Chicken Strips (For Adults)

Let's face it: sometimes we all wish we could still order from the children's menu. Please your inner child and your adult palette with these simple, Italian-style chicken strips. Try them with "No Chunks" Tomato Sauce for dipping (instead of ketchup) and a side of buttered noddles. 

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips 

½ cup Panko bread crumbs

¼ cup shredded parmesan

1 egg, beaten

Salt and pepper to taste

3 T. olive oil

Prepare chicken and season with salt and pepper. On a plate, mix together bread crumbs and parmesan. Dip chicken into egg, then coat with bread crumb mixture on all sides.

Preheat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken until cooked through and golden brown on both sides, about 6 minutes. Serve with buttered noodles and marinara sauce. 

Peach-Glazed Meatballs

Meatballs are one of my family's go-to meals, primarily because of their versatility. Feeling like Italian? Whip up a tomato sauce and some spaghetti noodles. Want an Asian flair? Add some teriyaki sauce and steamed rice. A good meatball stands up to just about any combination. This peach-flavored marinade plays up the sweet and savory combination and makes for an easy and delicious meal. 

Meatballs: 

½ cup bread crumbs

3 T. milk

1 egg

1 ½ lbs. ground beef

¼ tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. lemon pepper

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

Sauce:

1 jar (18 oz.) peach preserves

1 bottle chili sauce

½ packet “Beefy Onion” soup mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, blend bread crumbs and milk with a fork; beat in the egg. Add ground beef and remaining ingredients; combine by hand until completely blended. Roll meat mixture into 1 ½ - inch balls and place on baking sheet. Bake 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, whisk together sauce ingredients. Cook over medium heat until heated through. Add cooked meatballs, stir to coat, and simmer about 20 minutes. Serve, with glaze, over steamed rice. 

Greek Chicken Sandwiches

I have had a love affair with tzatziki sauce from an early age. Sure, give me a good gyro, but I'm just as happy lapping it up with crackers, or sometimes even a spoon. This simple gyro-variation incorporates the fresh, light flavors of Greece (tzatziki included!) into a family- and budget-friendly meal. (Hint: Try it with Citrus-Glazed Fruit Salad!) 

½ cup balsamic vinaigrette

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

6-8 pita pockets or sandwich flats 

Sauce:

1 cup plain yogurt

1/3 cucumber, finely chopped

1 T. parsley

1 tsp. dill

1 garlic clove, finely minced

¼ tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 T. lime juice

Toppings:

1/3 cucumber, thinly sliced

1 wedge red onion, thinly sliced

Feta cheese, crumbled as desired

Place chicken in a large, resealable plastic bag; add vinaigrette and turn to coat; marinate 4 hours-overnight.

In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to allow flavors to combine; stir before serving.

Preheat and spray grill; discard marinade and grill chicken until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes per side. Allow chicken to rest about 5 minutes, then cut into thin strips. Build each sandwich in a pita or sandwich flat, layering sauce, chicken, cucumbers, onion, and feta as desired. 

Citrus-Glazed Fruit Salad

Sometimes I find myself in a side dish rut. For lack of ideas (and a fairly finicky family), I usually serve some variation of pasta, rice, and/or simple salad with the main course. Fresh fruit is something we can all agree on and is a great option to mix up the week. Try this salad with any fruits that are in season (I usually mix both fresh and canned) or any of your favorites - easy and versatile! 

½ cup water       

3 T. sugar or Splenda

2 tsp. lemon zest

1 tsp. orange zest

1 T. lemon juice

1 qt. strawberries, sliced

2-3 nectarines, cut into chunks

3 kiwis, sliced

1 medium can mandarin oranges

1 medium can pineapple chunks 

In a small saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil; add lemon and orange zest. Remove from heat; cool completely, then stir in lemon juice.

Meanwhile, prepare fruit in a large bowl. Drizzle with glaze and gently stir to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Slimmed Down Blueberry Muffins

To me, fresh blueberries encompass the taste of summer. I try to utilize them in as many recipes as I can, but in my new quest for calorie reduction, I've been a little hesitant to indulge in much baking. When I came across this recipe in Fitness Magazine, I knew it was a must-try. The result was a delicious cacophony of bursting berries in a moist and slightly sweet shell. I'll definitely be sticking with this recipe! 

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt             

½ cup light margarine

¼ cup honey

1 cup Splenda

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup low-fat milk

1 cup fresh blueberries 

Place oven rack in top 1/3 of oven. Preheat to 400 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat margarine with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add Splenda and honey, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each until blended. Stir in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, until completely combined. Gently fold in blueberries with a spoon.

Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin cups, filling about ¾ of the cup. Bake 20-22 minutes, until golden. Remove from pan and cool. 

Do-It-Yourself Buffalo Wings

My husband is a wing fanatic - almost a connoisseur. Sometimes, however, a good wing place is hard to find so I decided to do some experimenting at home. The result was flavorful and meaty, and at a fraction of the cost you could buy at a restaurant. Fortunately, my grocery store sells pre-cut drummettes, making the process pretty simple. If you can't find them pre-cut, simply buy whole chicken wings and use a large knife to separate the drummette from the wing and chop off the tip. (It's also great for pent up aggression) Use a buffalo sauce that appeals to your taste - either by experimenting with recipes or grabbing your favorite brand off the shelf - these wings are completely your own!

¾ cup flour

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

Approx. 20 wings/drummettes

½ cup melted butter

½ cup buffalo sauce (store-bought or homemade) 

In a large, resealable plastic bag, combine flour, salt, garlic, and cayenne; add wings and shake to fully cover. (Hint: Make sure wings are completely dry before coating with flour mixture) Refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a large cookie sheet with cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter and buffalo sauce. Dip each wing into the buffalo mixture and place onto the cookie sheet. Bake about 45 minutes until wings are crispy on the outside and cooked through. Serve with extra buffalo sauce for dipping.

Mimosa-Roasted Chicken

All the flavors of a mimosa packed into a tender, roasted chicken? Yes please! I knew when I saw this recipe in my Simple & Delicious magazine that it was a must-try. Amazingly, I changed absolutely nothing about the recipe and it turned out fall-off-the-bone delicious - both affordable and elegant! (And better yet - the leftovers are great for Mom's Chicken Casserole!) 

1 whole young chicken

1 navel orange

¾ tsp. pepper, divided

¼ cup butter, melted

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 T. basil

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. marjoram

2 cups Champagne

½ onion, cut into wedges

½ cup chicken broth

½ cup orange juice

1 T. butter

2 T. flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut half of the orange into slices and the remaining half into wedges. Carefully wedge the orange slices under the skin of the chicken. Place the orange wedges inside the chicken cavity and sprinkle with ¼ tsp of the pepper.

Place chicken breast-side up in a shallow roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, garlic, basil, salt, onion powder, marjoram, and remaining pepper; rub over chicken.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine Champagne, onions, broth, and orange juice; pour into the bottom of the roasting pan. Bake 1 ½ - 2 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees; baste occasionally with pan juices. If chicken browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil. Let chicken stand 15 minutes before serving.

For gravy, measure 1 cup of pan dripping; combine with 2 T. flour until smooth. In a small saucepan, melt 1 T. butter; add drippings mixture gradually, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened. Serve over chicken.

Grandma's Enchilada Casserole

Several years ago we visited my husband's family and, naturally, ended up having a lot of mouths to feed. Grandma concocted this casserole, which not only fed all of us, but had everyone coming back for seconds (and me for the recipe). It's great on it's own, but even better scooped up with tortilla chips and topped with a dollop of sour cream.

2 lbs. lean ground beef

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ packets taco seasoning

1 can (8oz) tomato sauce

12-15 corn tortillas, cut into quarters

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 ½ cups milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, brown hamburger; add garlic and cook until meat is cooked through. Drain meat and add taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Cook about 2 additional minutes until heated through.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Layer tortilla quarters in the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Add meat mixture and top with another layer of tortillas. In a small bowl, whisk together soup and milk. Pour over meat and tortillas. Top with cheese. Cover and bake 25 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes. Let set 5-10 minutes before serving; top with sour cream.

Mom's Southern-Style Banana Pudding

My mom's banana pudding has been one of my favorite treats for practically as long as I could eat solid foods. It's the bring-to-a-potluck, make-for-holidays, good-day-for-a-BBQ dessert staple. The technique changes a bit depending variables like the flavor of pudding we have on hand or how many boxes of Nilla wafers are in the cabinet, but the essential Southern-style summer-is-here flavor remains untouched. 

1 pkg. banana cream pudding mix

1 pkg. French vanilla pudding mix

4 cups milk

1 lg. container Cool Whip

2-3 bananas, sliced

1 box Nilla wafers

In a large mixing bowl, combine pudding mixes and milk; whisk until smooth. Fold in Cool Whip to pudding mixture until completely combined. Layer Nilla wafers on the bottom of a large serving bowl. Pour a layer of pudding over the top, then add a layer of bananas. Continue layering in this fashion, ending with pudding at the top. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. 

Tortellini Salad with Spinach and Tuna

I am always looking for a nutritious, filling lunch that gets me out of the sandwich rut. Try this fresh salad for a simple meal and enjoy the leftovers the next day. 

1 pkg. spinach tortellini

½ cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained

Salt & pepper

1 tsp. light margarine

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. lemon juice

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

¼ tsp. thyme

¼ tsp. dill

1 can (5 oz.) chunk light tuna in water, drained

Prepare tortellini per package directions. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, sauté garlic and spinach in margarine; season with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, thyme, and dill. Rinse and drain cooked tortellini; add to lemon juice mixture. Toss in spinach & garlic and flaked tuna. Serve warm or chilled. 

Slimmed Down Sweet & Sour Chicken

Sometimes I crave good Chinese food, but am hesitant to indulge in the calorie-laden dishes. To fight your next craving, try this Rachael Ray-inspired dish that slashes the calories, but keeps all the flavor. 

1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks, reserve 1 cup of juice

4 T. rice vinegar

4 T. soy sauce

2 ½ T. cornstarch

2 T. ketchup

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

4 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1-1   ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed

1 T. canola oil

1 red bell pepper, cubed

Salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch, ketchup, red pepper flakes, and ginger. Set aside.

In a large skillet, preheat the oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper; add to the hot oil and cook until browned, stirring occasionally. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Add the bell pepper to the hot pan and cook about 2 minutes. Stir in pineapple chunks and chicken.

Whisk the pineapple juice mixture into the chicken mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and chicken is cooked through. Serve, with sauce, over steamed white or brown rice.