Chicken Alfredo Fakeout!

I remember one time when I went to Olive Garden one time and ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo. I probably won't EVER do that again. Come to think of it, I don't know if I really enjoyed the flavor of it all that much. It was very heavy, but the flavors didn't linger on my tongue like most rich and creamy sauces would. This creamy sauce coats the pasta so well, I'd say it may be better than Olive Garden's! (; This is my version of a light Chicken Alfredo that tastes, in my opinion, better than Olive Garden's!

Chicken Alfredo Fakeout!

Yields: 3 servings

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

12 oz boneless skinless chicken breast

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbsp. onion, finely chopped

2 c. chicken stock, sodium-free

1½ tbsp. butter, unsalted

1 oz. cream cheese, softened

½ c. all- purpose flour

½ tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp ground thyme

Between two pieces of plastic wrap, pound the chicken breast to approximately ½" thick. (I cut mine in half) In a shallow dish, combine the flour, pepper, salt, and thyme until blended. Coat the chicken thoroughly in the flour. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook on each side approximately 4 minutes, or until cooked through. Once fully cooked, remove from skillet and set aside. 

Add the butter, and using a wooden spoon, begin deglazing the pan with the melted butter. At this point, the butter should be brown and have a nutty fragrance. Add the onions and saute for 2 minutes, or until softened. 

Add the garlic and stir while cooking for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Next, add the flour to make the roux. Stir the flour and butter continuously until a golden brown color occurs.

 Add the milk and stir continuously. The mixture will begin to create lumps, this is normal.

 Add the chicken stock slowly, while continuing to stir.

 Allow to come to a boil and stir often. Once all the chicken stock is incorporated, remove from the heat and stir in the cream cheese.

 Stir for approximately 2 minutes, or until there are no lumps. Add the chicken back in and heat for about 4-5 minutes, just to warm through.

Serve over pasta and enjoy!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 3
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 219.7

• Total Fat: 10.1 g
• Cholesterol: 90.9 mg
• Sodium: 667.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 8.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.5 g
• Protein: 25.4 g

Honey Glazed Chicken!

     Okay. Unfortunately, I would call this...mediocre. The ONLY reason I'm posting it is for the sauce. The flavors don't permeate the chicken very well. Sounds cheesy, I know, but it's true. When I made this, I was hoping to create something that had a thick and delicious glaze on it, but it seemed to just sit in the sauce. 
     It needed help. Here's what I recommend: Make the sauce, it's fabulous on it's own. Once it's simmering, make yourself a slurry (2 tsp. of cornstarch and 2 tsp. of water in a small bowl). Add the slurry to the liquid-y sauce and bring it to a boil. It will thicken a bit and THEN, ONLY THEN, should it be put on the chicken. Don't waste your time basting it, for this recipe it does no good.
     By all means, I'm not saying this isn't tasty, but I don't think I did it justice by trying to cook the chicken in the sauce. But, hey, that's one of the reasons I have a passion for cooking- experimentation and creativity. (Not to mention, you and everyone else gets to enjoy the food!) 

Honey Glazed Chicken Breast
Yields: 2 servings

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
¼ c. honey
3 tbsp. dark brown sugar, packed
3 tbsp. vinegar
2 tsp. low sodium soy sauce
½ c. flour
1 tsp. ground thyme
1 tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. ground clove
½  tsp. allspice
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp.  extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400F. In a small saucepan, combine honey, brown sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium heat (small bubbles form at the outer edge of the pan). 

Once simmering, remove from heat and set aside. In a plastic bag, combine the flour, thyme, pepper, clove, and allspice. 

Coat the chicken in the mixture. 

In a small baking dish, combine the butter and oil. 

Add the chicken pieces; be sure to coat the floured chicken well with the butter and oil. 

Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from oven and pour the honey mixture over the chicken. 

Put the chicken back in the oven for 10-15 additional minutes, basting occasionally. 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 2
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 547.7

• Total Fat: 15.0 g
• Cholesterol: 145.5 mg
• Sodium: 801.9 mg
• Total Carbs: 59.4 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.8 g
• Protein: 48.5 g

Chicken Divan, or should I say, DIVINE!

     Chicken Divan is a classic creamy dish that will please even the pickiest of eaters. It is so rich, creamy, and comforting, they'll be asking for more! This dish originally uses a mornay or hollandaise sauce, which we all know are packed with calories and fat. Chicken Divan originated in New York in a diner in the 1950's named Divan Parisienne. Once they created this masterpiece, they simply named the dish after the restaurant  Instead of using egg yolks or heavy cream, I actually used skim milk. I'm not sure why people think you can't achieve the creaminess of these dishes without using heavy cream and other super fattening ingredients.

Chicken Divan

Yields: 4 servings

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast (see note)

½ tsp. salt

3 tbsp. oil

2 tbsp. butter

5 tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 c. chicken stock, sodium free

1 c. skim milk

½ tsp. ground thyme

½ tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. garlic powder

1½ c. broccoli florets

1 c. shredded cheese (see note)

¼  c. mayonnaise

2 tsp. prepared mustard

Preheat oven to 375F. Coat an 8"x8" baking dish with cooking spray. Place the chicken breast in a medium skillet. Add enough water to cover (or almost cover) the chicken. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently until the chicken is fully cooked (internal temperature of 165F). This should take about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and allow to rest for 5 minutes, then slice into bite-size pieces. 

Heat oil and butter in the same skillet, allowing it to melt. Once melted, stir in the flour and whisk, to cook the raw taste out of the flour. 

Once the roux has darkened just a bit (light golden) slowly whisk in the chicken broth, milk, and spices. Continue stirring until the liquid is brought to a simmer. At this point, the liquids should begin to seem a bit thicker. 

The sauce should be able to coat the back of a spoon without coming together when divided.

 Once simmering, add the broccoli and return to a simmer (1 to 2 minutes). 

Remove from the heat and stir in ¾  of the cheese, mayonnaise, and mustard. In the prepared baking dish, spread half of the broccoli mixture over the bottom. 

Next, add the chicken in an even layer.

 Top with the remaining broccoli mixture.

 Sprinkle over the remaining ¼ c. cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly; let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving!

I allowed it to cook for 17 minutes and then turned the broiler on to get nice brown cheese on top, about 3 minutes...SO delicious! I also prepared some egg noodles that were sprinkled with garlic powder and served this over them. 

NOTES*

This recipe is a great idea to use up any leftover chicken that you have in your refrigerator, but if you want to begin by cooking the chicken, this recipe explains how.

For the cheese, I used a blend of four Italian cheeses; but you may use any cheese that you prefer!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 375.3

• Total Fat: 30.2 g
• Cholesterol: 28.1 mg
• Sodium: 597.3 mg
• Total Carbs: 17.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.3 g
• Protein: 11.3 g

Got Leftovers?

As the subject states, this is an excellent use for leftovers! Not only is it delicious, it's quick and easy! I know you all know what I'm talking about when I mention the rotisserie chickens you can buy in the deli section at the supermarket! I personally don't purchase them because I only like white meat (and crispy skin!) but I don't think the purchase is worth it for the amount that I actually enjoy. This recipe can utilize any section of meat that you prefer (boneless of course) and turkey would taste great with this, too! This is a good recipe to keep in your arsenal of Thanksgiving leftover recipes!  

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

Yields: 3 servings

14 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed and cooked

1 c. prepared stuffing

1 tbsp. butter, unsalted

½ c. onion, finely chopped

1 c. cream of mushroom, undiluted

1 c. water

1 c. rice, uncooked

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a small skillet, melt the butter and saute the onions until soft. 

Remove and set aside. In an 8"x 8" baking dish, spread the chicken evenly on the bottom. 

In a separate bowl, combine the mushroom, onion, water, and rice.

 

Pour over the chicken and spread the stuffing evenly over the top. Bake for 30 minutes.

That's it! It's that simple! You could also add some leftover veggies from the night before as well. As I've said before, a casserole is a great place to use up all kinds of leftovers! Enjoy!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 3
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 246.8

• Total Fat: 3.9 g
• Cholesterol: 79.2 mg
• Sodium: 900.7 mg
• Total Carbs: 23.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.1 g
• Protein: 29.8 g

Creamy Chicken Skillet

     My fellow foodies, THIS is delicious. It was a simple dinner that I threw together in very little time, and allowed me to use some leftover ingredients so I didn't waste them! It was fast, it was easy, it was simple, and most of all, it was SO tasty. Michael and I agreed it tasted almost a bit like a broccoli casserole, minus the cheese. It did taste very similar, so I'm thinking adding cheese wouldn't be such a bad idea. Then again, when has adding cheese to something ever been a bad idea?

     We went to a furniture outlet this weekend and purchased a couch for our new home. I'm so excited! It is being made now and we will be able to pick it up May 17, 2013 or sooner! Hopefully, we will be moving into our home on April 25, but it may be pushed back. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers that the underwriting process through our loan moves quickly and everything stays on schedule.

     

Creamy Chicken Skillet

Yields: 4 servings

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, 1" cubes

1 (10.75 oz) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1½ c. milk

1½ c. water

½ tsp. dried basil

¼ tsp. garlic powder

2 tbsp. dried onion, minced

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

2 c. short cut pasta, uncooked

1 c. fresh broccoli, small chop

1 c. frozen peas

In a large skillet with high sides, heat olive oil over high heat. Once the oil is heated, add the chicken and brown on all sides. Cook the chicken thoroughly and then remove and set aside. 

Add the water and deglaze the pan, then add the milk. Once mixed, whisk in the cream of mushroom soup, dried onion, and basil. 

At this point, add the peas (or any other frozen vegetable you choose).

Bring this mixture to a boil and then add the pasta. Bring back to a boil and reduce to medium heat. 

Add the broccoli (or any other fresh vegetable you choose) and simmer for 10 minutes. 

At this point, add the chicken back in, with any juices that were left in the bowl, and cook for 5 minutes or until heated through.

. 

I served along side my garlic breadsticks, which will be in a recipe to follow!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 346.5

• Total Fat: 6.4 g
• Cholesterol: 66.9 mg
• Sodium: 1,420.7 mg
• Total Carbs: 39.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3.9 g
• Protein: 33.8 g

Nom Nom Stir Fry!

     Sometimes, you just don't feel like going out for dinner, but want to cook something simple, easy, and delicious. Most think time-consuming meals aren't worth it because there is usually not much time to cook when you come home from your workday. Either that, or you just lack all energy from exerting yourself at work. Your boss knows how hard you work, right? Stir fry dishes are a great way to go if you want something quick and delicious and they are very versatile, in that you can use up leftover vegetables that you don't know what to do with. Cabbage is also a common ingredient in stir fry, and it really helps you stretch your dollars. It's generally around $0.59/lb and 2 pounds is ALOT of cabbage! It's a great addition to meals! (It's great in soups, too!) 

     No teriyaki sauce? I've linked my recipe for it in the ingredients section! (;

Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry

Yields: 3 servings

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. pepper

1 tbsp. sugar

2  cloves garlic, minced

2 C. cabbage, shredded

1 tbsp. cornstarch

¾ C. onion, sliced

1 tbsp. teriyaki sauce

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced

In a medium bowl, place the chicken, teriyaki sauce, sugar, and pepper. Toss to coat the chicken well and set aside. In a large skillet, with high sides, heat the oil over medium heat. Add onions and fry for about 3 minutes, or until just translucent. 

Add the garlic and stir fry for 1 minute, until fragrant.  

Add the chicken and brown, stirring every two minutes or so. 

Once the chicken is cooked, add the cabbage and stir well. Cover and allow cabbage to cook down and soften. 

Once the cabbage is tender to your liking, add teriyaki sauce and stir well. In a separate bowl, combine water and cornstarch to create a slurry. Once well combined, stir in slurry and allow the liquid to come to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened. Serve over rice.

This is extremely delicious the next day as leftovers as well! I added broccoli for a little extra flavor!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 3
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 458.8

• Total Fat: 6.2 g
• Cholesterol: 86.7 mg
• Sodium: 574.8 mg
• Total Carbs: 71.2 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g
• Protein: 31.9 g