Hummus Stuffed Chicken

This is an adaptation from another RR recipe in October's issue. I made it a little healthier by omitting butter. I also garlic to the filling and used regular breadcrumbs instead of panko. It was good and even Bryan liked it. I was worried since he doesn't like hummus or spinach separately, but imagine my surprise when he liked them together!

Hummus Stuffed Chicken
Serves 2

Stuffing:
5 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed
2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted in pan, chopped
1/3 c hummus
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
salt and pepper

Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 oz each), pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1/4 c flour, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3 c breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Combine stuffing ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place half of stuffing mixture on one side of each chicken breast. Fold over and secure with toothpicks. Set up an assembly line with the flour, then the egg, and finally the breadcrumbs. I do this on one long sheet of wax paper. I have a pile of flour, the egg in a bowl, and then a pile of breadcrumbs...this equals less dishes to clean up! I also set them up moving towards the pan on the stove...that way, once I'm done dipping in breadcrumbs, I can put them straight in the pan.

Heat pan over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Dip the chicken packets into the flour and shake off the excess. Then dip in egg, followed by breadcrumbs. Put into pan and cook 3-4 minutes on each side. This helps the crust to brown up a little.

Transfer chicken to baking dish (sprayed with cooking spray) and put in oven for 10 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Greek Gryos

Ok, you know the drill...the new RR magazine came. I highly recommend everyone pick up this issue. I usually dog ear recipes that I want to try...I dog eared the entire magazine! I adjusted this recipe a bit, so here goes. It was so good, but I will add more seasonings next time. I was eyeballing it, and we ended up adding more salt and pepper. The recipe calls for ground lamb which is very high in points (to the tune of 4 pts per 2 oz). I did use lamb tonight. I think it would be awesome with ground chicken or turkey, which is how I will probably make it next time.

Greek Gyros
Serves 4

Sauce:
8 oz light sour cream
1/2 cucumber, finely diced
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
salt and pepper

Gyro:
1 lb ground lamb
1 slice light bread made into crumbs
2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 poblano or cubanelle peppers, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
4 flatbreads or pitas (I used flatout brand wrap bread)

Mix ingredients for sauce together and put in fridge.

Combine lamb, bread, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, and ginger. Form into 4 patties. Spray pan with cooking spray. Cook burgers on medium high heat (about 6 minutes each side). Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the peppers, onion, garlic, parsley, 1 teaspoon cumin, salt, and pepper to the pan. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. During that 5 minutes, wrap pita bread in foil and place in low heat oven and chop up the lamb patties. Add the lamb back to the pan, increase to medium-high heat and cook a few more minutes.

Place 1/4 of meat and 1/4 of sauce in each pita or flat bread. Add lettuce and tomatoes if you so desire.

Basic Crockpot Pork (or Chicken if you fancy)

Ok, so after my last post...we got hit with some crap of a stomach bug. And we seem to have eaten out a lot or have a lot of simple things like grilled chicken and the sort. Today was the first time I've "cooked" in a while. This is a very quick versatile recipe that has unlimited possibilities

Basic Crockpot Pork
Serves 4

1 lb frozen boneless pork chops, trimmed
1 can flavored diced tomatoes (tonight I used Italian)
1 small can mushrooms
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Toss in porkchops. Top with tomatoes and mushrooms.

I cook on high for 3 hours. I find that cooking from frozen ensures that your meat won't dry out. I wouldn't do it for more than 8 hours on low though.

When done, sprinkle in cornstarch and wisk quickly to avoid lumps. Recover and allow "sauce" to thicken.

Deviled Chicken Strips

I fould this recipe in my Good Housekeeping this month. I adapted it, of course!

Deviled Chicken Strips
Serves 4

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/3 c panko crumbs (Japanese style breadcrumb, can use regular bread crumbs)
1/4 c loosely packed parsley, chopped

Heat broiler in oven. Line broiler pan with foil. Mix mustard, sauce, garlic, and pepper. Add chicken strips and mix until all chicken is covered. Place strips on pan and broil for about 8 minutes. While chicken is baking, combine panko and parsley. Remove pan from oven and top with parsley/crumb mixture...do not flip chicken. Pop back in broiler just until crumbs start to brown.

Chicken Enchiladas

These are quick and simple and yummy! They are a favorite at our house...Nicky included. The Goya seasoning is usually found in the Hispanic foods section of your grocery store...but, I don't know if your store will carry it b/c we can't get it here in Arkansas. I had to stock up when we went to Florida the last time. It's a very good all purpose seasoning. I use it to make my taco meat as well. If you can't find it, you can always just use a blend of salt, cumin, coriander, pepper, etc.

Chicken Enchiladas

1 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis (Rotel)
1 packet Sazon Goya with coriander and annato
1 c frozen chopped spinach
1 can green chili enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso brand)
8 oz reduced fat sour cream
8 flour tortillas (We use the carb balance Mission fajita size)
1 c cheese (I use whatever we have on hand...usually mozzarella or monterey jack)

Preheat oven to 375. In a skillet, cook chicken, tomatoes, and spinach until the chicken is done. Add the seasoning. You should simmer this until most of the liquid is absorbed. If it has too much liquid, thicken using cornstarch or flour. You don't want it runny b/c it will make your tortillas fall apart.

Mix the enchilada sauce and sour cream in a separate bowl. Pour a little of the mixture in the bottom of a glass baking dish. I usually use 2 8x8 square dishes...4 enchiladas in each. Divide the chicken among the tortillas. Roll up and place in baking dish, seam side down. Once you have all 8 rolled and in the dish, top with the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle cheese over the top.

Put in oven and bake until cheese is melted.

Chicken Biscuit Cups

This is one of those recipes that has endless possibilities! You can also add cheese to these, but I don't think you miss it, so I save those calories.

Chicken Biscuit Cups

10 oz can chicken, drained
1 can cream of soup of your choice (we prefer chicken or celery)
2 teaspoons italian seasoning
1 can 10 count biscuits

Preheat oven to 375. Mix chicken, soup, and seasonings in a bowl. Flatten biscuits and place one in each hole of a muffin tin forming a "cup". Divide filling among cups. Bake 12 minutes.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts and Banana Pupcakes

Stuffing chicken breasts is an easy elegant looking meal. It's my go to when I'm on burn out with chicken. The possibilities are endless with stuffings. I'll list a few others that I've done at the end of the recipe.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2 chicken breasts
2 T feta cheese
2 T frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed
1 T sundried tomato paste
2 T breadcrumbs
1/2 t Italian seasoning, plus some for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Cut slits in the chicken breasts. Mix all other ingredients. Stuff chicken breasts evenly with the mixture. Place in baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is done.

Other variations:
Goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, shallots, balsamic vinegar
thin sliced ham and laughing cow cheese

Now, on to the banana pupcakes...and no, that isn't a typo! This is a RR recipe. They are delish!!! Or, in the words of Rachael....YUM-O!! The simple sprinkling of powdered sugar is great, but cream cheese frosting would be even greater! Oh, and I did use lowfat buttermilk and egg beaters.

Banana Pupcakes

Creamy Pesto Chicken and Pasta

This was a huge hit all around. Very quick, simple, and healthy to boot! Even better...This is probably about a 20 minute start to finish recipe.

Creamy Pesto Chicken and Pasta
Serves 4

1 lb chicken breasts, cubed
1 T olive oil
1 can RF cream of chicken soup
1/2-3/4 cup FF milk
1 package Knorr Basil Pesto sauce mix
8 oz uncooked pasta (I used mini penne)

Prepare pasta according to box directions.

While pasta is cooking, season chicken with salt and pepper and brown in skillet in olive oil. Add soup and 1/2 cup milk. Stir to combine. Add sauce mix and stir. Now, when it starts to get bubbly, you may have to add more milk b/c the sauce mix thickens. Then, mix the pasta with the chicken and sauce.

WW points: 8

Chicken Spaghetti and Grandma's Squash

These are two of my old favorites from growing up. Well, I guess mom started making the spaghetti when I was around 13 or so, but what can get better than pasta, cream sauce, cheese, and a little bit of spice? Oh, and it's so freaking easy. I'll be serving it with green beans, my grandma's squash recipe (dad's side), and a salad...mainly 3 veggies b/c my dear hubby will not eat squash. But, this recipe has been known to turn squash haters into squash lovers!

And, Nicky liked both dishes! Well, he didn't want the pasta, just the chicken and tomatoes, but he couldn't get enough of those. But, the kicker...he ate squash. That's a vegetable people, a vegetable!

Chicken Spaghetti
Serves 4

1 rotissere chicken, meat picked off and chopped up
1 can Ro*tel (tomatoes with diced chilis), drained
1 can diced or crushed tomatoes (use crushed for a thinner texture)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz velveeta
1/2 box spaghetti, cooked to al dente

Combine the Ro*tel, tomatoes, and soup. Heat until bubbly. Melt in the velveeta. Add the chicken and pasta. Toss and serve.

Grandma's Squash
Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds yellow squash, cleaned and cut into rounds
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
4 oz velveeta
1 egg

Boil squash in water until way overdone. Drain and mash lightly with the back of a spoon to make sure all of the water is out of the squash. In the pot you boiled the squash in, heat butter and velveeta over medium heat until melted. Add mashed up squash and stir. Crack the egg into the squash mixture and whip, whip, whip. The squash gets really fluffy and yummy! Cover and let sit for a few minutes. Salt and pepper to your liking.

Baking Mix Chicken Nuggets

Ok, this is a favorite recipe of mine that was given to me at my Pampered Chef bridal shower by my cousin. I'll post it as she gave it to me with my modifications in parenthesis. I tend to forget about it, but since I can only get Nicky to eat his chicken "fried", I'm sure I'll start to use it more often.

Serves 3-4

1 - 5.5 oz package of All Purpose baking mix
1 stick butter (1/2 stick)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt (powder, I don't keep garlic salt on hand)
1 lb chicken breasts, cubed

Preheat oven to 425. Place butter in glass baking dish and melt in oven while it is preheating. Mix baking mix and seasonings in a zippered plastic bag. Add chicken and shake until well coated. Place in baking dish on top of melted butter. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip and bake until golden brown.

We'll be having this with the leftover scalloped potatoes from the other night and green beans. I'll update how the nuggets go over with Nicky...since I know that he'll eat the potatoes and cry when he sees the green beans.

Update: Nicky was hungry before dinner was even ready. So, he got a turkey dog. We did give him some chicken, potatoes, and green beans, but he was only about the turkey dog. I did manage a couple of slivers of green beans in there with those bites. He did eat a container of banana/grape/plum, so I don't feel so bad.

Tomorrow night: Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls (a Kim creation)