Crockpot Shredded Lemon Chicken

This is probably the easiest meal I've ever made. In fact, I almost feel guilty is was so easy - but not too guilty because it was absolutely delicious. 4 ingredients, 1 crockpot, and you're done. Easy.

4 T. butter 

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

1 packet Italian dressing mix

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 2 lemons

Place butter in the bottom of crockpot and turn on low. Add seasoning packet and chicken to a large, resealable plastic bag; shake to coat. Place chicken on top of butter; top with lemon zest and juice. Cover and cook 5-6 hours on low. Before serving, shred chicken with two forks; add back into juices and stir. Serve over steamed rice. 

*Modified from The Queen's Beehive

Chicken Piccata

You've probably figured out by now that I often challenge myself to recreate or top restaurant recipes in my own kitchen. This recipe resulted from a recent visit to a new Italian joint. I loved their piccata dish and wanted to bring it home with me - and did!

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed then cut in half 

Sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder, seasoned to taste

¼ cup flour

4 T. butter, divided

2 T. olive oil

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, plus zest of 1 lemon

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup dry white wine

2 T. capers

1 box angel hair pasta, prepared per package instructions

Prepare chicken and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Dredge chicken in flour until completely coated.

In a large skillet, preheat 2 T. of butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, about 5 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Prepare angel hair pasta per package instructions.

Add lemon juice (and zest), broth, and wine to the pan to deglaze; bring to a boil. Add capers, and then return chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and place over prepared angel hair. Whisk remaining butter into the sauce; pour sauce over chicken and pasta. 

Orange-Ginger Beef

Since I've found myself in a city with limited options in terms of good Asian food, I've been doing a bit of experimenting in my own kitchen. This beef had great results - flavorful and tender.

1 ½ lbs tri-tip steak, trimmed 

Marinade:

¼ cup orange juice

¼ cup soy sauce

2 T. sesame oil

2 tsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. ground ginger

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Glaze:

¼ cup orange juice

2 T. orange marmalade

Pierce steak with fork several times on each side. In a small bowl, combine ingredients for marinade; whisk to combine. Pour marinade into large, resealable plastic bag; add steak and shake to coat. Refrigerate 3 hours-overnight.

Preheat broiler for 10 minutes. Remove steak from bag and place on greased broiler pan. Whisk together glaze ingredients; brush over one side of steak. Broil 6-7 minutes per side, until medium-rare; flip once and coat the reverse side with glaze. Let rest 5-10 minutes, then slice thinly on a bias.

Baked Chicken Taquitos

Canned chicken? You've got to be kidding me! Somehow, in this recipe, it just works (plus, it's 98% fat free). Try this lighter version of a fried classic as an appetizer or main dish.

1 (large) can chunk white chicken in water, drained 

½ cup green salsa (Try: World Table’s Salsa Verde)

10-12 corn tortillas

1/3 cup fat-free cheddar cheese, shredded

½ tsp. dry taco seasoning

Fat free sour cream for dipping (optional)

Taco sauce for dipping (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine chicken and salsa; mix thoroughly to combine, shredding chicken in the process. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain any excess liquid from chicken and stir in cheese and taco seasoning. Cover tortillas with a damp paper towel and microwave for 60-80 seconds, until pliable. Spoon about 2-3 T. of chicken mixture into the center of a tortilla. Spread chicken length-wise and roll into a tight cigar shape; secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Line rolled taquitos on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake 14-16 minutes, until tortillas are crispy. Serve with sour cream and/or taco sauce for dipping. 

*Recipe modified from Hungry Girl's Exploding Chicken Taquitos

S'Mores Bars

I have an addiction to a great new website called "Pinterest". Imagine a giant bulletin board, filled with pictures of all your favorite things, that you can share with your friends --- that is Pinterest. There are boards for design, travel, art, books, crafts, and my favorite: food. It is through Pinterest that I discovered this recipe and, once again, set out to try my hand at baking. The result was gooey deliciousness!

½ cup butter, softened

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/3 all-purpose flour

¾ cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

2 large chocolate bars (Hershey’s)

1 ½ cups marshmallow cream/fluff

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease square baking dish.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars with an electric mixer, until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt.  Gradually add to butter mixture, mixing on low speed until combined.

Press half of the dough mixture into the bottom of the greased dish. Place chocolate bars, in a single layer, over dough. (The bars may fit nicely side by side, but if not, break them apart to create an even single layer) Spread marshmallow cream over chocolate. Flatten remaining dough and lay over the top.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

*Recipe from Lovin' From the Oven

Honey-Lime Chicken

There are two things I love in the summer: grilling and citrus. The grilling is self-explanatory, but there's just something about the clean, fresh taste of citrus that cools me down. This lime-based chicken is great on it's own (paired with Cilantro-Lime Rice) or would make a fresh salad really pop! 

1-2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

Marinade:

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup fresh lime juice (2 limes), plus zest

2 T. honey

½ tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

In a large, resealable plastic bag combine all marinade ingredients; seal the bag and shake to combine. Add the chicken to the bag; shake to coat and refrigerate overnight or at least 3 hours.

Preheat grill over medium heat. Grill chicken for 5-7 minutes per side, until cooked through. Serve with Cilantro-Lime Rice.

*Recipe from The Enchanted Cook

Cilantro-Lime Rice

We all have our favorite restaurant recipes. Since the Air Force has moved us to a rather restaurant-desolate city, it's been my goal to try to recreate some of our favorites. With the nearest Chipotle about 2 hours away, this dish is a great, healthier substitute for their delicious rice and makes a great side dish!

1 cup long-grain or Jasmine rice 

Juice of 1 lime

2 cups chicken broth or water

1 tsp. salt

3 T. fresh cilantro, minced

3 tsp. vegetable oil

In a medium pot, add rice, 1 tsp. oil, broth, and salt. Boil on high until most of the water evaporates. When the water just skims the top of the rice, reduce to low, cover, and simmer about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit an additional 5 minutes.

In a medium glass bowl, combine cilantro, lime juice, and remaining oil. Toss with rice until completely mixed.

*Recipe from Gina's Skinny Recipes 

Grilled Spicy Honey Chicken

I am always looking for new and different grilling recipes, especially since we got a monster new grill this spring! This chicken revisits my favorite flavor combo: sweet and savory.

1-2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

2 tsp. olive oil

Rub:

2 tsp garlic

2 tsp chili powder

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp smoked coriander

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp cayenne

Glaze:

½ cup honey

1 T cider vinegar

Combine all spices for rub and mix together well.

Trim chicken and pat dry; rub oil to coat chicken. Using your hands, coat chicken with spice rub on all sides. Grill chicken over medium heat, about 5-7 minutes per side, until cooked through.

While chicken is grilling, warm honey in the microwave for 15-20 seconds; add the vinegar and stir well to combine. Reserve 2 T. of the glaze for serving. Use the remaining glaze to brush onto chicken in the final minutes of grilling. Serve with reserved glaze.

*Inspired by The Girl Who Ate Everything

Beefy Minestrone

Okay, okay...I know that your typical minestrone doesn't contain meat and therefore shouldn't be "beefy". But when you have a husband who thinks a meal is only a meal if it contains some sort of meat product, well, you have to make certain concessions. Therefore, this is the perfect recipe to use up last night's leftover steak or roast to make something flavorful, healthful, and delicious.

½ onion, chopped 

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, chopped

10-15 baby carrots, chopped

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. basil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 can (14-oz) diced tomatoes (with Italian herbs)

1 can (14-oz) crushed tomatoes

1 can (15-oz) dark red kidney beans

½ cup red wine

6 cups chicken broth

1 cup lean steak, diced

1 cup pasta (egg noodles, elbow macaroni, shells – all work well)

In a large crockpot, combine all ingredients except pasta. Cook on low 5-7 hours. Add pasta for the last 10-15 minutes of cook time, until noodles are tender but not overcooked.