Good Old Fashioned BBQ SECRET Sauce

I recently discovered this awesome BBQ sauce over labor day, thanks to my monther-in-law, or as I prefer to call her, MOG (Mother of the Groom!) I went nuts over it and called her once I got back home to get the recipe! It's so easy, but so great! I just want to make this stuff in bulk and store it somehow. That really isn't necessary, but you get the idea!

Put it on chicken, sausage, you name it! You'll love it! I promise :) We did chicken this week!

Ingredients:

1 small onion chopped

1/4 cup oil

1 cup ketchup

2 T mustart

2 T worcestire

2 T sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:

Saute your onion in the oil until soft.

Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.

After letting this cool about 10 minutes, I dumped it all over our chicken breasts. You could refrigerate it for later use if you want!

Just a quick shot of these bbq beauties on the grill

Is your mouth watering yet?

Enjoy these :) Thanks Moet for this awesome recipe. Not sure mine was as good as yours but i tried!

Chicken Dinner in a Foil Packet .... MEDITERANNEAN style!

So this is a tasty chicken recipe! It can go on the grill, or be popped in to the oven :) I found it on the Food Network and it was a keeper! The ingredient list may look extensive, but it's pretty cheap, and i had the majority of ingredients on hand! Here we go :)

 

 

Ingredients

• 4 (6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I only did 3)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 cup thinly sliced yellow onions (1 whole onion)
• 1 cup drained and chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (I used the non-oil packed)
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespooons chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

See? Nothing tricky in that list! Now comes the fun part!

Directions

1. Prepare a grill, or preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.


2. Prepare 4 sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil- obviously 3 if you do less chicken. Make the foil sheets pretty large- they will be STUFFED! Fold in half crosswise to crease, then unfold. Divide the spinach among the 4 foil sheets, placing it in the center of the bottom half.


3. Lightly coat both sides of each chicken breast with oil, then season with the Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. Place one chicken fillet in the center of each spinach portion.

4. In a medium bowl, combine the onions, tomatoes, olives, garlic, wine, basil, thyme, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and stir to combine. Pile the tomato mixture on top of each chicken breast, spreading to cover evenly and allow any liquid to puddle around the chicken.

5. Top each portion with 1 ounce of cheese.

6. One at a time, fold the top of the foil over the chicken, and starting at the corner, fold the edges of foil over to tightly seal, each fold overlapping the previous one.

7. Place on the grill, or if using the oven, place the packets on a baking sheet and bake until the packages puff and the chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. You may want to use a meat thermometer as cooking times will vary upon heat and coking method!

8. Remove from the grill or oven, and cut the tops of the packets open with a small, sharp knife. Serve immediately either in the foil packets, or by removing the chicken, toppings and sauce to dinner plates.

Enjoy :) These were so yummy and so flavorful! Like the title says, chicken dinner in one packet! Try this!

A Taste of India Tandoori Chicken with Yogurt Slaw

I know the majority of you will look at that title and think I've gone out on a limb with the Indian cuisine, and that's okay. But, this is TAME. I've had some heavily influenced Indian meals, and this was not one of them. This is just a TASTE of Indian spice with turmeric and ginger (staple spices of Indian cuisine!)

I hope you'll try this! It's so easy, so healthy, and as always, so delicious. Don't skip out on the yogurt slaw!

Easy Shopping List:

1 cup plain low-fat yogurt

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Coarse salt and ground pepper

4 bone-in, skinless chicken breasts halves (10 to 12 ounces each)

2 Granny Smith apples

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

(Rice: Optional)

For your chicken:

1. Preheat oven to 475°. In a large bowl, mix together 1/2 cup yogurt, garlic, turmeric, ginger, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken; toss until well coated.
2. Transfer chicken to baking dish and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast (avoiding bone) registers 160° , 25 to 30 minutes. Mine was done at 30 minutes
3. Meanwhile, peel apple; coarsely grate into a medium bowl. Add cilantro and remaining 1/2 cup yogurt; season with salt and pepper. Serve sauce alongside chicken, with rice, if desired!

Loved this yogurt sauce! We put it right on top  of our chicken, but you could just dip if you prefer!!

Enjoy :)

Super Simple Summer Chicken Salad!

This recipe was inspired by my lack of diversity in my lunch menu. Everyday I take the SAME lunch to work and it gets depressing by mid-week. I initiated the change at the grocery store by deciding I WOULD attempt to make a healthy chicken salad to put on a sandwich or on top of lettuce! I'd call it a success, but, see for yourself! I actually should say, TRY for yourself, because, my picture doesn't really do it justice!

Its healthy OF COURSE. Minimal mayo! Maximized on the benefits of Greek Yogurt which has multiple health benefits (and lots of protein!)

Here you go:

• 2 cups of cooked chicken (shredded or cubed)
• 1 T light mayonaise
• 1/4 cup Greek Yogurt (I use reduced fat)
• 1/2 cup finely diced celery
• 1/3 cup finely diced granny smith apple
• About 20 red grapes sliced in half
• 1 tsp lemon rind
• 1-2 T lemon juice
• 1 T honey
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• Fresh tarragon (can use dried)
• Fresh basil (can use dried)
• Fresh parsley (can use dried)
• You could add almonds (I forgot)
• You could add about 1/4 tsp of ground corriander 

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well! If there are other ingredients you would like to add, just go for it! Like i said, almonds would work great, maybe some finely diced onion!

Another option would be to send it through a food processor for a smooth consistency. If you do this, save the grapes and apples for last. You will want them whole :)

Enjoy :) I know I enjoyed a new lunch!

Healthy Chicken of the Greek!

So this is an easy GO TO recipe I got out of a Weight Watchers Magazine awhile back. It's pretty darn good. Very healthy. Very low calorie. Very delicious, as always! Is your mouth watering from the looks of this picture yet?

Ingredients:

-4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

-14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, UNDRAINED

-1/4 cup pitted kalamatta olives, sliced (or black olives if you prefer!)

-1 T minced garlic

- 1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup crumbled reduced fat feta cheese (I use ATHENOS)

Methond:

1. Coat large skillet and chicken with cooking spray. Place chicken in the pan and cook on each side until well browned.

2. Reduce heat to medium; add tomatoes, olives, garlic, and pepper. Cover and cook 11 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove from heat and sprinkle with feta cheese.

3. Serve. I prefer to serve it over fresh pasta, but, you can do whatever you'd like!

I also whipped up some baked green beans which were SO delicious. If you want the recipe, you better post comments to get it :) ENJOY!!!

Mediterranean Chicken Roll Ups - OMY!

OMY stands for Oh My Yum! These were outstanding. Such great flavor combination! Nick called it a keeper. I already stored it in my recipe favorites. You'll want to try this out!

You will have many options when it comes to the chicken. If the thin sliced cutlets are on sale, buy them. If its the chicken breast or chicken breast halves on sale, buy them. You can make this work either way! I wish you could see the stuffing inside, but I couldn't get a good enough picture once I cut into the chicken!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shredded skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup reduced fat crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped finely (and pitted if necessary!)

1 T of capers (I did 2 or more!)

1/2 cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes

(Combine all of these ingredients in a bowl and mix together)

4 boneless chicken breast halves (Or about 1 lb of thin sliced cutlets)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 can Italian diced tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350.

*If using breasts, slit them deep and stuff evenly with mixture

*If using cutlets (as I did)- place a little stuffing in and roll them up.

 Place chicken (seam-side down if roll-ups) in a greased/sprayed baking dish.

 I had extra "stuffing" so I just sprinkled it on top of the chicken. Add a little salt and pepper.

Mix together balsamic vinegar and tomatoes and pour over the chicken.

Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Enjoy. This was so good. We will be repeating :)

Easy and healthy Chili-and-Basil Chicken Noodle Stir Fry ... Fast Food!

I'm so sorry I've left you guys stranded for a good week or so. Moving into a house and working a lot of overtime has made posting on the blog quite a challenge. Not to mention the week we went without internet! BUT I'M BACK! And I promise I have some gems to share with you!

Chili-and-Basil Chicken Noodle Stir Fry

This was delicious, and right out of a Weight Watchers magazine! Very affordable, very quick, and very yummy! Fast food Chinese :) You'll love it!

1 pound boned, skinned chicken breast thinly sliced

6 oz Soba Noodles (Ramen Noodles will work)- uncrumbled/uncooked
3 T Soy Sauce

2 T fresh Lime Juice
1 T Chili Garlic Sauce
1/4 cup low sodium Chicken Broth (plus 1 Tablespoon)
1 tsp cornstarch
1 T Olive Oil or Canola Oil
3 Green Onions sliced

1/3 cup fresh small basil leaves (or chopped basil)


1. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting any salt/oil/butter/seasoning packet.

2. While pasta cooks, combine soy sauce, lime juice, chili garlic sauce, and tablespoon of chicken broth.  Combine chicken with 2 Tablespoons of the soy sauce mixture.

3. Add remaining chicken broth and cornstarch to remaining soy sauce mixture. Set aside

4. Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook about 5 minutes until done. Stir frequently. Add noodles and soy sauce mixture; cook about 1 minute or until sauce thickens. Top with green onions and basil. Serve immediately.

Enjoy :) This was just too easy and too good- don't pass it up!

One Pot Paprika Chicken with Potatoes ... It's yum!

This meal was pretty darn good if I can brag on my own cooking a little bit :) I used my kitchen aid attachment to make the potatoes SUPER thin, but, you can slice them if all you've got is a knife! The best part about this meal? One pot clean up!

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

1 pound of potatoes, thinly sliced (I used Yukon Gold)

3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided

1 T paprika

2 T Olive Oil

1 t dried thyme

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 red or green bell pepper, diced

1 yellow or white onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

In a small bowl, combine paprika, salt, 1 T of the oil, pepper, and thyme. Rub mixture over the chicken and set aside while you prep the potatoes.

In a large bowl, combine 1/4 tsp salt, potatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and 1 T of the oil.

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the potato mixture. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add your chicken broth.

Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer about 5 minutes. Remove the lid, nestle the chicken into the potatoes, cover, and cook about 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.

This serves 2, and is absolutely perfect for a weeknight 30 minute meal!

Enjoy :) 

Jamaica me CRAZY Jerk Chicken with Cilantro Lime Rice!

With this gorgeous weather we've been having, as well as everyone else being on Spring Break, I found myself in the mood for a Caribbean meal! If you can't take a vacation, at least eat like you're on one! And thats what we did tonight! I found this jerk chicken recipe on Crepes of Wrath. The rice was fantastic. It thickened up almost to the consistency of a risotto which was just divine. Plus, the little dash of sugar makes this rice absolutely divine. Don't miss out on this meal!

Jerk Chicken:

*This list looks lengthy, but you most likely have ALL of these spices on hand and don't even realize it!*

About 1 pound of chicken (I used thinly sliced cutlets to cook faster)

3 T EVOO

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup Orange Juice

2 T low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup + 2 T white wine vinegar (or rice wine)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 heaping tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 heaping tsp ground cinnamon

3 tsp dried thyme

3/4 tsp ground sage

1 clove of garlic, minced

3 tsp allspice

3/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 small white or yellow onion, minced

1 habenero chile pepper, minced (These are in the produce section near jalepenos!)

Here's how easy this really is:

1. Combine all spices in a medium sized bowl. Add liquid ingredients and mix together.

2. Add in the onions and habenero to the bowl and stir again. You don't need the next picture, but I was very proud of my mincing, so you must see it! Also, if you can find a habenero chile pepper that is red, go for that! I could only find green!

Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade to brush over chicken as it cooks.

3. Pound chicken thin, making each piece and even thickness to keep cooking time consistent.

4.Put chicken in a large ziplock bag and pour all but the 1/4 cup of marinade over it. Let it marinate at least 3 hours, or overnight. (I did 3 hours, and it was just fine!)

5. Heat your grill to medium-high. I had to use an indoor grill. You could use your broiler in your oven as well. If using a grill, cook about 3 minutes per side over direct heat, and then 5 minutes on indirect heat or until cooked through.

6. Brush chicken with marinade as it cooks.

*Optional: Don't discard remaining marinade and place in a small skillet. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is ready. Spoon over the chicken for additional jerk flavor!*

Cilantro Rice:

1 cup brown rice (or any kind you prefer)

1 cup water

1- 15 oz can chicken broth

1 tsp lime juice + 1 T lime juice, divided

1 tsp EVOO

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp sugar

3 T cilantro, chopped

All you do is combine rice, water, chicken broth, 1 tsp lime juice, Olive Oil, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook about 40-45 minutes (white rice wouldn't take as long).

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together sugar, remaining tablespoon of lime juice, and cilantro. Once rice finishes cooking, stir mixture into rice as you fluff it.

Serve it up!

Enjoy! This is such a tasty dinner. I also made a little side salad and chopped some of the leftover cilantro right into the salad (props to my friend Amy for the suggestion!)

Spicy Chicken Schwarma

This was an extremely easy dinner. I was looking for something I could whip up that would be healthy, but most of all EASY after eating Easter dinners and desserts! We got back in town around 5 yesterday. We were home from the store by 6, and dinner was ready by about 6:30. Nick loved these. I LOVE the authentic ones that you'd find at Middle Eastern places, but this was a good makeshift version!

*Disclaimer: I could NOT photograph this in a way that made it look as appetizing/delicious as it was for us. I actually just split mine down the middle so you could kind of see the layers!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
5 tablespoons plain low-fat Greek-style yogurt, divided (or plain low-fat yogurt)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced (I honestly only used 2 breasts!)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tahini
4 (6-inch) pitas, halved
1/2 cup chopped cucumber (I didn't add cucumber, only because I forgot)
1/2 cup chopped plum tomato
1/4 cup prechopped red onion

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in 1 tablespoon yogurt, 1 tablespoon juice, and 2 garlic cloves. Add chicken; toss to coat. 

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture to pan; sauté 6 minutes or until browned and done, stirring frequently.
2. While chicken cooks, combine remaining 1/4 cup yogurt, remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, remaining 1 garlic clove, and tahini, stirring well. 

Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons tahini mixture inside each pita half; divide chicken evenly among pita halves. Fill each pita half with 1 tablespoon cucumber(if you have it), 1 tablespoon tomato, and 1 1/2 teaspoons onion.

Enjoy :) WE ABSOLUTELY LOVED THESE!

Almond Crusted Baked Chicken Tenders!

If you are craving an EASY go-to, healthy, classic dinner - this is it! These are SO good. Dip them in a little ketchup and you'll feel like you just stepped back into your childhood. The great thing about them is they are oven baked, NOT fried. And believe me, you won't miss that deep fried taste once you bite into these guys!

I got this recipe (a couple years ago actually) off of Eating Well's website. It has been a keeper from that day on! I would usually go with sweet potato fries - but we had leftover Orzo Salad from a small group event the night before, so it saved me from cooking one more thing. Don't pass these up!

Ingredients:

• Canola oil cooking spray
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (I accidentally left this out, and they turned out fine!)
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 pound chicken tenders (If you are serving more than 2, adjust accordingly)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 475. Line a baking sheet with foil, and then set a wire rack (like a cookie cooling rack) on the baking sheet and coat it with cooking spray.

2. Place almonds, flour, paprika, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt and pepper in a food processor; process until the almonds are finely chopped and the paprika is mixed throughout, about 1 minute. With the motor running, drizzle in oil; process until combined. Transfer the mixture to a plate or shallow dish. (Again, I didn't do the olive oil and all was fine.)

3. Whisk egg whites in a second shallow dish, or bowl. Add chicken tenders and turn to coat. Transfer each tender to the almond mixture; turn to coat evenly. Place the tenders on the prepared rack. Once all have been dipped and placed, coat the tops of them with cooking spray. Then flip them, and spray the other side.

4. Bake the chicken fingers until golden brown, crispy and no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.

Oh, enjoy these :) I know you will!

Authentic Chipotle Chicken Tacos

I found this recipe on another website, and kind of tweaked it to make it my own. Nick and I really enjoyed these tacos. We had found these AWESOME corn tortillas at Kroger (of all places). They were very soft and very tasty! You could put these on tortillas, hard tacos, or just serve it over lettuce and make a taco salad type dish. Either way you eat it, you'll enjoy it, guaranteed! I, of course, made the staple - SPANISH RICE. I'll give you the link to that later on!

Ingredients for Chicken Tacos:

2-2.5 pounds chicken (Boiled and shredded)

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, sliced thinly
5 garlic cloves, minced
3-5 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (I used 4- not too spicy)
28 ounces diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

Pico de Gallo
1 large red onion, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
3-4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 lime

Start by making the Pico de Gallo. You want to make this as far in advance as possible. The longer it sits, the better it gets. General rule for all pico de gallos/salsas/etc. I made mine probably 4 or 5 hours ahead of time. Just combine the red onion, tomatoes, cilantro, salt and pepper. Squeeze the wedge of lime over top and toss. Put in the fridge and forget about it!

Now, if you haven't already, boil your chicken, allow it to cool, and shred it up. This can be done ahead of time and can sit in the fridge as well. The sauce will reheat the chicken when you add it to the pot!

In a large pot, add your olive oil and cook onions and garlic until very soft. 

While they soften, in a food processor or blender, combine remaining ingredients. (Chipotle peppers, tomatoes, cumin, nutmeg, chicken broth.) Puree until smooth.

Pour the sauce into the pan with the onions once they are softened. Cook about 5 minutes, and then add the shredded chicken to the pot.

You'll want to cook this down until the majority of the sauce is absorbed by the meat and the dish is heated throughout (This does NOT take exceptionally long)

If you are interested in serving rice alongside, why don't you make some of my Spanish Rice

*Note: If using brown rice, it takes about 40ish minutes for rice to fully cook, so allow for that time. White rice won't take nearly as long*

Also, sprinkle some of that leftover cilantro from the pico de gallo over the rice before serving. YUM!

Ready to plate it up? Lay out your tacos and top with some meat

Give them each a hefty scoop of pico de gallo

Pass them around, and enjoy :) We loved them and will be making them again!