Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Sage & bacon wrapped chicken tenders.

by Filed Under: Chicken 2 Comments

Oh these are always so well received when I make them.  I couldn’t resist because my sage is growing like mad and I need to start using it.  Perfect quick dinner idea. We served it with grilled zucchini and a garden salad.

This recipe doesn’t require a lot of information.  Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Get a 13×9 in pan ready for the chicken.  I took as much chicken as I needed to feed my family, rinsed it and patted it dry.  Seasoned with salt and pepper.  Holding the chicken breast or tender flat, lay several (3-4) sage leaves on the top of chicken and then carefully wrap one slice of bacon around it (keeping the sage in place).  Then transport it to the baking dish.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked throughout and the juices run clear.  Remove from the oven and tent with foil for about 6 minutes to let it rest.  Then plate and serve.  Makes a great appetizer or dinner 🙂

 

 

 

— Knead to Cook

Curried ginger chicken in the crock pot.

by Filed Under: Chicken, Condiments, Crock Pot 5 Comments

This recipe has simply come from necessity.  Tonight my daughter has a show at school and today was filled with running tons of errands for a rather large gathering we’re hosting Saturday evening.  This dish is quite aromatic.

For the chicken dish ~ Ingredients:

1/2 c of tomato sauce
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1.5 tbl of curry powder
2 tbl of freshly grated ginger
1-2 tsp of cumin (I added more but I just love it)
3/4 c of water
1 onion, medium sized, diced
Chicken breast – I was using tenders so I did 10 total (you can use breasts – 4 to 6 would work well)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp of freshly ground pepper

Directions:

In your crock pot on high (to cook in 4 hours) or low (6-8 hour cooking time) – add the first 6 ingredients. Whisk to combine.  Then add the onions to the mixture.  Combine.  Top with your chicken, salt and pepper.  Cover and cook.

For the sauce:
1 c of Chobani non fat plain yogurt
Juice from one lime
3 cloves of garlic
3/4 c of fresh mint leaves
1/4 tsp of cayenne
1 tsp of cumin
1/2 tsp of smoked paprika
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Blend together with your hand immersion blender or regular blender.  Place a dollop over the chicken dish and serve.  Garnish with mint leaves.

— Knead to Cook

Fresh grilled chicken with oranges, avocados over a bed of Napa cabbage with a peanut sesame lime dressing.

by Filed Under: Chicken, Salads Leave a Comment

Light & refreshing is exactly what we all needed tonight.  Kids just got home from a killer swim practice and I needed something easy (busy day) and something light that wouldn’t weigh me down.  This was perfect 🙂

Ingredients for the salad:

1 head of Napa cabbage, shredded finely
4-5 chicken breasts (enough to serve your family)
4 oranges, peeled and sliced
1 jalapeño, diced with seeds removed
1/4 of a red onion, finely chopped
1/4 c of cilantro leaves, washed and rough chopped
2 tbl fresh lime juice
2 avocados, pitted and diced
1 tbl of sesame seeds (garnish)

Directions for the salad:

In a large bowl mix the Napa cabbage, oranges, jalapeño, red onion, and cilantro.  Set aside.  In a small separate bowl, add the avocado and lime juice.  Toss to coat and set aside.

Grill up your chicken  and then let rest for a few minutes.  Then chop into bite sized pieces.  Add to the salad.

Ingredients for dressing:

1.5 tbl of peanut butter
3 tbl of fresh lime juice
1 tbl seasoned rice vinegar
1.5 tbl of low sodium soy sauce
1.5 tbl light brown sugar
2/3 c of canola oil
1 tbl sesame oil
1/8 tsp of salt

Directions:

Put all of the ingredients into a tupperware container or container with a lid.  Shake to combine and then add to the salad.  Toss well.

Finally, add the avocado/lime juice to the salad.  Toss one final time and then garnish with some toasted sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

 

— Knead to Cook

Rosemary Citrus Roasted Chicken.

by Filed Under: Chicken Leave a Comment

This is a favorite Sunday dinner.  It was even better because we discovered a large rosemary bush in our garden that survived this extremely mild winter we had so we were inspired!  Meyer lemons, oranges and rosemary infuse this chicken with great flavor & paired up with organic peas & sweet potatoes ~ it was just delicious!

Ingredients:
1 whole organic chicken, about 4-5 lbs. – washed, giblets removed and patted dry
2 huge sprigs of rosemary
1 orange, zested, peeled and quartered
1 Meyer lemon, zested, peeled and quartered
Juice of one Meyer lemon (regular lemons are perfect too)
Juice of one orange
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tbl olive oil
1 tbl sea salt
1 tbl freshly ground pepper
1 tsp of paprika (dust over the top of the chicken)

Directions:

In a food processor, combine rosemary, zests, juices and garlic. Pulse a few times until it looks more like a watery paste.  Drizzle in the olive oil and then add salt and pepper.

Rub the marinade over and under the skin of the chicken & in the cavity.  Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.  Before cooking, we also placed a few sprigs of rosemary on the chicken as well.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken, breast side up, in your roasting pan.  Cook until the temperature reaches 160 degrees and juices run clear.

— Knead to Cook

Chicken tortilla topped with fresh guac.

by Filed Under: Chicken, Mexican Leave a Comment

Okay I admit it… I cannot keep up with these National food days!  I just found out tomorrow is National Tortilla Day.  Oh well… finally I’m a day early for something 😉

This recipe is very forgiving and super easy.  It was our last night of swim practice for my youngest, my oldest was babysitting, hubby was running late so I prepared this and everyone built their meal when they got home.  If this sounds familiar, then this is the recipe for you!

First, I started out by making the guac.  Toss the following into a bowl:

1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 jalapeño, finely diced
1 can of low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 c of chopped cilantro
1/3 c of corn kernels
3-4 avocados, pitted and chopped
2 tbl of fresh lime juice
2 tsp of ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix well and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 350.  Spray your cookie sheet with olive oil and place two whole wheat tortillas on it.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until toasted.  Remove and place on a plate.  This is the base layer for your dinner.

Grill your chicken either on a gas or coal grill or on your stove top.  Slice into bite-sized pieces.  Top each tortilla on your plate with several pieces of chicken. Then top with the guac.  Serve and enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

Asian Sesame Chicken Salad.

by Filed Under: Chicken, Salads Leave a Comment

Fusion at it’s finest.  This salad is so easy to make and I used leftover chicken from my roaster that I made on Sunday.  This can easily be made vegetarian as well by omitting the chicken.  I hope you enjoy this one 🙂

Ingredients:
1 head of Napa cabbage
1/2 head of red cabbage
1/2 tsp of sugar
2 c of shredded chicken
1 c of cilantro leaves
1 can of mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 c of slivered almonds, toasted
2 tbl of sesame seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
Asian noodles to garnish (optional)

Directions:

Slice the cabbages in half and core.  Slice into thin strips.  Add to your salad bowl.  Toss with sugar.  Add the shredded chicken, cilantro, mandarin oranges, almonds, sesame seeds, salt and pepper and noodles, if you are using them.

Vinaigrette:

1 tbsp of dijon mustard
1/2 tsp of low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp of rice wine vinegar
1/2 tbsp of sesame oil
1/4 c of canola oil or peanut oil
1 tsp of sugar

Combine them all in a jar with a lid or tupperware container and shake until blended.  Top the salad and enjoy.

 

 

— Knead to Cook

Roasted garlic & lemon herb chicken.

by Filed Under: Chicken Leave a Comment

 

The quintessential Sunday dinner.  And that is exactly what this was for us today.  I served this beautiful bird with baked sweet potatoes and fresh asparagus.

Ingredients:

3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tbl of olive oil
1 tsp of rosemary
1 tsp of thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, sliced in half

Blend in your food processor until it resembles a paste.  Rub onto a washed and dried chicken roaster.  Squeeze both halves of the lemon on top of the chicken.  Then place the lemon halves in the cavity.  Fill the bottom of your roasting pan with 1 c of tap water.  I normally cover my chicken with foil until the final hour of cooking.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place the chicken in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees.  Depending on the size of the chicken, this can take 2-3 hours.  Once it reaches the internal temperature of 180, remove and tent with foil for 10 minutes to let the juices return back to the meat.  Afterwards, carve and enjoy!

 

— Knead to Cook

Chicken noodle soup.

by Filed Under: Chicken, Soups 2 Comments

My teenage daughter is sick & requested chicken noodle soup.  I was all over it because I haven’t made it in so long – it’s just one of those comforting foods that you can’t wait to eat.  I also made some baguettes to accompany the soup and it was just what she needed.  Warms your from the inside out.   And perfect on a cold winter day.

Ingredients:

2-3 pound roaster chicken
2.5 quarts of water
3.5 tsp of salt
3 tsp of chicken bouillion or granules
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pepper to taste
1/4 tsp of marjoram
1/2 tsp of rosemary
1 bay leaf
1/2 lemon, juice
6 carrots, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
Whatever pasta you would like to use – cook according to package directions.

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, place the chicken roaster.  I cook this for about 2 hours and then remove.  I debone the chicken and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.  I skim any fat that has risen to the surface and then return the chicken back to the broth as well as every other ingredient except for the pasta.  I cook the pasta separately and store it that way as well.   Before serving, remove the bay leaf and sample to ensure the seasoning blend is correct.  Adjust according to your taste.

Enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

Tortilla soup.

by Filed Under: Chicken, Mexican, Snacks 1 Comment

After a very long day, hard workout and still some remaining jet lag… this soup was  exactly what I needed.  The fresh lime juice in this soup just brightens up the flavors, as citrus typically does to a dish.  Undeniably yummy.

Ingredients:

8 c of chicken broth
1 lb of boneless chicken breasts
1 onion, diced
2 zucchinis, diced
1 jalapeño, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tbl of dried oregano
1 tbl of cumin
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 c of frozen corn kernels
2 limes, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:
1 avocado
1 lime, cut into wedges
Fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

Over a medium flame, add the chicken broth to your Dutch oven.  Bring to a boil and then add the chicken.  Simmer for 20-25 minutes.  Then remove the chicken and shred with two forks and set aside.  To the broth add, onion, zucchini, garlic, jalapeño,  bay leaf, oregano and cumin.   Bring to a boil again and let simmer for 5-7 minutes.

Then add the chicken back to the pot along with tomatoes, corn and lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper.  Boil for about 10 minutes.  Then divide into bowls and garnish.

— Knead to Cook

Slow Cooker French Tarragon Chicken.

by Filed Under: Chicken 1 Comment

This is a classic French chicken dish.  We actually had something quite similar when we were in France several years ago and this recipe was inspired from that dish. This recipe is so easy and honestly fabulous.  Another positive… you can pop it in the slow cooker and enjoy it when you’re ready.

1 c of all purpose flour
1 tsp of salt
1 lb of chicken (I used breasts)
2 tbl of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter
2 tbl olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 c of white wine
1 c of chicken stock
6-8 sprigs of tarragon

Combine the flour and salt in a ziploc baggie.  Add the chicken and shake to cover.  Meanwhile, heat you sauté pan over medium heat with the butter and olive oil.  Add chicken to brown on each side for a total of 10 minutes.  Transfer to a plate with paper towel to drain. Then place on the bottom of the slow cooker.

Set the sauté pan over medium to high heat and add the onion and 2 tbl of flour.  Saute, stirring, for about 10 minutes or until browned.  Add the white wine.  Deglaze the pan by scraping up the brown bits.  Add the stock and cook for 15 minutes.  The sauce should be fairly thick.   Pour the sauce over the chicken and add lay the sprigs of tarragon on top.  Cover and cook on low for 3-5 hours.

 

 

 

— Knead to Cook