Chicken Pasta with Lemon & Artichokes

I know that I've talked a million times before about my favorite cookbook, Grand Temptations.  You know, the one that was made by the Grand Rapids Junior League that I was a part of?  Yeah....that one.  I really wish that I could buy a bunch of copies and give them to y'all because it really is a fantastic book.  There is not one single item that I've made from it that wasn't good.  And believe me when I say that I've made a ton of recipes from it and every dish has been superb!  It's such a great book for entertaining as well because it really helps you to be a "show off" in the kitchen (but not in a mean, snotty, "I'm better than you" way).  They're impressive recipes and they come from renowned chefs and restaurants in West Michigan, so they better be good, right?!  I'm telling you, you need to go out and get this book.  Who knows?  Maybe someday (soon) I'll end up giving one away!

Okay, enough about the book and onto the recipe.  I needed to talk about the book a little bit as my segue into this dish because, well, it's a recipe found in the book!  This was actually my first time making it and I've been eyeing it for a while but just never got to the actual task of preparing it.  So in planning my menu for the week, I went through my list (yes, I have a list...a long list, actually, of dishes I'd like to make in the next couple of months) and saw it on there.  It actually reminds me of an adaptation of Chicken Piccata, which if you're ever looking for a good recipe, Ina Garten's version is definitely the best!

Anyway, this recipe is a little more heavy than Chicken Piccata but the lemon juice helps to lighten it up a touch and the breading on the chicken is rather light as well.  All around, it's a great dish to make for Fall and into the Winter and served with a nice salad and some Italian bread, it'd be a great meal to entertain with as well!

Chicken with Lemon & Artichokes

Ingredients
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Flour
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup Milk
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs (I prefer Panko)
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
Olive Oil
1 Sm. Onion, minced
1- 12oz. jar Artichoke Hearts, roughly chopped
1 Lemon, juiced
1/3 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 Tsp. Dried Basil
1/2 cup Butter
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/2lb. Spaghetti, cooked

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.

Set up a station to coat the chicken breasts with 3 shallow bowls.  In the first bowl, add the flour.  In the second bowl, combine the eggs and milk; whisk until blended.  In the third bowl, combine the bread crumbs and cheese; mix until combined. 

Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and begin the breading process by dipping each breast in the flour, then into the egg mixture followed by the bread mixture (be sure to coat both sides). 

Carefully place each chicken breast into the hot skillet and saute' until golden brown on each side (about 1-2 minutes). 

Remove the browned chicken breasts to a baking dish and bake until the juices run clear (about 25 minutes).

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over med-high heat.  Add in the onion and saute until tender.  Add in the artichokes, lemon juice and chicken stock; mix well and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, stirring occasionally.  Mix in the basil and butter to create a smooth sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Serve the chicken over the pasta and top with the lemon and artichoke sauce.


Yield: 4 Servings
Source: Adapted from Grand Temptations

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Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!  I don't know about you, but I love a good reason to celebrate any holiday (especially those that involve Mexican food)!  The last couple of years, I haven't gone out to celebrate and this year we're not either, but there's no reason we can't celebrate at home, right?!  Right.

Chris LOVES my Creamy Chicken Enchiladas!  LOVE might be exaggerating a bit, but he really, really likes them!   He's been hinting around the last month or so for me to make them again and I thought what better time than today in celebration of the 5th of May! 

Now there are a variety of ways to make enchiladas and typically they come with either a red sauce or a green tomatillo sauce.  I like both but I tend to prefer the red sauce with the creamy chicken and green chile filling I use; it's a nice combination of flavors, not too rich and not too spicy.  Actually, I tend to use more heat in my dishes but this one, while it uses jalapenos and chiles, is very mild.

I made my own red sauce but if you don't want to go to the trouble, it's just as easy to pick up a jar of enchilada sauce at the market.  As I've said before, I prefer to make my own sauces when I can - I find them to have better flavors, fresher ingredients and no preservatives.  Sometimes making things from scratch takes a little longer than usual but it's because you're making it with love!

Happy Cinco de Mayo y'all!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients - Enchiladas
2 Lg. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cooked and shredded
4 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup Sour Cream
8 oz. Green Chiles, diced
1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped
8 - 10-inch Tortillas
Mexican Blend Cheese, shredded

Ingredients - Sauce
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Sm. Onion
2 Jalapenos
3 cloves Garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. Chili Powder
2 Tsp. Ground Cumin
1 Tsp. Sugar
10 oz. Tomato Sauce
1 cup Water
1 Lg. Tomato, diced

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, green chiles, cream cheese and sour cream; mix well until blended.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, make the sauce by heating the olive oil in a medium skillet over med-high heat.  Add in the onions and peppers; saute until they become tender (about 5 minutes).  Add in the garlic and toss to combine.

Transfer the onion and pepper mixture into a medium saucepan.  Mix in the chili powder, cumin and sugar and heat for 30 seconds.  Stir in the tomato sauce, water and tomato.  Heat through until it begins to lightly boil; lower the heat and simmer until thickened (about 5 minutes).

Pour the sauce into a strainer set on top of a medium bowl, so just the sauce is strained from the mixture.  Use a wooden spoon to help push the sauce through; discard what's left of the mixture in the strainer.

To complete the enchiladas, pour a little of the sauce into a 9x13-inch baking dish.  Spoon the chicken mixture into a flour tortilla and roll it up carefully to secure the filling.  Place the filled tortilla in the baking dish seam-side down.  Repeat with the remaining chicken mixture and tortillas.  Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and bake for 15 minutes.  Pull the enchiladas out and top with a generous amount of cheese.  Bake for an additional 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Top with cilantro and serve immediately.

Yield: 4-6 Servings
Source: Enchiladas from With a Cherry on Top, Sauce adapted from Pink Parsley, originally from America's Test Kitchen

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Boneless Wings

One of Chris' favorite things to eat are wings (especially from Buffalo Wild Wings...AKA: B-dubs)!  While I'm not a huge fan of major chain restaurants, I do love me some B-dubs!  Don't get me wrong, chain restaurants aren't horrible by any means, but I'd much rather eat at a place highlighting local cuisine (you know, those wonderful hole-in-the-wall places that you just can't beat the flavor of)!

When we first moved down here, it was nearing Chris' birthday and his requests were: going out for wings and a cheesecake for dessert!  Luckily for me, I was able to accommodate both!  Being new to the area, I scoured the Internet for the closest B-dubs with no luck.  Wings are pretty popular down here and there are several local chains with "amazing" wings that were recommended to us, so we decided to try them out over the course of the time we've been here.  BIG MISTAKE!  HUGE mistake!  Apparently we had been spoiled....

But as every story has a happy ending, so does ours....not too long ago, B-dubs finally opened a restaurant in the area and even better yet, they're getting ready to open one right around the corner from us!  Woohoo!  Of course, as you know though, eating out isn't the best and I know that B-dubs may have some tasty fare, but going there regularly is not going to help our girlish figures!  So we decided to copycat one of our favorites here at home.  And you know what?  They were pretty darn good! In fact, we kind of liked them better than B-dubs!  Shhh....don't tell them!

Boneless Wings

Ingredients
1 lb. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into 2" pieces
1 cup Flour
3 Eggs, beaten
2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
Peanut Oil for frying
Wing Sauce of your choice - we used Asian Zing from B-dubs

Directions
Heat oil in a large pan over med-high heat. Set up a dredging station with the flour, eggs and Panko crumbs, each in their own dish.

Begin dredging the chicken pieces first in the flour, then in the egg and then into the Panko crumbs to coat evenly.  Place coated chicken pieces on a plate and continue dredging remaining chicken.

Once oil is heated through, carefully place the coated chicken pieces in the pan.  Cook the chicken until the coating on the outside is golden brown and the juices from the chicken have run clear (about 2 minutes).  Place cooked chicken on a plate covered with paper towels and continue cooking the remaining chicken.  Note: Do not overcrowd the pan with the chicken or it will not cook evenly!

Place the cooked chicken in a resealable container or bag, along with the sauce of your choice.  Close the container or bag and gently shake to coat the chicken even with the sauce.  Remove and serve with blue cheese or ranch dressing and celery sticks.

Note: You can also use vegetable oil in place of the peanut; however we prefer the peanut oil because it's better for you and it gives a little more flavor to the meat.

Yield: 4 Servings
Source: With a Cherry on Top

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Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

With Easter being this past weekend, I couldn't decide whether I should cook something or if we should go out for brunch.  Being just the two of us, I really didn't see the sense in cooking a huge Easter dinner (we did that for Thanksgiving and it was a lot of work for just two people)!  The weather was absolutely gorgeous (I am seriously getting used to living in the South) and instead of the traditional Easter fare of ham, we decided to grill out!  So I put together a wonderful little menu including these babies, Spring Asparagus, Cilantro Potato Salad and Southern Deviled Eggs (by Chris' request)!

I can't even begin to tell you how good these were!  The entire meal was an absolute success and while I'll only toot my own horn on a rare occasion, I am definitely going to toot on this one - Toot, Toot!  I also gave myself a healthy pat on the back!  Everything was so good and the words, "This dinner is the bee's knees" came right out of Chris' mouth!  I've never gotten that kind of compliment before, so I knew this was serious stuff! I even made mention that this is now my favorite meal. Ever.

Back to the skewers (I'll be posting about the other items at a later time)....They're a little time consuming to put together, but what kabob isn't?!  I mean, the rigorous task of cutting the meat and veggies, skewering them so there's enough of everything on each one and then seasoning and/or marinating them before grilling... This one also had the added difficulty of wrapping bacon around each piece of chicken, which was definitely an issue in and of itself!

People, if you're going to make this dish, don't make the same mistake I did and buy cheap bacon.  Normally it's fine when you're cooking it but the stuff kept falling apart and not staying on, which added on to my time!

But in the end, it was all worth the blood, sweat and tears....they came out perfectly!  The meat was tender and the pineapple was caramelized just right.  They had the perfect combination of sweet teriyaki glaze coupled with the smoky flavor from the grill!  They were absolutely delightful!

Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

Ingredients - Skewers
1 lb. Chicken Breasts, cut into 1" chunks
1 lb. Bacon, cut into 3" pieces
1 lg. Pineapple, cut into 1" chunks

Ingredients - Teriyaki Sauce
1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1 Tbsp. Cold Water
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tsp. Garlic, minced
1/2 Tsp. Ground Ginger
1/4 Tsp. Pepper

Directions
To make skewers, take one piece of chicken, wrap it in one piece of bacon and slide the skewer through the seam of the bacon holding both pieces of meat on. Follow with two chunks of pineapple. Repeat until there are three pieces of bacon-wrapped chicken and six pieces of pineapple chunks on the skewer. Repeat process with remaining skewers and place in a deep baking dish.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch, water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and pepper over medium-high heat; mix well. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Carefully spoon the teriyaki mixture over the skewers in the baking dish until they're well covered with the sauce.

Cover and refrigerate at least an hour before grilling.

Preheat grill. Grill the skewers over low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes (or until juices run clear from chicken).

Note: If using bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them in water for at least 1 hour before placing on the grill.

Yield: 4-6 Servings
Source: Adapted from Our Best Bites

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Salsa Chicken

A lot of you are always looking for and asking about good crock pot recipes and unfortunately, I don't have a lot here in my blog. Granted, I've only been at this for a short time but there may only be a couple (or one) that I know of! I'm working on that, so please bear with me!

I actually don't even use my crock pot that often and I have no valid reason as to why not! They're so convenient and easy to use and it takes a lot of the work of slaving over a stove, oven or grill out of the process!

Salsa Chicken is probably one of the easiest and best recipes you can make with a crock pot! I don't know what it is, but I have this "thing" with shredded meat - chicken, beef or pork - I love it! Kind of weird, huh? I know. What can I say? Nothing...I've got nothing.

This is a great go-to and no-fail recipe and it can be used in a variety of ways. I prefer it shredded and served over rice (as pictured) but you could also use it for tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, taco salad, tostadas, burritos, taquitos.....shall I go on? I can if you like! You can also just take the chicken breasts out whole after they've cooked all day in the sauce and eat them that way; however if you do, I would warn you to not cook it as long because I find that it tends to fall apart on it's own, assisting with the shredding process. It's so super tender and literally just falls apart when you touch it!

Salsa Chicken

Ingredients
5 Lg. Chicken Breasts
1- 10 3/4oz. can Cheddar Cheese Soup
1- 24oz. jar Salsa
Taco Seasoning

Directions
Place the chicken in a large crock pot. Top with cheese soup, salsa and taco seasoning. Stir to combine.

Turn on low and cook for 8 hours. When done, begin shredding the chicken right in the pot until there are no large chunks left. Serve immediately.

Note: I use my own blend of Taco Seasoning; however, you can use whatever blend you like or buy a packet of seasoning from the store. Also, if you prefer to eat the chicken breasts whole as opposed to shredding, do not cook it as long (depending on the settings of your crock pot, I would suggest cooking them for 4-6 hours instead).

Yield: 4-6 Servings
Source: Adapted from Lemons & Love

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Chicken Ravioli with Peas, Shallots & Warm Butter Sauce

Who doesn't love pasta?! I honestly cannot think of one single person I know that doesn't enjoy a good, hearty pasta dish. Can you? I mean, really, I can't. I can tell you people who don't like all sorts of things that are loved by many (and I think they're crazy) but I don't know of anyone who will turn down pasta every now and then!

There is something so warm, inviting and reminiscent about eating it. It's comfort food (especially mac 'n' cheese)! But most pasta is certainly not inviting to our bellies (the shape of it, that is) and in my case, the hips. But I will be the first to tell you that I will never officially "diet" because that would mean cutting out pasta and that just aint gonna happen. Period.

So when I came across a "lighter" version of a pasta dish on Noble Pig's blog, I was immediately drawn to it and knew I needed to make something similar. She made a ravioli dish with peas and shallots in a warm buttery sauce. It sounded good, it looked good and I was 99% sure it would be good. I was right. It was amazingly good. Even though it sat in a butter sauce on my plate, it wasn't drenched and there wasn't a ton of it, so it really was a rather lighter dish (unlike the heavier cream and marinara sauces you normally get).

The flavors exploded with my first bite and the warm butter with the sweetness of peas and shallots married with hints of lemon was like sunshine in my mouth! The only modification I made to this dish was making homemade ravioli using up leftover chicken from this meal. In my opinion, there is nothing better than homemade pasta (especially in chicken noodle soup) and the combination of the ricotta cheese, grilled chicken and basil paired so well with the sauce. It was a perfect ending to my day!

Ravioli with Peas, Shallots & Warm Butter Sauce

Ingredients - Ravioli
2 1/2 cups Flour
1 cup Hot Water
3/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 Egg
1/2 cup Chicken, chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. Fresh Basil, finely chopped
1/2 cup reserved Pasta Water
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/4 Tsp. Pepper

Ingredients - Sauce
2 Tbsp. Butter
2 Shallots, sliced
1 - 10oz. bag Frozen Peas
1 Tsp. Lemon Zest
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
Salt
Pepper

Directions - Ravioli
In a large bowl, combine the flour and water. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine into a large ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, chicken, Parmesan, basil, salt and pepper. Mix together well.
- Rotisserie chicken or other forms of meat can be substituted as well as no meat at all.

To form the ravioli, cut the dough into 4 evenly sized pieces. Note: the dough should be slightly sticky. Add extra flour as necessary for rolling, but use only a little as necessary. Roll each piece into approximately a 4"x19" rectangle. Place 9 rounded teaspoons of filling about 1" apart down the center of the dough. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing down around the edges of each section of filling. Cut the ravioli into small squares and seal the edges by pressing around the filling with your fingertips. Place the finished ravioli on a baking sheet and continue forming ravioli with the remaining dough.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add half of the ravioli and cook until they begin to float (approximately 4 minutes). Drain into a bowl and cook the remaining ravioli.

Directions - Sauce
In a large pan, melt the butter over med-high heat. Add shallots and cook until they become tender and slightly translucent (approximately 3 minutes). Stir in the peas, lemon zest, Parmesan, water, basil salt and pepper to taste. Cook until peas are heated through (approximately 2-3 minutes).

Serve immediately over ravioli. - Store bought ravioli may be substituted for homemade.

Yield: 4 Servings
Source: Recipe adapted from Giada at Home & Noble Pig

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Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Caramelized Onions & Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Sometimes the best dishes are the most simple.  This sandwich is simple.  I mean, really simple.  It doesn't get much easier than a grilled chicken breast seasoned with a little olive oil, salt and pepper on top of a grilled kaiser roll! 

No need for mustard, mayonnaise, hot sauce, additional cheese or any dressings of any sort for this sandwich!  So please do us all a favor and put away those condiments!  All you need is a little bit of caramelized onions drenched in a Gorgonzola cream sauce...mmmm.  Pure heaven.

Actually, there really is nothing fancy about this dish other than the name and really, that's not fancy!  The words "caramelized onions" and "Gorgonzola cream sauce" may initially scare you away, but don't run too far!  I'm serious when I say that it's simple.  What's more difficult than throwing some onions in a pan with butter and letting them go until they get soft and tender and sweet.  And the cream sauce?  Piece of cake!  Pour in a little heavy cream in the pan of onions, let it thicken and add in your cheese.  Didn't I say it was simple?!

But the flavor...ooh, now let me tell you about the flavor.  There is nothing simple about that!  In fact, the depth of flavor coming from this sandwich is unbelievable.  It is so tender and sweet and creamy and really, it just melts in your mouth.  All I needed was this sandwich and nothing else.  I was speechless and when you take your first bite, you'll be left speechless as well!

Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Caramelized Onions & Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Ingredients

4 Lg. Chicken breasts

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

1 Lg. Yellow Onion, sliced

4 Tbsp. Butter

1 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 cup Gorgonzola Cheese

4 Kaiser Rolls

Directions

Preheat grill to med-high heat.  Season chicken with a little olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Place on grill and cook for 7-8 minutes per side or until juices run clear.  Transfer to a plate and let rest.

In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat.  Throw in onions and saute for about 8 minutes or until browned and tender.  Reduce heat to simmer and add in cream, stirring frequently.  Let reduce by half and thicken up, about 5 minutes.  Stir in cheese until well-combined and melted in.

Place chicken on a roll and top with onion cheese sauce.  Serve immediately.

Optional: Lightly butter the rolls and place on grill (buttered side down) for 1-2 minutes or until they become lightly crisped and warm.

Yield: 4 Servings

Source: With a Cherry on Top

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Caprese Chicken & Roasted Parmesan Broccoli

In the list of summertime food is usually salad; whether it be potato, pasta, fruit or a nice summery salad with fresh spinach or romaine, it's typically a "must-have" at family BBQ'a, picnics and get-togethers.  One of my favorites: Caprese.  I love the mixture of tomatoes, basil and mozzarella sprinkled with a little salt and pepper and drizzled with olive oil or balsamic vinegar!  It's refreshing, light and not to mention pretty darn healthy too!  While it may be a salad you typically indulge on during the warm months of the year, it happens to be one of those things that every once in a while I get a major craving for!  About a week ago, was when it happened! 

Even though we're quickly approaching the major holiday season, it doesn't mean that you can't incorporate light and summery foods into your warm and hearty meals; after all, now is the time to be eating lighter so you have room to gorge on the yummy trimmings that come at Thanksgiving!  I decided to put a spin on my beloved Caprese Salad and turn it into more of a heartier (but healthy) meal that would not only tame my craving but provide us with substance during the cooler months of the year.  With that, I decided to make Caprese Chicken!  It was on a whim and something I literally pulled out of the air!  While it was my first go-round with it, it was definitely a pleaser in our household last night; however I think there are a few changes I'll make to it next time or perhaps try it with steak!

Roasting veggies in our house seems to be a favorite right now as well since it brings out a whole new level of flavor than steaming or grilling (plus, it's a great substitute for cooking veggies in the Fall and Winter seasons).  Typically when roasting, I just coat an assortment of vegetables in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic and throw them in the oven to do their thing.  But with broccoli, I wanted to add another layer of flavor and sprinkled Parmesan Cheese in the mixture as well so it added a bit of tang and crunch that was so yummy!  In addition to the chicken and broccoli, I whipped up a box of Uncle Ben's Wild Rice.  Yes, I said it...a box!  Come on people, not everything I make is homemade and Uncle Ben's is really good! 

The picture below does not do this dish justice so please forgive me as I work out my food photography kinks.  I'm learning...slowly, but surely!

Caprese Chicken
Print This Recipe

Ingredients
1 lb. Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breast
1 cup Italian Dressing
4 slices Mozarella Cheese
1 Lg. Tomato, chopped
1/2 cup Fresh Basil, chopped
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
            -OR-
2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Directions
With a fork, poke holes in the chicken so the dressing can moisten and provide more flavor to the mean while marinading.  Place chicken and dressing in a large resealable bag and toss to coat.  Marinate in the regridgerator at least 2 hours.

Preheat an indoor or outdoor grille at medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.  Take chicken out of the marinade (discard remaining marinade) and place on the grille, cooking it 10-15 minutes per side (depending on size) or until juices run clear and they are no longer pink inside.  Turn grille off and place a slice of Mozzarella on each piece of chicken; cover with a lid until cheese has lightly melted over the meat.

Set chicken on a plate or serving dish and let sit for 5 minutes to allow juices to redistribute into the meat.  Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, basil, olive oil (or balsamic vinegar) and salt and pepper (to taste) in a small bowl.  Spoon over chicken and serve immediately.

Source: With a Cherry on Top

Roasted Parmesan Broccoli
Print This Recipe
Ingredients
2 Lg. bundles Fresh Broccoli
1/2 cup Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/4 Tsp. Pepper
1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Rinse broccoli and remove the stems, cutting into bite-size pieces.  Place the broccoli into a large mixing bowl and toss with remaining ingredients to coat generously.

Spread broccoli onto a large baking dish and place in the oven, roasting 10-12 minutes (or until tender).  Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Source:  With a Cherry on Top

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