1 Package of 2 split breasts of chicken (though you can use your preferred type of chicken meat)
2 28oz cans of crushed tomatoes
1 Small can tomato paste
1 Tbsp of butter
1/2 Yellow onion
4 Cloves of garlic
1/2 Tbsp of oregano
1/2 Tbsp of basil
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan and Romano cheese
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Pan-brown chicken with garlic and onions for about 5-7 minutes flipping midway through. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil; once boiling lower heat and cover to simmer for one hour. After an hour remove chicken and separate meat from bone and skin. Discard bone and skin and add pulled chicken back to sauce; also add oregano, basil, cheese and red pepper flakes and stir. Simmer the sauce for another 30-45 minutes.
For pasta, fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and add a pinch of salt and a 1/2 tsp of olive oil cover and bring to a boil. When the water reaches a rolling boil, add pasta of your choice and lower heat. Stir frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking. Cook time will vary on the type of pasta, so be sure to read the directions on the pasta packaging.
Saute Onions and Garlic
Brown Chicken
Chicken Cooking in Sauce
Add Chicken Back to Sauce after Deboning and Shredding
2 Pouches of Uncle Ben’s* brown and wild rice
1 Cup halved cashews
3 Cups shredded or diced chicken
1 1/2 Cups fresh spinach
1/4 Cup chopped green onions
1 Red bell pepper diced
Dressing:
1 Tsp crushed garlic
1/2 Cup rice vinegar
1 Tsp Dijon
1/2 Cup veg oil
1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 Tsp crushed red pepper
*Dressing recipe makes more than enough dressing, so don’t use it all, you can save it for something else.
Remove skin and fat from bone-in chicken breast and place in a medium sauce pan; fill pan with water until breast is completely covered. Bring water to a boil and lower heat to medium temperature (maintain boil) – boil the chicken for about 20-25 minutes for a medium sized breast. Once chicken is done, remove from water and set on cutting board to cool. Once slightly cooled, use a fork to shred the chicken and set aside.
For rice, follow directions on the bag using a saucepan: cut slit in top of the bag and stand upright in boiling water for 90 seconds. Remove bag from water and set aside.
In a separate bowl add all ingredients and toss together.
*Near East Wild Rice or home made also work great.
This is a recipe we are extremely excited about because we discovered an easy DIY pizza recipe to replace Boboli and costs about $5 less as a result. If you don’t want get involved with rolling out dough, we completely relate and would still recommend using Boboli’s whole wheat crust.
1 (16 oz) whole wheat pizza dough (uncooked) from Trader Joe’s or a similar shop
1/2 Cup of flour
2 Cups of tomato sauce either store bought or home-made
2 Cloves of garlic peeled and minced
1 Cup of sliced artichoke crowns (or artichoke hearts if preferred)
1/4 Cup fresh basil minced
2 Links of Italian style (hot or sweet) chicken sausage – uncooked
1 Cup of part-skim mozzarella shredded
1/2 cup of fresh mini mozzarella balls
Remove dough from the refrigerator and let rest for several minutes (Note: If using a silicon rolling pin, place it in the freezer for a few minutes prior to use). Heat a skillet over medium-low flame and cook chicken sausage for about 8 minutes, rotating frequently. Remove from heat and let the meat rest. When cooled, slice sausages into 1/4 in slices or thinner if preferred.
Prepare a shallow roasting pan or cookie sheet by spraying or brushing a light layer of olive oil over the surface. Another option is to put down a thin layer of cornmeal to prevent sticking. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
For this recipe, we cut the dough into two even portions and roll out 2 pizzas. Prepare to roll out the dough by sprinkling a pinch flour over the surface you will be rolling the dough on. Sprinkle flour on the first portion and set aside the second; slowly knead the dough and work into a rectangular shape. Place dough on the counter and use the rolling pin (sprinkled with flour) to roll out the dough into an evenly portioned rectangle. Place the dough on the baking sheet and use your fingers to keep the rectangle stretching so that it doesn’t shrink back to a smaller size. Repeat process for second portion of dough.
With dough now on the backing sheet, coat each rectangle with tomato sauce. Be sure to coat the rectangle evenly and leave a 1/4 inch border of plain dough around the sides. Now add minced garlic and basil, sprinkling each evenly on top of the sauce. Next comes the shredded mozzarella, sprinkle evenly around the pizza in a single layer. Add sliced chicken sausage and sliced artichoke crowns in even rows and add as much or as little as you desire.; each rectangular dough should hold the equivalent of roughly one sausage link. Finally, cut the mini mozzarella balls in half and add them to the pizza, roughly 8 halves to each rectangle.
Place baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool; handle with care when transferring to a cutting board to slice as the cheese may slide easily when fresh from the oven.
1 Cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt (or regular)
1/2 Cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp garam masala
1 Tsp coarse kosher salt
1 Large garlic clove, pressed
1/2 Cup roasted, unsalted cashews
1 Roasting chicken, or 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 drum sticks (all bone-in)
1 Large onion, cut into 1/4 inch rings
For the yogurt option, you can use whatever your prefer. We used non-fat Greek, and you can learn more about the specifics here.
Combine yogurt, cilantro, olive oil, garam masala, salt and garlic in medium to large rectangular pan or glass dish. Remove skin from chicken and trim extra fat. Add chicken to marinade one piece at a time, take care to coat each piece thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 2 + hours.
Preheat oven to 400 and place onion rings on the bottom of a freshly oiled roasting pan and place individual pieces of chicken on top of the rings, spread evenly. Discard remaining marinade. Roast chicken for 50 minutes; serve chicken on top of onion rings from the pan.
Prepping Marinade
Adding Cashews to Marinade
Marinating Chicken
Spread Onions on Roasting Pan
Postition Chicken on Onions
Place Chicken in Serving Dish and Cover with Onions from Pan
This is a recipe based on an original recipe seen in the December issue of bon apetit, but we added our own touch of spice by adding jalapenos among other things.
4 Chicken breast halves
4 Clementines, peeled, diced (about 1 cup)
1 Cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
1/2 Cup diced red onion
1/2 Cup diced celery
1/4 Cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1/4 Cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Pepper
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 Jalapeno, seeded, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Cup clementine juice
Place chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of wax paper, separating . Using tenderizer or mallet, pound chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.
Mix clementines, tomatoes, onion, celery, basil, cilantro, salt and extra-virgin olive oils in medium bowl. Cover; let stand at room temperature.
Uncover chicken; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until slightly browned and cooked through, about 3 -4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter. Add clementine juice to skillet and stir/scrape chicken bits from pan; boil until reduced for about 2 minutes. Drizzle sauce over chicken add salsa and serve.
Similar to many of our recipes, the portions and ingredients below are based on serving two (2) people. You can always increase the quantity of the ingredient list if you need to serve more.
2 Bone-in chicken breasts or 4 chicken thighs (boneless works if you prefer, though be sure to adjust cook-time down accordingly)
3 Blood oranges
1 Lemon
2 Sprigs of rosemary
3 Garlic cloves
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Fresh ground pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil
Skin the breasts and slice the top of the breast cross-way slightly to increase exposure to the marinade. Place the chicken in resealable bag or container and wash the cutting board and knife.
In a separate bowl squeeze the juice of the blood oranges and the lemon. Crush the garlic and add to the bowl as well as the salt and pepper. Now carefully remove the rosemary leaves from the stem and coarsely chop by rocking the blade of your knife through the pile several times (mincing); Add rosemary to the juice and pour olive oil in. Use a whisk to stir the marinade and pour over the chicken; cover and store in the refrigerator for several hours (if possible) periodically shake the container to move the marinade evenly around the meat.
Prepare the coals or light the gas grill to a medium-high temperature. Once the grill is ready, place the meat on the grill with the bones down and the thicker portion of the breast positioned toward the center of the grill/hotter temperature; be sure to replace the grill lid to maintain control over the temperature. Grill chicken for 10 – 11 minutes a side; when you flip the chicken, keep the thicker portion of the breast towards the center of the grill/hotter temperature. Remove the chicken and let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Cut into one piece to make sure it is cooked through; the meat should be slightly pink so if you have any doubt place the meat back on the grill for a minute or two.
Grilled chicken is not the easiest to cook, so if you don’t have much experience keep at it and you will soon have a good feel for judging time and temperature.
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 chicken cut into serving pieces and skinned
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic minced
3 Tbsp coarsely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (can be dry or oil packed)
1 cup dry wine
2 sprigs of sage
2 sprigs of rosemary
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
Combine flour, salt and poultry seasoning in a resealable bag. Add the chicken to the bag and shake to coat completely.
Heat a large iron skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat and add the oil.  Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes a side or until browned; remove chicken and place in the slow cooker.
Add the onion to the skillet and saute – stirring frequently – until translucent. Add the garlic and saute until lightly browned. Add the wine and sun-dried tomatoes to the skillet and be sure to scrape the remaining bits from the chicken. Pour the mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker and add pinch of crushed red pepper and crushed red pepper.
Tie the sage and the rosemary sprigs with a bit of twine or in some cheese cloth and submerge in the broth in the slow-cooker.
Turn the slow cooker on low and cook for 4 hours – 8 Hours (at 6-8 hours the meat will fall off the bone). Remove sage and rosemary just before serving.
2 cups of white or brown rice
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
1 package of Pork Keilbasa
1 cooked chicken breast, cubed
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1 tablespoon flour
1 bay leaf
Hot Sauce or Cayenne Pepper to taste
1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 14 ounce can of low sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon Worchestershire Sauce
In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat with olive oil and butter, cook chicken until brown and cube, about 3 minutes. Add sausage and cook 3 more minutes. Add onion, celery and cayenne and cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and broth. Season with cumin, chili powder, poultry seasoning and Worchestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir until thickened.
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
2 teaspoons of canola oil
12 ounces of chicken tenders
1 cup of chopped red onion
1 can of whole corn kernels
1 cup of chopped zucchini and/or yellow squash
1/2 cup of salsa verde (such as Herdez)
3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro, divided
1 cup of shredded Monterey Jack or Jalapeno Pepper Jack Cheese
Rub chicken with cumin, salt and pepper and grill on BBQ or cook on stove top in a large non-stick pan over medium high heat.  In another large non-stick pan, cook onion, corn, and zucchini/squash mixture. Saute for 3 minutes or until soft. Add cubed chicken from grill or pan. Stir in salsa and cilantro and cook until water evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
Preheat broiler. Layer two tortillas at a time on a pan. Spray with cooking spray and broil for 3 minutes or until lightly brown. When all the tortillas are broiled, spoon chicken mixture and a handful of cheese in the center of the tortilla and return to broiler for 2 more minutes or until cheese melts. Continue with all of the tortillas. Sprinkle tostadas with cilantro and serve immediately.
1 1/2 tablespoons of Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 (6 ounce) jar of Marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 3 ounce package of herbed goat cheese
2 (6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Cooking Spray
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine first 6 ingredients and stir well. Place each half breast between 2 sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap or parchment paper and pound with a meat mallet. Top each breast half with 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture and roll up. Tuck in the sides and secure with wooden picks or skewers.
Heat a large non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken to the pan and cook for three minutes on each side or each side or until brown. Wrap handle of pan with foil and bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until the chicken is done. Yields 2 servings
Tenderized (Flattend) Breast with Cheese Mixture Ready to Roll
