Rosemary Lemon Chicken & Asparagus

Here's a great complete meal idea. Relatively complete--the greens and protein go along perfectly together (the asparagus were perfect!) and I served it as the main course following a crab leek risotto (the grains), so if you were to serve this with a wild rice or some bread then that would be more complete together (if you weren't serving the appetizer). This was a pretty straight-forward recipe.

Rosemary Lemon Chicken & Asparagus
Recipe from ShopCookMake

2 Chicken Breasts, in bone, without skin
14 Asparagus Spears
1 Lemon, cut into 5 rinds
2, four inch Rosemary Sprigs
2 tbsp Olive Oil
3 tbsp Butter
1/2 cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock
Salt and Pepper

In a small pan, melt the butter in the oil with the rosemary and lemon. Over low heat, cook the seasoned chicken breasts for about 50 minutes (until done), covered. Turn a few times, to cook well in both sides. You may need to add a few pours of stock, only if necessary, to create a bit of a sauce for the chicken to cook in.

After the chicken is cooked, remove from the pan onto a plate ad cover with foil. Let it rest.

Cook the asparagus in the leftover sauce.

Sriracha Chicken

Lately I've been posting things from forever ago in random orders at random times. I'm going to have to continue to do that since I'm super backed up with recipes and never have time to sit down and really go through all of these (aka I don't have time PERIOD to work on this but trying to find bits of time here and there to do what I can), but first while it's fresh in my mind I really really want to share this recipe.

SO.

YUM.

I found this recipe a while ago but was cooking with a friend who didn't want deep-fried (I don't really like deep fried either, but luckily my boyfriend does so I get to eat it on occasion) so we stuck with another Sriracha Chicken recipe that I'll post another time (it was also SUPERB).

This recipe was really easy to follow. SO easy to tweak the sauce, which was perfect and I honestly barely measured exactly I just threw things approximately together and heated it up and it seriously tasted as good as those Trader Joe's Orange Chicken things that you get in the freezer isle and reheat and OMG. I mean, different sauce, but same idea. This recipe was really fun and simple to follow. The sesame seeds tossed in at the end was also a great touch.

Chinese Sriracha Chicken
Recipe From Blog Chef

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into chunks)
salt and pepper (to taste)
2 eggs
1 cup cornstarch
oil (for deep frying)
Sauce-
¼ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Sriracha hot sauce (to taste)
crushed red pepper flakes

In a medium bowl whisk together sugar, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic salt, and Sriracha sauce, and crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside.

Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl beat the two eggs. Add the cornstarch to a shallow plate or pie dish. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Dip the chicken pieces first into the eggs and then roll in the cornstarch. Place chicken into the deep fryer, and deep fry the chicken pieces in batches at 375 degrees until golden brown and fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees). Drain on paper towels.

Pour the sauce mixture into a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. In a large bowl toss the chicken with the sauce. Top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

Lemon Chicken

In trying to find a really good lemon chicken recipe for my boyfriend who loved it growing up, I decided to try out this one. It was a little less crispy than ideal--so far the Chinese-style lemon chicken that my mom gave me the recipe for and that I grew up loving has been my favorite. I served this with broccoli and rice.

Lemon Chicken
Recipe from Passports and Pancakes

3 chicken breasts (a little less than a pound, can easily adjust other ingredients based on amount of chicken)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 /2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
zest of 1 lemon
2 lemons (1 can be the previously zested lemon :) , halved
Rice and vegetables for serving

Stir together the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Coat each chicken breast completely with the flour mixture. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt oil and butter together. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the chicken breasts to the skillet.


Cook for 5-7 minutes and turn the chicken. Add the zest, the juice of both lemons, and all 4 of the lemon halves. Cover the skillet with a lid, turn heat down to medium, and cook until chicken is completely done. This will take another 6-10 minutes, depending on how thick your chicken breasts are. Slice the chicken breasts in the pan, stir to coat with the sauce, and serve over rice with a side of your favorite vegetables.

Bruschetta Chicken

A very simple and yummy recipe. This time I lost track of time and overcooked the breasts a little bit but usually I don't do that...haha...they were still good though. Very healthy! I made this with my roommate Happy for our weekly Wednesday Girl's Night. She made a delicious spinach risotto to go along with it.

Bruschetta Chicken
Recipe from Eat Yourself Skinny

3 or 4 chicken breasts
4 or 5 small tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/8. tsp sea salt
Handful basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (if you choose to bake your chicken rather than grill). Sprinkle some salt and pepper over top, cover and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes (depending on the size of your breasts) until juices run clear.

Meanwhile, combine chopped tomatoes, garlic, onion, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and basil in a bowl. Refrigerate until chicken is ready to be served and spoon over top of the chicken. Enjoy!

French Onion Chicken Sandwich

I wanted an easy, laid-back, delicious meal and this looked delicious so I gave it a shot. Also seasoned the chicken before I cooked it up. It was pretty good! Yes, simple, but super easy! Might want to try flavoring the onions a little differently or adding some kind of extra sauce, or not burning the buns...haha. But pretty yummy and the onions smelled spectacular!

French Onion Chicken Sandwich

Recipe from Foxes Love Lemons

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 large white onion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved crosswise and pounded to 1-inch thickness, if necessary

Nonstick cooking spray

4 slices Swiss cheese

4 hamburger buns

2 cups baby spinach

In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and sugar; cook 25 minutes or until onions are deeply caramelized, stirring frequently. This step can be done up to 3 days in advance. Re-warm onions in microwave or in a small pan on grill before proceeding.

Preheat grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat. Spray chicken with nonstick spray. Transfer chicken to hot grill rack; cover and cook 10 minutes or until chicken loses its pink color throughout and internal temperature reaches 160º, turning once.

Place cheese slices on chicken pieces. Cover and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown. Build sandwiches using hamburger buns, spinach, chicken and caramelized onions.

Chicken Legs

For some reason, everybody always loves this meal. I took the hint from the fact that my younger brother loves this and used to be very picky about everything. It was never always my favorite but it's definitely good. I made it for a few friends over a month ago and I'd never made it before, but it makes a lot and the recipe (from my mom) was pretty straight forward.

I'd never cooked chicken legs before, let alone any chicken with skin, so I had no idea what it would look like through the baking process. I kept thinking it wasn't cooking right since it wasn't darkening fast enough, but after the full length of time (about an hour) they looked perfectly. It also freaked me out a little that before it was cooked, some of the skin around the feet was yellow...eww! But it makes sense that that would be completely normal, and they turned out great! Foolproof, easy recipe!

Baked Chicken Legs

Chicken Legs

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Place chicken legs on a greased baking sheet (do not use foil). Heavily season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder on both sides. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until skin is darker and crispy.

Chicken Meatball Subs

This recipe says it'll make about 4, but I had 5 people to serve so I doubled the recipe and probably didn't have to. These could easily be frozen and used later as meatballs. Altogether it was pretty good--I decided I don't so much like meatball subs because of the calorie count, but the chicken meatballs by themselves were delicious and I'd probably make them again. I made these a while ago--probably over a month ago--so you can see I'm a little behind on posting these recipes! They cooked up very easily although it was a time consuming project. I served these subs with some cajun fries which I'll post the recipe for soon.

Chicken Meatball Sub Sandwiches
Recipe adapted from BevCooks

1 pound ground chicken
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups baby spinach, finely chopped (it’s 2 cups BEFORE the chopping)
1 Tbs. tomato paste (obviously that’s not a full Tbs. up there. I ran out.)
1 egg
3/4 cup panko (or breadcrumbs)
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 (28 oz) can San Marzano tomatoes, pureed in a food processor
6 basil leaves, roughly torn
1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped
1 loaf bread (ie ciabatta, french rolls..), cut into 4 equal sizes and sliced lengthwise
4 slices provolone cheese
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

In a bowl, combine the chicken, onion, garlic, spinach, tomato paste, panko, egg and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Using your hands, get everything all combined. Then form little balls out of the mixture.

At this point you can stick them in the fridge, covered for as long as you need to. Or if you’re famished, let’s proceed.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium high. Add the meatballs and brown all over, about 8 minutes total.

Pour the pureed tomatoes over the meatballs, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 40 minutes, cooking the meatballs all the way through. The sauce will reduce just a tad as well. At the very end, toss in the torn basil and parsley. Go ahead and season with a pinch of salt and pepper too.

Flip on the broiler and slide the bread in for about a minute. Then place 4 balls with the marinara on the bottom half, followed by a slice of provolone cheese. Stick back under the broiler until the cheese melts and starts to bubble, maybe 2 minutes. Keep an eye on it!

Serve with more basil, if desired.

Chicken Gyros

This recipe is so yummy! They would make great chicken burgers, too. I will definitely make this again--the minted yogurt sauce was delish, too.

I made this for dinner one night with Greek Salad (and individual tirimisu for dessert!) that I'll post later. I've never broiled anything but it turned out perfect! Making it with ground chicken worked like a charm--you could get all those delicious spices and herbs in there and it tasted a lot better than just marinated chicken inside a gyro.

Chicken Patties with Mint Yogurt Sauce
Recipe adapted by Very Culinary from Emeril Lagasse
Serves 4 in pita pockets

1 pound ground chicken
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pita pockets, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and cucumbers, for serving
Minted yogurt sauce, for serving

Minted Yogurt Sauce
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper

For the yogurt sauce: in a small bowl, stir together yogurt, mint, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until the chicken patties are done.

Heat broiler, with rack in highest position. In a large bowl, combine chicken, egg whites, breadcrumbs, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, and spices and mix until well blended. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Divide chicken mixture into 8 equal portions and place on sheet. Shape each into round or oval patties and use your hand to flatten slightly. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over patties.

Broil until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, about 4 minutes more. Serve in pita pockets with the Mint Yogurt sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers, if desired.

Jalapeno Stuffed Chicken

This was a great recipe, and pretty easy! I made it with salad (my mom picked some lettuce from her lettuce plant and then added a light dressing and other veggies--really simple, but cool that she's growing lettuce!) and a delicious-when-warm garlic-y bread that I'll post the recipe for in a few days. I didn't have any issue with the super-hot oven or the baking time for the chicken.

Jalapeno Stuffed Chicken
Recipe from skinnytaste

2 slices center cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 jalapeños, chopped (remove seeds for milder)
3 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
4 oz reduced fat shredded cheddar jack (Sargento)
2 tbsp chopped scallions
8 thin sliced skinless chicken breast cutlets, 3 oz each
1/2 cup Italian seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
1 1/2 juicy limes, juice of
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and fresh pepper
olive oil non-stick spray

Wash and dry chicken cutlets, season with salt and pepper.  Preheat oven to 450°. Lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.

Combine cream cheese, cheddar, scallions, jalapeño and bacon crumbles in a medium bowl.

Lay chicken cutlets on a working surface and spread 2 tbsp of cream cheese mixture on each cutlet. Loosely roll each one, secure the ends with toothpicks to prevent the cheese from oozing out.

Place breadcrumbs in a bowl; in a second bowl combine olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.

Dip chicken in lime-oil mixture, then in breadcrumbs and place seam side down on a baking dish. Repeat with the remaining chicken. When finished, lightly spray the top of the chicken with oil spray.

Bake 22-25 minutes, serve immediately.

Lemon Chicken with Parmesan Potatoes

Lemon Chicken
Recipe adapted from Southern Living
Recipe found on Tracey's Culinary Adventures

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 oz each)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
8 lemon slices
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Place the chicken on a cutting board. Working with one breast at a time, place your hand on top and use a sharp knife to cut the breast in half horizontally, to make two thinner chicken cutlets. (Don't worry if they're not perfectly even, mine never are!) Place each cutlet between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet or skillet to pound to 1/4-inch thickness.

Season the chicken on both sides with the salt and pepper. Lightly dredge each cutlet in flour, shaking off the excess.

Set a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and the olive oil to the pan. Once the butter is melted and the pan is hot, add the chicken. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Reduce the heat to medium, and add the chicken broth and lemon juice to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly, scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosen any brown bits. Add the lemon slices to the sauce and let sit undisturbed for about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and add the parsley and remaining tablespoon of butter. Stir until the butter is melted and the sauce is smooth. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve (you can garnish with the lemon slices if desired).

Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

Recipe by For the Love of Cooking

9-10 small baby Dutch yellow potatoes

3-4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp olive oil

Garlic powder, to taste

Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil a large pot of water and boil the potatoes for 4-5 minutes. Remove from water and let cool. Once cooled, slice into quarters and combine with olive oil, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper as well as the Parmesan. Mix thoroughly and place in a baking dish that has been sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.

Place into the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and taste, re season with sea salt, cracked pepper, or garlic powder if needed. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy.

Salsa Chicken

Can you tell I've had more time to try new dinner recipes? Usually in college I'd just do something simple, like pasta with some sort of meat sauce, or plain chicken, or a simple fried rice or simple breakfasty thing or something else uncomplicated that I just threw together. But since I finished my finals relatively early, I had time to try more recipes. This one was pretty good, very easy, I'd probably make it again.

Salsa Chicken

Recipe from allrecipes.com

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

4 teaspoons taco seasoning mix

1 cup salsa

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)

Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle taco seasoning on both sides of chicken breasts, and pour salsa over all.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is tender and juicy and its juices run clear.

Sprinkle chicken evenly with cheese, and continue baking for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with sour cream if desired, and serve.

Ranch Chicken Pizza

Mmm. I love to bake pizza. This was a really great choice, and tasted as good as it looks. I didn't have a pizza stone nor a pizza pan but this worked wonderfully. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn't burn, but mine didn't and baked amazingly and I can't stress how awesome it worked out! The dough was fine--a very basic, foolproof dough, but without any extra fancy flavors if that's what you're looking for. I used the entire dough recipe for this and had no trouble!

Ranch Chicken Pizza

Recipe from Tide and Thyme, adapted slightly by me

Pizza dough (I used the recipe below)

¼ cup Ranch dressing

¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded

1/4 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 tomato, seeded and diced

2-3 green onions, chopped

¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven and a pizza stone to 500° F. I used a cookie sheet because not only did I not have a pizza stone, but I didn't even have a pizza pan. It was fine. Allow the stone/pan to heat for at least 30 minutes.

In the mean time, cut a sheet of parchment paper the size of your pizza stone (Alternatively, use a pizza peel). Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal or semolina flour. Gently roll out the pizza dough into a large circle, leaving a thicker ring around the edge for the crust. Don't bake the pizza crust first.

Spread the Ranch dressing in a thin layer evenly over the unbaked crust. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella. Top with grilled chicken, tomato and green onions. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar. Top off with bacon.

Carefully transfer the parchment paper and pizza to the preheated baking stone/pan and return to the oven.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and browned.  Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Pizza Dough

Recipe from allrecipes.com, adapted slightly by me

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Cornmeal

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the oil, sugar, salt and 1-1/2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough. Turn onto a floured surface; cover and let rest for 10 minutes.