Chicken-Mozzarella Panini

This recipe calls for grilled chicken.  I guess you could grill chicken before assembling the paninis, but I don't have the patience for that.  We usually grill a lot of chicken when we grill so that we have extra to put in the freezer and pull out when we need it - that's the route I usually go with this.  I'm sure it tastes even better freshly grilled, though!

Chicken-Mozzarella Panini

prepared pesto
mayo
thin chicken cutlets, grilled (with whatever seasonings you prefer)
fresh mozzarella slices
ciabatta rolls
olive oil

Spread pesto and mayo on both the top and bottom roll. Add the chicken and mozzarella, and then brush olive oil on top of the roll.  Grill the sandwich on a panini press or indoor grill until cheese is melted and the sandwich looks done (sorry - that's just the way I do it!).

Asian Chicken

This one came from my days of doing freezer meals with my friend, Vicki.  Those were fun, exhausting days!  I don't miss the work involved, but I do miss all the meals in my freezer.

Asian Chicken

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
3/4 tsp ground ginger

Mix soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, oil, garlic and ginger to make the marinade.  Place chicken breasts into a gallon ziploc bag, pour the marinade over them and seal the bag.  Marinate for 1-2 hours.  Pour the chicken and marinade into a baking dish.  Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 30-45 minutes until juices run clear.

lettuce wraps

Several people have requested this recipe, so I thought I'd just put it on the blog and then I can just send them a link instead of forgetting about getting the recipe to them for days....weeks....months.....

I am NOT a big fan of Chinese food, so I was a bit hesitant to try this when one of my co-workers, Kelly, brought this to a work luncheon last year.  I'm soooooooo glad I was adventurous, because this is one of my favorite meals now!  Please try this even if you don't like Chinese food, cause it really doesn't taste that much like it to me, and you would really be missing out.  Better yet, come visit us and I'll make it for you!

See, doesn't it even look pretty?  All green and fresh......much better than the cloudy, dreary, snowy weather we've had recently.  More SPRING-like.  I like it.

Lettuce Wraps

1-2 heads of Boston lettuce (you can also use iceberg, but I like how the Boston curls up - works better for me)

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

1-2 cups chicken broth

3 medium cloves garlic

2-3 tsp canola oil

1 cup chopped scallions (white part, green part or both)

1/8 tsp ground ginger (or 1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger)

3/4 cup Hoisin sauce (with the Asian foods at the grocery store)

4 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp Asian (dark) sesame oil

In a crock pot, add the chicken and 3 whole cloves of garlic (peeled).  Pour enough chicken broth over the chicken to pretty much cover it.  Cook on low for about 7 hours.

(If you have less time, you can also chop the chicken and cook it in hot oil and minced garlic - I just like to cook it in the crock pot because it's so so easy to shred and that's the way we like to eat it)

Pull the lettuce apart into pieces that look like little "boats" and store them until you're ready to serve the wraps.

After the chicken has cooked, shred it and put it to the side, keeping it warm.

In a large skillet, stir in the scallions, ginger, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil.  Add the shredded chicken and heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring until it bubbles and is heated through (2-3 minutes).  It will burn (we know this from experience), so stir it constantly and watch it carefully!

Place a bit of the filling in each lettuce "boat" and then wrap like a burrito and enjoy!

cheesy chicken-bacon-avocado quesadillas

These were on the menu tonight and the kids put them on their "all-the-time" list (minus the avocado).  I don't think they minded the taste of the avocado (they both like guacamole if I remember right), but the mushy texture is what made them get the forks out and start digging all the "green stuff" out.

You can find the recipe here at Kevin and Amanda.  I changed it just a bit cause we had cooked chicken I pulled out of the freezer and we only use turkey bacon so we cooked that in the microwave and had no bacon drippings (plus I don't think turkey bacon would make much "drippings").  I would imagine that the chicken would be even yummier cooked in the bacon drippings, though! 

Anyway, we will definitely make these again!

Chicken Nuggets

Hey guys! So sorry it's been so long since I last blogged. This week has gotten away from me with unexpected responsibilities that popped up. I promise to write more over the weekend, but for now here's a kid-tested and kid-approved chicken nugget recipe (Elliott actually thanked God for "Mommy making special chicken nuggets just for us!" in his bedtime prayers the night I made these!). It's really not that difficult and it's got to be at least a little healthier than McDonald's and even the frozen variety (or maybe I'm just telling myself that -ha!).

Chippy Chicken Nuggets (yes, I made that up)

1 egg

2 Tbsp milk

4 cups crushed chips (I used SunChips cause they are healthier and made with whole grains)

1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

Whisk egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Place chips in another shallow bowl. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then roll in chips. Place in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes or until juices run clear. 4 servings