauce, for serving if desired


In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium. Add eggs; cook, without stirring, until set, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, roll up, and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips; set aside. Wipe skillet clean; reserve.

Place pork or chicken in a medium bowl, and sprinkle with cornstarch. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. In reserved skillet, heat remaining tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add pork, and cook until browned on one side, 4 to 5 minutes (pork/chicken will cook more later); transfer to a plate (reserve skillet).

Combine mushrooms and ginger in skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are just browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add cabbage, scallions, snow peas, soy sauce, vinegar, egg strips, and pork; cook, tossing occasionally, until cabbage has wilted and pork/chicken is opaque, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stack tortillas between damp paper towels; microwave on high for 2 minutes. To assemble, spread center of a tortilla with hoisin sauce; top with moo shu filling, and roll up.

Four Step Chicken

This is a very straight forward but yummy dinner.  The lemon is a pretty light hint, and the onions taste great paired with both the spinach and the chicken.  I have used fresh and frozen spinach, but I definitely prefer fresh.  Pair it with a nice salad, and you've got dinner.

Four Step Chicken
Adapted form Melissa D'Arabian


4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced in half crossways
1 teaspoon dried thyme, plus 1 small bunch fresh thyme, leaves chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup white wine, optional
1 cup chicken broth
3 lemons, juiced
1 to 2 tablespoons butter

Spinach "bed"


Season chicken with dried thyme and salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the oil. Dredge the chicken in flour, add to the hot oil and saute until cooked through. Set chicken aside to rest on plate tented with foil, or pop in a 200 degree oven.

In same saute pan, over low heat, add onions and fresh thyme and cook until aromatic and soft.

In a measuring cup, measure out wine, if using, and broth, and add the lemon juice. Turn the heat up to high, and deglaze the pan with the broth mixture until starting to reduce.

Remove the pan from the heat and finish the sauce by whisking in butter. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Place a bed of cooked spinach on a serving platter, top with the chicken. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Spinach "bed":

1 bag pre-washed fresh spinach
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon butter
1 lemon, juiced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Microwave spinach in a microwave-proof dish with a few tablespoons of water on high for 5 to 6 minutes, or until hot. Drain, and toss with butter, lemon juice, and salt and pepper, to taste.

Fruit-Almond Chicken Salad

I love this chicken salad.  I have made it with apples and grapes, respectively, and served it with homemade croissants as well as on ciabatta.  I've also just eaten plain it next to cilantro-jalapeno slaw.  It tastes very fresh.  I think fresh Tarragon would also be a nice substitute for the parsley.  (yes, I skipped the parsley this time!)  It goes very fast in this house, and is also a nice summer pre-make meal.  Not that it's anywhere near summer....


Adapted from the Pastry Queen via Foodie Bride

For the mayo
2 large eggs*
1 large egg yolk*
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white (or black) pepper
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup vegetable oil

For the chicken salad
1 cup slivered blanched almonds
2 whole boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 Granny Smith apple, cored, peeled, and diced OR 1 Cup red grapes
2 stalks celery, diced
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped, if desired.
1/2 – 3/4 cup homemade mayo
1 cup grapes, apples, or raisins
Salt
Black pepper
Instructions

*Use pasteurized eggs if you’ll be serving children, pregnant women, transplant recipients, or anyone who might be immuno-compromised.

Make the mayo: Blend eggs, yolk, salt, pepper, mustard, and lemon juice in a blender or immersion blender. Stream in the oils and blend on high until thickened. Extra mayo can be stored in a jar in the fridge for about 2 weeks.

Toast the almonds: Preheat the oven to 350. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast 7-9 minutes. Let cool.

Make the chicken salad: In a large bowl, stir together the chicken, apple, grapes, OR raisins, celery, scallion and just enough mayo to bind the chicken salad. Salt and pepper to taste. If serving, add the almonds. If making ahead of time, wait to add the almonds until just before assembling the sandwiches.

Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken

This was a completely uninspired meal that turned out well.  I'm not saying it's earth shattering, but it's definitely tasty when you need to dress up some chicken breast in an effortless way.  It was just the ticket for a lazy wednesday night.



Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken
Adapted from Fake Ginger

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
juice of two large lemons
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
Combine the flour, paprika and sea salt in a shallow pan. Drop each chicken breast in the mixture and toss to coat completely.
Drop each chicken breast in the hot oil and brown on both sides (should take only about four minutes). Remove chicken breasts and keep warm on a plate.
Pour the lemon juice in the pan and stir to deglaze. Put chicken breasts in a baking dish and pour juice on top. Sprinkle with brown sugar and lemon zest.
Bake for about 20 – 25 minutes, or until cooked through.

Spiced Honey Chicken Salad with Honey Citrus Vinaigrette

I adore this salad.  I love the chicken, I love the dressing, I love all of it.  It almost could make me forget that it's the dead of winter.  This dressing goes with any salad.

Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette
Adapted from Our Best Bites


1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 T grated onion
1/3 C fresh orange juice
3T fresh lime juice
2T honey
3/4 t cumin
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
1/2 C vegetable oil

3. Place all ingredients in a tightly sealed jar and shake your bootie (and the jar) vigorously. Store in the fridge, and shake before dressing salad.

Top salad with spiced honey chicken and honey citrus dressing.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

My husband came home from a visit with his brother several years ago raving about this soup.  I have to admit, when I saw the canned tomato soup, I was skeptical, but there was no need to be.  It's a really flavorful soup that can be adapted to suit you- we added a fresh jalapeno, cilantro, and black beans, but you could omit any of those.  You could definitely substitute more veggies for the chicken and add vegetable stock to make it meatless.

It's also pretty guilt free!

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Adapted from my sister-in-law


3 boneless & skinless chicken breast poached or grilled, shredded
1 small onion
1 large diced jalapeno
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz can stewed tomatoes
1 can rotel tomatoes
1 can beef broth
1 can chicken broth
1 can black beans
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 1/2 cup water
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili poweder
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Mix all ingredients in large pot and simmer for one hour.  Add cheese to each individual bowl, along with chips and chopped cilantro.  Cut tortilla (flour or corn) and toast for the chips for 7-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Chunky Chicken Chili

I love this chili.  The original recipe calls for heavy cream, but plain yogurt is a good substitute.  It's spicy, and a true white chili.  You can also make this recipe with poached, shredded chicken breast, but I like the ground chicken better.  It's not very spicy, especially once it's mixed with rice.

Chunky Chicken Chili
Adapted from Big Daddy


Ingredients
1 stick butter, divided
2 pounds ground chicken breast or turkey
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup red pepper, diced
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup non fat plain greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 (14.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained
2 (4-ounce) cans mild green chiles
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar, for garnish
3 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions
In a large Dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces until nicely colored and cooked through. Remove chicken to a large bowl and set aside.

Using the same Dutch oven, stir in the flour. This will make a roux. Stir in the onions and peppers. Add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan and stir in the yogurt. Lower heat and cook until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Once the sauce has thickened, add the chili powder, coriander, cumin, cayenne, black pepper and the salt. Stir and cook for a few minutes. Add the cannellini beans, chiles and the chicken and simmer for another 6 to 8 minutes. At the end, mix in the sour cream. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with Cheddar and parsley.

Chicken with Tomato Herb Pan Sauce

This is a good, solid, midweek meal.  It's got good flavor, and is easy enough to pull off.  It's originally from epicurious, and has made its way around the blogs.  I did not adore it, but I'd definitely make it again.


Chicken with Tomato Herb Pan Sauce
Adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
For the chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and halved (4 halves total)
Salt and pepper
¾-1 cup flour

For the sauce:
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 clove garlic, minced
1½ tsp. fresh oregano, minced
½ tsp. sweet paprika
Salt and pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes (about 12 oz.)
1/3 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley

Directions:
Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken in the flour, shaking off the excess.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, oregano, and paprika.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the oregano butter with the olive oil.  Place the chicken breast halves in the skillet and cook until golden brown on each side and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side.  Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and set aside.

Increase the heat to high and add the tomatoes to the skillet.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to brown and burst, about 5 minutes.  Add the remaining butter mixture to the pan.  Crush the tomatoes slightly to release their juices and continue stirring until the butter is melted.  Add the wine or broth to the pan, scraping the bottom to loosen the frond.  Cook for a minute more until well blended.

Slice the chicken, transfer to serving plates, and top with the pan sauce.  Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Homemade Chicken and Noodles

Being sick sucks.  If you grew up in my house, you not only were told chicken soup was good for you, but also how it increased nasal mucous velocity.  That little snippet of info alone probably explains a lot.  A lot.

Anyway, I'm sure PW wasn't clocking her snot as she made this, but I was counting how many times the bowl got refilled, and that was enough for me.

You're a scientist, try it yourself.

Homemade Chicken and noodles
Adapted from Pioneer woman 


2 cups shredded chicken
64 ounces chicken stock
2 whole Carrots, Diced
2 stalks Celery, Diced (unless your husband hates celery)
1/2 whole Medium Onion, Diced
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
1/4 teaspoon White Pepper (more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon Ground Thyme
2 tablespooms fresh
Homemade Pasta (see end)
3 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour

Instructions

Place carrots and onions(and celery, if using) to the pot, followed by the herbs and spices. Stir to combine and simmer for ten minutes to meld flavors.  Add 64 ounces of chicken stock from a box.  You heard me,  FROM A BOX.

Increase heat and add pasta and chicken. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

Mix flour and a little water. Stir until smooth. Pour into soup, stir to combine, and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until broth thickens a bit. Test and adjust seasonings as needed.

Homemade Pasta 

Adapted from PW

Combine 2 eggs with 1 cup all purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Knead with paddle attachment of mixer for about 8 minutes.  Place into pasta maker or roll out thin, flour, and roll then slice thinly as per PW's link above.

Banh Mi Salad with Chicken

We are always looking for vegetable full, low fat, low carb dinners.  I always love dinners with some spice to them, too, because it always has a natural way to slow your eating and make you eat less!  I love the rice vinegar on the salad.  It's got  such a nice sweetness.  The original recipe calls for this to be on a sandwich, but we enjoy the salad adaptation.  You could eliminate the spice by eliminating the sriracha mayo, but then- you'd be getting rid of the best part!

Banh Mi Salad
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan in Parade Magazine


Banh Mi–Style Chicken Sandwiches

1/4 cup light mayonnaise
2 Tbsp sriracha (Thai hot sauce)
2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced
1/4 cup sweet red chili sauce
1 to 2 jalapeños, thinly sliced
2/3 English cucumber, peeled and thickly sliced
Mint (I didn't have) and cilantro leaves
2 cups shredded lettuce
1/2 cup shredded carrots
2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

Combine  mayonnaise and sriracha. Grill or poach chicken.  Add jalapeños, cucumber, and herbs, then to lettuce and carrots.  Toss with the vinegar.  Top with grilled chicken, then drizzle with sriracha mayonnaise and red chili sauce.

Buffalo Wing Dip

This is not haute cuisine.  This...is football food.  It's what buffalo wings would be in a dip. I usually make it with homemade ranch dip, but not this time.  I was in serious crunch time for my little girl's party.  Same thing with the chicken.  Total easy mode.  You could make it vegetarian by omitting the chicken.

This dip is spicy but the spice is tempered by the ranch and cream cheese, but it's still relatively hot.  It's a great one to have around for parties.  My brother in law turned us onto it, and we have made it a bunch of times and haven't gotten tired of it yet!  You could also toss this with pasta for a take on hot pepper alfredo sauce!   We love it.

Buffalo Wing Dip
Adapted from AllRecipes


2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup pepper sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot®)
1 cup Ranch salad dressing
2 cups diced cooked chicken or canned chicken breast in water
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and hot pepper sauce until well blended. Mix in the Ranch dressing, chicken and Cheddar cheese. Spread into a 9x13 inch or similar baking dish.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven.Serve with tortilla chips.

Chicken-occoli Ranch pizza

I could literally never stop making pizza.  It's so adaptable.  This recipe pairs the classic ranch and pizza, but skips the dunking, and replaces the tomato sauce with ranch.  I don't know why my household didn't eat ranch with pizza, but we were missing out!  (not too much, mind you.  We did have fried dough for breakfast and a tomato sauce that could double as a dessert.)

Like every generation, I vow to give my kids a better life.  Since I had a great childhood, that pretty much means I cook a lot for them, from scratch, and introduce them to pizza ranch!!!



Chicken-occoli Ranch Pizza
Adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
½ batch of thin crust pizza crust
¼ cup Ranch dressing
¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½-1 grilled chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 head broccoli, florets only
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven and a pizza stone to 500° F.  Allow the stone to heat for at least 30 minutes.  In the mean time, cut a round of parchment paper the size of your pizza stone.   Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal.  Gently roll out the pizza dough into a large circle, leaving a thicker ring around the edge for the crust.  Spread the Ranch dressing in a thin layer evenly over the unbaked crust.  Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella.  Top with grilled chicken, broccoli.  Sprinkle with shredded cheddar.  Once assembled, carefully transfer the parchment round and pizza to the preheated baking stone and return to the oven.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and browned. Let cool for 2-4 minutes, slice, and serve!