Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

I love the smell of Italian food in my kitchen. It warms up the house and the aroma just feels like family. This pasta is a dish I'm sure I will be coming back to again and again. It's one of those "grub" meals that just tastes good and fills your belly. It also uses ingredients that I usually always have on hand. Double-score!

From Giada De Laurentiis

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 45 min

Total Time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups pastina pasta (or any small pasta - I used whole wheat shells)

4 Tablespoons olive oil

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (may substitute with 1/4 cup dried parsley or other Italian herbs)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook just until tender, stirring occasionally, about  5 minutes. Drain pasta and place in a large mixing bowl. 

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes more. 

Add the chicken mixture to the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered baking dish. (9" x 13" or similar in size will do.) 

In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden-brown, about 30 minutes.

Buona Vita!

Creamy White Bean Chili

Fall. is. here. And along with it, pumpkin flavors, hearty soups, and warm drinks. The Manhattan Beach Holiday Pier Lighting is in 2 weeks and daylight savings time ends this weekend (tear). 

To counter my sadness that the long summer days are over, I've been making lots of warm, delicious treats, including this Creamy White Bean Chili. Since I was young, I've always enjoyed "white" versions of food: white chocolate, white cheddar, white pizza. I can now add white chili to that list. This soup rocks my socks off. It blew Bradford's socks off too. A big holiday cheer for that! 

From Domestically Dreaming

Serves 4

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cooking Time: 30 Minutes

Total Time: 45 Minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 medium onion, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 cans (15.5 oz. each) Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (14.5 oz.) chicken broth

2 cans (4 oz. each) chopped green chilies

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper*

1 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt**

1/2 cup whipping cream

Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

*If you have a mild palette, you may omit or decrease the amount of cayenne pepper

**I recommend using the Greek yogurt if you have it. It is a much healthier option that does not decrease from the taste or flavor of this dish at all. :)

DIRECTIONS:

In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in a large pan until onions are translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add shredded chicken, beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in whipping cream and sour cream or greek yogurt. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired and serve immediately.

{Slow Cooker Option}

In a slow cooker, place 1 pound full chicken breast (fresh or frozen). Add chopped onion, garlic, beans, green chilies, and all of the spices. Do not add sour cream/greek yogurt or whipping cream yet! Reduce chicken broth amount to 12 oz. (about 1 1/2 cups) and pour in over the other ingredients. Stir the mixture to incorporate dry spices and cook on low for 5-7 hours (fresh chicken cooks in less time while frozen chicken takes longer to cook). 

Remove chicken and shred it into bite size pieces. Return to slow cooker. In a small bowl, whisk together cream and sour cream or greek yogurt until smooth. Add the cream mixture to the crock pot and stir to incorporate. Let soup cook just until heated through. Enjoy!

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

I've seen these floating around the blogosphere for a little while now and I finally made them. 

Three things:

1. These are PERFECT for football season!

2. They are absolutely delicious.

3. They can be made ahead of time, frozen, and popped in the oven when you're ready to eat.

Need I say more?

From Pennies on a Platter

Makes 12

INGREDIENTS:

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup green salsa

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 Tablespoons chopped green onion

2 cups shredded cooked chicken (My go-to recipe is here. Just cook it, then shred it.)

1 cup shredded Mexican flavored cheese

Medium-size flour or corn tortillas

kosher salt (optional)

cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

In a large bowl mix the first 7 ingredients. Once combined, stir in the cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese and mix thoroughly. 

Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between two paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (about 20-30 seconds).

Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of the tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can. Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the mixture is gone. Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. (For a healthier option, eliminate the salt. It's not necessary.)

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and golden. 

Serve with salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole. 

For tips on freezing, click here. 

Grilled Chicken with Mango Avocado Salsa

We have been buying produce like it's nobody's business lately! At one point this week, we had the following items in our kitchen: cantaloupe, watermelon, avocado, tomatoes, mangoes, plums, nectarines, strawberries, blueberries, cherries and bananas. For only two people, that's a lot of fruit! So I decided to make some delicioso salsa. It could have been paired with just about any type of fish (mahi mahi, halibut, salmon, tilapia), but I decided to keep it simple and convenient (translate: I didn't have any fish in my fridge) and serve it with chicken. The result was simple, fresh and tasty!

(Bonus: we had some leftovers, so I served it up the next morning in an omelet. Who knew mangoes could taste so good with eggs!)

Inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow

INGREDIENTS:

2 servings simple blackened chicken

1 ripe mango, diced

1 ripe avocado, diced

2 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, seeded and diced

5-6 green onions, finely chopped

1 teaspoon lime juice

garlic salt, to taste

lemon pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Mix mango, avocado, tomatoes, green onions, and lime juice. Season to taste with garlic salt and lemon pepper. 

Using a sharp knife, cut blackened chicken breasts in half, lengthwise.

On a plate, place chicken breasts. Spoon a generous serving of the mango avocado salsa over the chicken. 

Enjoy!!

Catherine's Enchiladas

My favorite way to cook involves no recipe. No set rules to follow, no cleaning of measuring cups in between uses, no boundaries. The risk of this is that there is also no guarantee of a delicious meal at the end of the cooking. Fortunately, in this case, there was a very delicious meal at the end of my enchilada cooking venture. 

I hope you try this.

INGREDIENTS:

2 chicken breasts

garlic salt

lemon pepper

olive oil

6 large flour tortillas

16 oz. green salsa (maybe substitute with red enchilada sauce)

1 small can diced green chiles

1/4 cup milk

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cumin

dash cayenne papper

1-2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Start by making simple blackened chicken. Using two forks, shred cooked chicken and set aside. 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add green chiles, green salsa, milk, shredded chicken, paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper and mix all together. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. 

Warm tortillas in a microwave or oven.

Spread 1/4 cup of chicken mixture in the bottom of the dish. One by one, fill each tortilla. Using tongs, spread chicken down the middle of the tortilla, add cheese, roll and set seam-side down in the baking dish. When finished rolling, top all enchiladas with remaining chicken mixture. Top everything with cheese.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. 

Enjoy!!!

Ina Garten's Lemon Chicken Breast

I bought a large bag of lemons at the grocery store this weekend. Inspired by summer, freshness, and simplicity, I am on a mission to use more lemons in my cooking. This dish is great: chicken the way it should be. Fresh and delicious. Sometimes a little skin tastes good. :)

From She's Cookin'

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup good olive oil
3 Tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6-8 ounces each)
1 lemon

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just one minute, but don't allow the garlic to turn brown.

Turn off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme and 1 teaspoon salt, and pour into a 9x12 inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in eight wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn't browned enough, put it under the broiler for two minutes.

Remove from oven, cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices. 

Lemon Chicken Farfalle

Sometimes you just want a good, quick, pasta-chicken dish with cream sauce. Well, at least I do. Growing up, my favorite dish, hands down, was fettuccine alfredo. You can imagine my disappointment when I grew up and realized that this lovely, pasta, creamy, delicious delight was one of the least healthiest dishes possible. Sad, sad day. Not to say I still don't indulge in it now and then.

I love to get my pasta-cream sauce fix and this is a perfect dish for that. Oh, and it doesn't take a ton of time. You can go from nothing to something great in less than 30 minutes. Enjoy!

From Jenna at JustCookAlready.com

INGREDIENTS:

salt and pepper
olive oil
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced
1 cup frozen baby peas (optional)
1 cup carrots, cut into small strips
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
6 Tablespoons cream cheese
6 cups farfalle (bowtie) pasta, cooked
9 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. Add garlic and sauté for one minute, being careful not to burn. Add chicken. Sauté until almost cooked through. Add carrots and peas and sauté about 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add broth and cream cheese to pan and cook over medium-high heat until cheese melts, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in chicken mixture, farfalle, and next four ingredients. Cook about 1 minute.

Serve and enjoy.

Roasted Chicken with Lemon, Garlic, and Thyme

(Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!!)

Here it is. I've been wanting to learn how to roast a whole chicken for a while now, but I've been hesitant to invest in a roasting pan. Then, I found out that you don't need a roasting pan! All you need is a 9"x13" pan, and some long carrot strips and celery stalks to keep the chicken raised from off the bottom of the pan. (Thank you, Kelsey Nixon.)

(Here's the pretty baby in all it's roasted glory.)

So I went ahead, purchased the whole chicken, pulled out all the innerds (kind of disgusting for me, but I got over it) and followed this recipe for a delicious full roasted chicken dinner. It was delicious. I feel very official now. Maybe someday I'll be able to conquer a Thanksgiving Turkey.

Recipe from Kelsey's Essentials

INGREDIENTS:

1 6-pound roasting chicken

4 Tablespoons, unsalted butter, softened

3 Tablespoons minced fresh thyme, plus 1 handful for stuffing

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon, quartered

1 onion, coarsely chopped

3 celery stalks

3 carrots, unpeeled cut in half

1 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry. Be sure to get it really dry. 

In a small bowl, make a compound butter by combining the butter, 3 Tablespoons minced thyme, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. 

Season the cavity of the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with lemon quarters, a handful of fresh thyme leaves, and onion chunks. Place the carrot, celery, and additional onion chunks in the bottom of a roasting pan (or 9"x13" metal baking pan) and place the chicken on top of the vegetables. Cross the legs of the chicken and tie with kitchen twine, or a rubber band. 

Gently lift the skin away from the chicken and spread 2 Tablespoons of the softened butter mixture underneath the skin, distributing it evenly. Spread the remaining butter mixture over the entire surface of the chicken and season generously with salt and pepper. 

Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and and roast the chicken until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the inner thigh, not touching the bone, registers 160-165 degrees F, about 45 minutes. 

Transfer the chicken and vegetable to a cutting board to rest for about 15 minutes. Tent the chicken with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Now for the best part, the GRAVY. Pour the pan juices into a large glass measuring cup. Spoon the fat off the top. Add the chicken broth to the roasting pan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Return the pan juices to the pan. Whisk the flour into the broth mixture and bring to a boil until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper, pour into a gravy boat, and serve alongside the chicken. 

SERVING SUGGESTION:

Serve with delicious mashed red potatoes. 

COOKING VARIATIONS:

Honey-Glazed Chicken: Season the butter with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 2 Tablespoons honey.

Soy-Ginger Chicken: Season the butter with 1 Tablespoon minced garlic, 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, and 2 teaspoons soy sauce. 

Lemon Mint Chicken

As promised, here is the second mint recipe. I love how simple the ingredients are and, of course, the delicious flavor they create. Have a happy weekend!

INGREDIENTS: 

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup margarine

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, mix together chicken pieces and garlic. Toss with flour to coat and shake off excess. 

Heat the margarine in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces. Cook and stir until browned. Add the mint leaves and lemon juice, cover and steam for about five minutes until chicken is just cooked through, being careful not to overcook. 

Enjoy!

Adobo Chicken Tacos

With so many Latin-Asian fusion eateries popping up (think Kogi Korean Tacos and the recently-opened Zengo restaurant at Santa Monica Place), it's no wonder my mind drifted to tacos after figuring out what to do with the leftovers from my shredded chicken adobo. 

Maybe I just have a special place in my heart for tacos, maybe I just really love the caramelized onions in this chicken. Whatever it is, this dish melts my heart.

Adobo Chicken Tacos

Serves 2 (6 tacos)

INGREDIENTS:

Shredded Chicken Adobo

12 small corn tortillas

1 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 handful of cilantro, chopped

1 avocado, sliced (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Place three sets of two tortillas each of a microwave-safe plate. Sprinkle each tortilla set with cheese and heat in the microwave for 50 seconds, or until cheese is melted. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup (or more) chicken, a dollop of sour cream, sliced avocado (if desired) and top with cilantro. 

Serve and enjoy. 

Shredded Chicken Adobo

There is something amazingly delicious about savory, slow-cooked meats. Pork, beef, or chicken and more. No matter the meat, you can tell when it's been cooked with love for hours and hours. The way it tenderly falls off the bone and into a watering mouth is succulent. This chicken is one of those meals. It is the national dish of the Philippines, and it is simple yet delicious.

*Adapted (slightly) from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast: Slow Cooker Cookbook

INGREDIENTS:

2 yellow onions, halved and sliced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1.5 lbs. chicken (I used three large chicken breasts, with bones and skin still attached; might be a good idea to remove the bones first so as to make the shredding step a bit easier) -- may also substitute for 1.5 lbs. pork or 1.5 lbs. beef

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Spread half of the sliced onions in the bottom of a slow cooker. Add one of the garlic cloves, peppercorns, and the bay leaf. Arrange chicken in a single layer on top of the onions. Top with the remaining onions and garlic. Drizzle the vinegar and soy sauce over the ingredients and sprinkle with sugar. 

Cover and cook on high setting for 4 hours or low setting for 8 hours. When finished, discard the bay leaf. Using two forks, shred the chicken, being careful to remove all bones first. 

Serve with rice.

**Stay tuned for Adobo Chicken Tacos.

Chicken Vesuvio

I really, really, really, really, really need to find my camera charger so that the pictures of my food don't look completely yellow-colored or unappetizing. My philosophy is any picture is better than no picture so the show must go on. 

The sauce in this dish. Oh, my, goodness, The sauce. That's all I have to say.

*Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis

INGREDIENTS:

3 Tablespoons olive oil

4 chicken thighs with skin and bones (I used chicken breasts, but I think thighs would be more tender)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds small red-skinned potatoes, halved

4 large garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup dry white wine (I recently bought cooking wine and it has been a great investment)

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

8 ounces artichoke hearts

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Heat the oil in a large, ovenproof pot over high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches if necessary, cook the chicken in the pot until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a bowl. Carefully add the potatoes to the same pot and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the wine and stir to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the broth, oregano, and thyme. Return the chicken to the pot and stir all ingredients to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 

Cover and bake in the oven until the chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter and arrange potatoes around the chicken. Add the artichoke hearts to the sauce in the pot. Cover and simmer over high heat until the artichokes are tender, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Turn heat to low and stir in the butter. Pour the sauce over chicken and potatoes, and serve. 

Be generous with the sauce, it's the best part. 

Chicken Parmesan with Marinara

Call me crazy, but I've been receiving a lot of cooking inspiration lately from Jersey Shore. Ronnie, Pauly D, Mike, Snookie, JWoww, they are hilarious and have an amazing talent for memorable one-liners, but they're also young and immature. In spite of this, their mothers seem to have succeeded in instilling a sense of family togetherness that is seen vividly at the kitchen table. They seem to just knock out these five-entree dinners complete with garlic knots, homemade sauces, and (haha) Gatorade! 

While, I don't have secret family recipes for amazing sauces or (always) the appetite to chow down such weighty, heavy meals, I do share a love of food as a way to bring people together. My next couple posts will include some efforts to become more Italian with some hearty, delicious, tomato and mozzarella-filled dishes.

*Recipe from Jill Parker, as told to me by Suzette

INGREDIENTS:

3 thinly sliced chicken breasts (about 1/2 inch thick)

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

3/4 cup bread crumbs

2 cups marinara sauce (I used Prego, but you could also use this)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or 3 big slices)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

8 oz. spaghetti noodles, cooked

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

Dip chicken in melted butter, then generously coat both sides with bread crumbs. Lay chicken flat in baking dish. Cover with marinara sauce, followed by mozzarella cheese, and then parmesan cheese. 

Bake in oven for 45 min. to an hour, until chicken is fully cooked. 

Serve with spaghetti noodles and garlic bread. 

Enjoy!

Spicy Cajun BBQ Chicken

There are a couple great BBQ joints in LA. One is Baby Blues. Another is Mr. Cecil's. I have a couple of Texan co-workers and we seem to end up eating at these two places more than once in a while. The key to any good BBQ dish is definitely, definitely the sauce. After my great satisfaction with the homemade BBQ sauce made for the BBQ chicken pizza, I decided I needed another dish to pair with that sauce. Trusty chicken came through. Some BBQ chicken recipes use a rub. Some use a sauce. This one uses both.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1-1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 large chicken breasts

1/2 cup BBQ sauce (click here for homemade BBQ sauce recipe)

DIRECTIONS:

Combine chili powder, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper in a shallow dish. Generously coat chicken breasts, one at a time, with the rub mixture. Using a George Foreman grill (if you're me), or an actual grill (if you have a backyard), grill chicken for about 10 minutes until fully cooked through or when all pinkness is gone. Serve with BBQ sauce on top and mashed potatoes on the side. 

Grub down!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Happy 4th of July weekend! I think there will be a lot of BBQ-ing going on this weekend. To get in the mood... BBQ chicken pizza.

This pizza is made with a homemade dough and homemade BBQ sauce, but it is SIMPLE. The directions for the BBQ sauce are my all time favorite directions for anything. Ever. You'll see. It is a really great tasting sauce and can be used for so much more than just pizza. It has a little kick, but nothing too crazy.

For the pizza dough, or any bread dough for that matter, if there is any piece of advice I can offer, it is to get a kneading attachment for your mixer or hand mixer. I only have a hand mixer, and my kneading attachment makes any type of bread-making about 100x less annoying. I will promote anything that keeps my hands from becoming a doughy, sticky, crazy mess.

BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA (inspired by closetcooking.com)

INGREDIENTS:

1 pizza dough (recipe below)

1/2 cup BBQ sauce (recipe below)

1/2 lb. chicken breast, boneless and skinless

1 handful red onion, sliced

1/4 cup goat cheese, feta cheese, or blue cheese

1-1-1/2 cup colby/monterey jack shredded cheese

1 handful cilantro, sliced (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Grill the chicken until just cooked all the way. Let cool and cut into 1/4 inch strips. Roll pizza dough on a lightly greased surface sprinkled with corn meal. Spread the BBQ sauce on the pizza, followed by chicken, onion, and cheeses. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. 

PIZZA DOUGH (adapted from Jenna at Just Cook Already):

INGREDIENTS:

2-1/2 - 3 cups four

1 Tablespoon (or one packet) yeast

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup very warm water

2 Tablespoons olive oil

corn meal

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast, and salt. Stir very warm and oil into dry ingredients. Stir in enough remaining flour (about 1/2 cup for me) to make soft dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface, or with an electric mixer and kneading attachment, about 4-6 minutes. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 10-20 minutes.

BBQ SAUCE (adapted from closetcooking.com):

INGREDIENTS:

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup ketchup

2 Tablespoons dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

DIRECTIONS:

Mix well. (That's it!)

Enjoy!!

Simple Blackened Chicken

We are back. Paradise was amazing. Shave ice, POG juice (Passion, Orange, Guava), teri burgers, loco moco, and, of course, pineapple, are among the food highlights. Spending every day under the sun was a perfect start to summer and this recipe is a perfect, simple way to ease back into a daily cooking schedule. It is great for summer and spring and fall and winter. :) It is savory and, most importantly, juicy delicious!

INGREDIENTS:
(double, triple, quadruple as necessary)

1 chicken breast

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

1 Tablespoon olive oil 

DIRECTIONS:

Using a mallet, beat down chicken breasts until about 1 to 1-1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle garlic salt and lemon pepper on both sides of the breast. Pat down.

In a saucepan over medium heat, pour about 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil and heat through. Add seasoned chicken to the pan and cover with a lid. Let cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked throughout and all pinkness is gone.

Serve and enjoy.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Despite growing up with Indian next-door neighbors (who, by the way, were not discreet about celebrating Holi--an Indian festival of colors--in their backyard), my first experience with Indian food wasn't until about six years ago in Provo, UT. Bombay House offers a unique slice of authentic culture in a slightly "culture-lacking" city, and the food is flavorful and delicious. Since my first foray with this delightful cuisine, I have ventured into a few more Indian restaurants in the LA area, but Bombay House still remains my favorite. And chicken tikka masala my favorite dish. I really didn't think I would be able to re-create this creamy, tomato-ey, tangy dish without foreign spices and hard-to-find ingredients, but I was wrong. The only ingredient I didn't already have was plain yogurt. 

Hope you enjoy this delicious, flavorful, and grub meal!

*Adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

(for the marinade):
1 cup plain yogurt
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (depending on your "hotness" preference; may also be substituted with paprika)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger (optional)
1 teaspoon salt

(for the sauce):
1 Tablespoon garlic
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup cream

cilantro for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Using kitchen shears, cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Combine all marinade ingredients together and pour over chicken cubes. I like to use a large ziploc bag for this, but a shallow dish works well too. Store in refrigerator for an hour.

After an hour, cook chicken over medium heat in a frying pan, until cooked through. Discard marinade. Once chicken is fully cooked, remove from heat and cover with a lid.

For the sauce, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic for one minute. Season with cumin, paprika, and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken and simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve with basmati rice and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro. Jai ho!

Maple Dijon Grilled Chicken

Maple syrup will always remind me of my husband's first solo grocery shopping trip. Right after we got married, he had about a month before he started working and so, for that month, he played "errand boy" during the days and became really good at grocery shopping (as well as purchasing and returning wedding gifts). 

One of his proudest purchases on this memorable first grocery trip was 100% Pure Maple Syrup. He explained his walk down the syrup aisle, how he read the ingredient list in almost every syrup on the shelf, and how he found that most syrups on the grocery shelf contain high fructose corn syrup as their main ingredient, followed by things like cellulose gum, sodium benzoate, sorbic acid, and sodium hexametaphosphate. Feeling discouraged, he finally found a glass bottle (with a tiny handle) that said, "100% Pure Maple Syrup." And listed under "Ingredients" on the packaging? One ingredient: "pure maple syrup." That's it! One ingredient!  

It was after this story and after he so proudly showed me the bottle with full Vanna White style and grace that I was automatically converted to maple syrup, despite the fact that I had always preferred the HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) version in the past. 

With that, I present Maple Dijon Grilled Chicken.

*Adapted from Closet Cooking 

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 chicken breasts

(for the marinade):

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

2 Tablespoons dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

(for the glaze):

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Soak chicken in the marinade for at least 30 minutes. I like to use a large plastic bag for marinades--it's an easy way to mix all the ingredients together and simple to store in the fridge.

While chicken is marinating, make the glaze. Mix all ingredients together and transfer to a dish with a spout. Set aside. 

After 30 minutes, grill chicken until it is cooked, about 4-5 minutes each side. I used a George Foreman grill for this, but a frying pan would work as well, or, of course, an actual BBQ.

Serve cooked chicken on a bed of brown rice. Drizzle glaze over chicken and rice. Enjoy.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

*From Just Cook Already

INGREDIENTS

{For Sauce to pour over wraps}

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup warm water

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons ketchup

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

2 cloves finely minced garlic

{For Chicken Stir-fry}

1 Tablespoon + 1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoons sesame oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 8 oz. can water chestnuts

1 8 oz. can bamboo shoots

1/2 cup mushrooms

3 cloves garlic

3 green onions, finely chopped (optional)

{Stir-fry Sauce}

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Begin by making pouring sauce. Mix all ingredients together and set aside.

Using a food processor, mince the chicken and saute in a pan over medium heat with 1 T. olive oil and 2 T. sesame oil until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.

Using the food processor again, mince, one at a time, the water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and garlic. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and saute above ingredients (plus green onions, if using) until the aromas blend together, 3-4 minutes. Add chicken and stir-fry sauce and stir until well blended.

Serve with fresh, crisp lettuce leaves. The combination of savory chicken and cold, crisp lettuce gets me every time!