Savory Peach Chicken

This weekend's 50+ degree weather has KK and I ready for spring! KK added this peach-chicken meal to the menu as soon as we turned off the thermostat and opened the windows for some fresh air! Although it's a tad too early for peach season, we still managed to find a decent selection at the store this weekend. Success!

When we first tried this meal, I was highly skeptical of mixing fruit with chicken.  Boy, was I wrong! The slightly-softened peaches are amazing, and the sauce has a hint of sweetness but isn't too overwhelming.  When it comes to incorporating fruit with dinner entrees, this recipe pushed me over the edge, and now I'll willing to try anything.  One day I'll post the mouthwatering recipes I have for Rosemary Chicken & Wild Rice, and Toasted Pecan Chicken, both of which require orange marmalade.  The recipe I have for Sausage, Grape & Pasta Skillet is also pretty tasty! Still so many recipes to blog about! Do you have any dinner recipes that require fruit?

Savory Peach Chicken
Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients
2/3 to 1 cup uncooked brown rice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 peaches, sliced thin
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lb chicken breasts, pounded to uniform thickness
salt & pepper
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, grated

Directions 
1. Prepare rice according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, combine brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, orange juice, chicken broth, and sliced peaches in a bowl. Set aside.

3. Preheat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt & pepper, then place in the hot skillet. Cook until golden brown on one side, then flip and repeat on the other side, 4 minutes in total. Chicken will not be cooked through. Plate and set aside.

4. Add ginger and garlic to the hot pan and stir constantly for 10 seconds. Immediately  add the sauce/peach mixture to the pan, and increase heat to high. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring once or twice, until sauce has thickened and peaches start to become soft.

5. With the sauce still in the skillet, nestle chicken between the peaches, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.  Serve on top of brown rice.

Pesto Orecchiette With Chicken Sausage

Confession: I didn't use orecchiette, but I guess that's pretty obvious from my pictures :) I read somewhere that orecchiette is best suited for vegetable sauces, probably because the veggies get stuck in the little pasta bowls.  I would normally use orecchiette, but we didn't have enough on hand, so I substituted with Farfalle.  It all tastes the same to me!

This was a nice change from the traditional pasta with red sauce.  The combination of chicken sausage, Parmesan, and pesto makes for a flavorful dish.  In the absence of an Electrolux stove which apparently boils water in 90 seconds (is that actually possible?), this dish comes together quickly once you get the water boiling. I found that 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water was enough to keep the pasta from sticking. As usual, I think adding a couple dashes of crushed red pepper brings the dish up a few notches!

Pesto Orecchiette With Chicken Sausage

Adapted from Real Simple

Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

12  ounces orecchiette, or any pasta

1/2  pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2  cups frozen peas

1 tablespoon  olive oil

8 ounces chicken sausage, thinly sliced

1/3 cup pesto

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, adding the green beans and peas during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water; drain the pasta and vegetables and return them to the pot.

2. Once the pasta water boils, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes.

3. Add the sausage, pesto, Parmesan, and ½ cup of the reserved cooking water to the pasta and vegetables and toss to combine (add more cooking water if the pasta seems dry). 

Lighter General Tso's Chicken

To recover from the hectic week and prepare ourselves for losing an hour of sleep, KK and I had a low-key weekend.  That being said, I still went to a friend's birthday brunch at 10th & Willow, and for a run along Hoboken's waterfront.  We dusted off some recipe favorites as well - Tofu Pad Thai on Friday, Pizza Spaghetti paried with a Wine Garage Pinot Noir on Saturday, and this lighter version of General Tso's chicken on Sunday.  My good friend Stephanie was promoting the blog to her friends (thanks!!), and raving about this dish.  Since it wasn't on the blog, KK quickly added the old favorite to the dinner rotation.  Luckily, it was just as good as I remembered.  Bon appetit! 

Lighter General Tso's Chicken
Adapted from Proceed with Caution
Serves 4
Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
1 cup long-grain brown rice
1/4 cup cornstarch, divided
1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, peeled and grated
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 large egg whites
salt & pepper
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions
1. Cook rice according to package instructions.

2. In medium bowl, whisk together egg whites, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken, and toss to coat.

3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons oil over medium-high.  Shake off excess egg-white mixture, add chicken to skillet. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/2 cup cold water until smooth. Add sugar snap peas, garlic, ginger, sugar, soy sauce, and red-pepper flakes; toss to combine.

5. Add sugar snap pea mixture to skillet. Cover; cook until sugar snap peas are tender and sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet (with any juices); toss to coat. Serve with rice.

Chicken and Cheese Taquitos

I cook a lot of Italian food, so based on the number of posts categorized under Italian, one might assume it's my favorite cuisine.  However, if push came to shove, I don't know if I'd be able to choose between Italian and Mexican.  Despite my attempts to be health-conscious, I can never say no to anything smothered in cheese and salsa (or marinara sauce)! My two favorite restaurants in Hoboken are Charrito's and Cafe Michelina.  Stay tuned for some restaurant reviews next time KK and I go out for dinner. 

I've had several late night at work over the past few weeks, and this week was no different.  Yesterday, to reward myself for all of the hard work,  I decided to grab a beer at happy hour with some coworkers.  We ended up staying longer than I originally planned, and I got home at the same time as KK.  Since it was already late and I was starving, my immediate vote was for carryout, but KK insisted that this meal would be quick and easy.  He was, as usual, correct.

As the oven preheated, I quickly cooked up the chicken in a skillet, and mixed together the rest of the filling ingredients.  Roll-up assembly was speedy, and these things were in and out of the oven in what felt like a matter of minutes! I chose to top mine with extra salsa, while KK chose sour cream.  Either works!

Chicken and Cheese Taquitos

Adapted from Baked Bree

Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 lb chicken, chopped

2 Tablesoons extra virgin olive oil

8 oz block cream cheese, room temperature

1 can enchilada sauce

2 Tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

salt and pepper

2 cloves minced garlic

1 small onion, chopped

1-2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

1 large package flour tortillas

sour cream, optional

salsa, optional

Directions

1. In a skillet, heat olive oil and prepare the chicken until cooked through.

2. In a large bowl, mash together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, lime juice, spices, garlic, and onion. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add the cheese and shredded chicken.

4. Warm up your tortillas so that they are more pliable. Put a few Tablespoons of the filling in the tortilla and roll up.

5. Line a baking sheet with tin foil, spray it with cooking spray. Place the taquitos seam side down. Spray the top with cooking spray. Top with remaining enchilada sauce.

6. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until the tortillas are brown and crispy.  

7. Top with sour cream and/or salsa as desired.

Spicy Tomato & Turkey Soup with Stelline

With a mid-March snow storm forecasted for Wednesday/Thursday in the mid-east, soup seemed like the perfect dinner choice.  

I used Target store brand marinara sauce for the soup and, although I'd never tried it before, it worked just fine.  For the pasta, I used Stelline.  You can hardly see the tiny star-shaped pasta in my picture, but I swear there's pasta in there! We had half a box in the pantry (not sure where it came from though!), but even with doubling the pasta quantity, we're still left with about a cup left.  Luckily this soup was so good, it'll likely make it's way into the dinner rotation again soon.

Spicy Tomato & Turkey Soup with Stelline
Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats
Serves 4-6
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
10 baby carrots, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1lb ground turkey breast
salt & pepper
1 jar marinara sauce (23-28oz)
5 cups chicken broth
1 can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup Stelline, or other small pasta

Directions
1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add in carrots, onion, garlic and turkey breast, and season with salt & pepper. Cook until turkey is no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks.

2. Pour in marinara sauce, chicken broth, beans, red chili pepper flakes and Italian seasoning. Cover and bring to a boil.

3. Once broth is boiling, add in pasta and simmer soup for 10 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Add more salt & pepper if necessary, and ladle into bowls to serve.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

What Monday is complete without a trip to the DMV? I spent over an hour at the DMV this afternoon, and then wasn't even allowed to smile in my new picture! When did they make that a rule? I have a huge smile on my face in my first NJ license! Nevertheless, despite my mumbled complaints, I'm one step closer to making my "Mrs." status official! Next step - passport.

Any-who... you didn't come hear to read about the DMV. Let's talk about food! I have quite the list of cooking blogs on my Google Reader, but it's always nice to find new recipes and ideas on Pinterest.  This Parmesan Crusted Chicken was incredibly easy.  The most time-consuming step was preheating the oven up to 425 degrees.  I didn't have any regular mayo in the fridge, so I used Kraft Mayo with Olive Oli & Cracked Pepper (reduced fat!). Yum.  To complete the meal, I served the chicken with Knorrs Herb & Butter ride sides and a salad.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Adapted from The Enchanted Cook
Serves 2
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets
4 teaspoons Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
salt & pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven 425 degrees F.

2. Mix mayo and cheese together in a small bowl. 

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.  Lay chicken breasts on baking sheet and spread mayo mixture evenly atop each.  Evenly sprinkle bread crumbs on top of each chicken breast.

4. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly and juices run clear. Tops will be browned and chicken will be incredibly juicy. Consider finishing off the chicken under the broiler for a minute or two to get them extra browned on top.  If desired, season with a dash of salt and pepper.

Creamy Italian Chicken Skillet

With all of my Parade Day write-ups, I have a backlog of posts! We had a semi-lazy Sunday, but also did some serious cleaning.  I also found time to make Cream Cheese & Potato Soup for lunch.  After mopping the floors, cleaning the kitchen, and folding several loads of laundry, it was finally dinner time!

The original recipe called for Lawry’s Garlic Herb Marinade, but I found a Target brand that worked just fine!  Since we have 1/2 the bottle left (and because dinner was good!), KK informed me that Creamy Italian Chicken Skillet will be on the menu again soon.  I'm ok with that.  I'll probably use 12 ounces of pasta next time (updated in ingredients below); tonight's dish was a little on the saucy side, so adding more pasta should fix that.  Also, we'll try using evaporated milk like Iowa Girl Eats did; we had a can on hand for this evening, but already had a pint of heavy cream open in the fridge.  If you haven't already figured it out - KK likes to make sure nothing goes to waste, so using the open heavy cream was a must this weekend!

Creamy Italian Chicken Skillet
Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats
Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 2-4

Marinade Ingredients
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/2 bottle garlic herb marinade
2 tablespoons pesto

Skillet Ingredients 
12 oz. pasta (penne, fusilli, etc.)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 small onion, minced
salt & pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
8 oz tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon flour
4 teaspoons pesto
crushed red pepper, to taste

Directions
1. Combine marinade and pesto in a large Ziploc bag then add chicken and squish to coat. Marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.

2.  When you're ready to start cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil then season with salt and add pasta. Cook until al dente then drain and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, saute marinated chicken in a large skillet sprayed well with non-stick spray over medium heat for about 10 minutes until cooked through. Plate cooked chicken, and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.  Set aside. Carefully wipe out skillet with a paper towel. 

4. Still over medium heat, add oil to the same skillet, then add onions and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 3-4 minutes, or until tender, then add garlic and saute, stirring constantly, for 30 more seconds. 

5. Carefully add chicken broth then let simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. 

6. Add tomato sauce and heavy cream; whisk in flour and pesto. Simmer until thick and bubbly, about 5 minutes.  Add cooked pasta and chicken, then toss to combine. To add more seasoning to the dish, top with crushed red pepper.