Ma What's For Dinner? » chicken

Chicken Marsala

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:00:27 +0000

The hubs almost fell off the chair while eating this one…It’s so good. I love chicken, it’s so versatile and quick cooking. I love to have 101 chicken recipes up my sleeve. Check out this fail proof method to bring your kids to the table. Only two of mine eat the mushrooms though, but I keep trying!

1/4 c flour for coating

S&P

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts pounded thin

2 T olive oil

2 T butter

8 oz container baby bella mushrooms quartered

3/4 c Marsala wine

1/2 c chicken stock

In a shallow bowl mix together the flour and season with S&P. Coat chicken pieces in flour mixture, set aside for about 10-15 minutes.

Set a large skillet over medium high heat. Melt butter in oil over medium heat. Place chicken in the pan, and lightly brown each side, about 4 minutes each. Remove chicken and set aside under some tin foil to keep warm. Add mushrooms to the pan and season with S&P. You can add a bit more olive oil if it’s looking a bit dry. Pour in wine and allow the alcohol to cook out for about 2 minutes. Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then knock it back to a simmer. Slide the chicken back in and allow to simmer for 8-10 mintues. Serve over pasta or potatoes. Make a lot. This is a hit!

What is your go to chicken dish this summer?

Mommie Cooks’s Tequila Lime Chicken

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 11:00:25 +0000

Guess what??? Today is my very first guest post. Yup, my girl Julie over at Mommie Cooks asked me to be a guest in her kitchen for the next couple of days and whip up a little something somthing, so I’m happy to oblige! Please swing by and check it out…

So in order to pay hommage to my girl Julie the next two days I will be showcasing two of her awesome recipes that I have recently whipped up. They are fantastic and if you make them together you’ll have a wonderful dinner on hand the whole family will enjoy. Mine sure did! You really should check her out. I adore her. Today is a favorite recipe of mine, Tequila Lime Chicken. Now I make mine totally different, I usually marinate chicken pieces for a day then grill it on the bbq…she does the whole damn bird in the oven. It’s a great take…check it out.

1 whole chicken

1/4 Cup of Tequila

1/4 Cup of Olive Oil

1/2 tsp of Chicken Base (or 1/4 Cup of Broth)

1 Lime, Juiced

1 orange juiced

1 lemon juiced

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1 jalapeno diced

4 Cloves of Garlic

1 Small Bunch of Cilantro, Chopped

1 tsp of Cumin

1 tsp of Chili Powder

1 tsp of Paprika

1/2 tsp of Salt

1/4 tsp of pepper

Cayenne Pepper to taste (Optional)

My additions are in italics…I’m such a loser I can’t follow a recipe to save my life…

Mommie says…

Grab your chicken, rinse and pat it dry. Drop it into your baking dish and sprinkle the dry spices; cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper and cayenne on both sides of your bird.

Next you’ll want to mix together your tequila, olive oil, chicken base (or broth), lime juice, orange juice, lemon juice, jalapeno, pineapple juice, garlic, and cilantro. Now pour your cilantro mixture over the top of your chicken. It should be starting to look good already and you haven’t even begun cooking it!

This is optional, but I threw my squeezed limes, oranges and lemons, into the cavity of the chicken. I would have mulched them up anyway and this way, I get every last bit of lime flavor infused into my chicken.

Throw your chicken into your oven heated up to 350 degrees. Cook it covered for the first 1.5 hours and then uncovered for the last 30 minutes, basting once or twice with the chicken’s juices the last half hour.

Cooking times will vary depending on the weight of your bird, but as a reference, the internal temperature of your bird should reach 180 degrees. If you have a meat thermometer, stick it into the bird once you get to the uncovered portion of your cooking time. You should stick the thermometer between the leg and the breast to hit the deepest part of the chicken.

Once your chicken hits that magic number of 180, pull it out and prepare to feast on something spectacular. If this doesn’t make your mouth water, I don’t know what will.

Isn’t she the best? Now get on over there and show us some love!

Twirly Whirly Pasta Salad

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:00:44 +0000

This one is for Shell. Oh you didn’t know that I take requests? Well now you do…send ‘em on over and I’m at your service. My girl Shell over at Things I Cant Say, oh yeah you know her, cool girl, superstar, all around homecoming queen, uh yeah, that’s her. She asked if we had any pasta salad ideas. Do I have a pasta salad??? Of course I have a pasta salad. Not only do I have a pasta salad, but it’s a pasta salad served up either cold or warm, it’s easy, tastes delicious, it’s healthy and you can make it with stuff already in your house. Oh yeah, Shell my sweet, I have a pasta salad for you…

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes

1 lb Rotini (corkscrew) pasta

1 bag frozen veggies (I like mixes of broccoli, carrots, & cauliflower)

2 c Italian dressing (bottled is fine, I like Newman’s Own)

2 c rotisserie chicken, cubed (from your supermarket)

½ c parmesan cheese

1 can marinated artichoke hearts, drained

Heat a large pot of water over high heat for pasta. Take out your frozen veggies and let them thaw on the counter. Once the water is boiling add some salt to flavor the pasta and then pour in fusili and cook, according to package, to al dente. 4 minutes before you pasta is set to be done add in your veggies.

Drain well and pour into large pasta serving bowl. Top with chicken and artichoke hearts. Pour on dressing and toss to coat. Top with parmesan cheese. This is a complete meal in minutes and all in one bowl! Everyone loves less dishes to clean.

Whenever I take this dish to potlucks or when I’m in charge of snack at school everyone always asks for this recipe. I’m almost embarrassed to tell them how simple it is, but it’s so good!

Eat your veggies chicken stir fry

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Thu, 27 May 2010 13:00:28 +0000

What’s the quickest and easiest way to get a picky eater to finish off a serving of veggies? Toss them with some chicken and teriyaki sauce and serve up on a bed of rice of course! Fast, affordable, healthy, and delicious! You won’t have to resort to dessert bribery, not that I’ve ever ever considered anything like that, no really, not ever, to get your kids to clean their plates with this dish.

1 lb chicken tenders cut into bite sized pieces

2 cups broccoli florets

1 cup sliced carrots

1 bell pepper chopped

1 T canola oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated on a microplane or minced

a couple of dashes chili oil

a couple of dashes sesame oil

1/2 T fish sauce (optional and available on your asian foods aisle)

2 T soy sauce

1/2 cup bottled teriyaki sauce

2 cups brown rice cooked according to package instructions (you could use white if you haven’t watched the Today show too many times and are now scared of anything with the word white in the title a la white bread, white rice, etc.)

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot add garlic and ginger and stir well to flavor the oil. Have your chicken on hand and ready to go so that as soon as the garlic begins to brown toss in your chicken. Toss well and allow chicken to brown stirring often (hence the stir-fry). When you chicken is browned well toss in all of your veggies. Stir and allow to cook for about 3-4 minutes, until they just begin to soften a bit.

Season with chili oil, sesame oil, and fish sauce. Cook for a minutes. Add soy sauce and cook for another minute. Pour in your teriyaki sauce and turn the heat down to medium-low. Allow to simmer for a few minutes while you spoon your rice into a mound on the center of each plate. Top with stir fry mixture and plenty of sauce. It’s good and good for you! How can you beat that combination? Ok, who wants dessert?

Clean out the fridge chicken pot pie

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Thu, 13 May 2010 20:47:33 +0000

What do you do when you have a bunch of stuff clogging up your fridge and freezer drawers? Toss them in a pot, stir ‘em up and cover them with some straight from the freezer pastry dough! My Ma used to make stew, I make a creamy version then cover it and bake it till it bubbly good and the hubs and kids are in hog heaven. Give this one a try.

1 thawed sheet of pastry dough

3 large chicken breasts

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 T butter

4 cups chicken stock

2 yellow onions, chopped

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup medium-diced carrots

1 10 oz package frozen peas

1 10 oz package frozen corn

1 zucchini, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

S&P

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with 1 T olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Cut the chicken into large dice. Turn up the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and remaining oil and saute the onions over medium low heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Toss in carrots, zucchini, and celery and cook for two more minutes. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add S&P and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, peas and corn. Mix well. Pour into a 13×9 baking dish. Cover with pastry dough. Cut a few slits into the dough to allow steam to escape. I like to sprinkle the top with a bit of fleur de sel (or any other course salt) but you can use whatever you like. Bake at 375 for 1 hour. Serve with a side salad. I dare you not to lick the plate!

Quattro Formaggi Chicken Fettucine

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 18:18:11 +0000

When you’re craving some good ol’ fashioned stick to your ribs creamy gooey goodness then throw this bad boy together. You and the family will not be disappointed.

Serves 6 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes

1/2 cup butter

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1 garlic clove, diced

1 small onion, diced

S&P

1 can condensed cream of mushroom and garlic soup

1 8 oz package cream cheese, cubed

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup chicken stock

1 T italian seasoning

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded swiss cheese

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

3 cooked boneless chicken breasts, cubed

1 lb fettucine pasta

Topping:

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

3 T butter melted

2 T parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat a large pot of water over high heat and cook fettucine to al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain.

While the pasta cooks, heat butter over medium high heat. Add in mushrooms and onions and cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for an additional minute. Season well with S&P. Stir in cream cheese, soup, cream, and italian seasoning. Allow cream cheese to melt and add in chicken stock. Stir in remaining cheeses and turn the heat down to medium low. Season to taste with S&P. Fold in chicken and allow to heat through. Pour in pasta and mix well. Pour into a greased 13×9 baking dish.

Combine the ingredients for the topping and sprinkle over dish. Cover and cook at 375 for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake and additional 5 minutes until topping is golden brown.

This was inspired by a dish I saw in Taste of Home magazine by Rochelle Brownlee . I thought her use of cream cheese was a stroke of genius! Thanks Rochelle.

Chicken Skewers with spicy peanut sauce

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 17:59:16 +0000

Big thanks to my girl Anne over at Annie Bakes who inspired this recipe for me. She got it from Kaitlin at Kaitlin in the Kitchen . Both of their dishes looked great so I based this on theirs and added a little zing… Please swing by and check out their amazing blogs!

Serves: 10 Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes

Marinated Chicken Skewers

6 T olive oil

2 T soy sauce

1 T minced ginger root

2 garlic cloves minced

1 T dijon mustard

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1 lb boneless, chicken breasts sliced into strips to skewer

wooden skewers, soaked in water for an hour

Mix all the ingredients of the marinade, add the chicken strips, mix well and refrigerate for at least one hour. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, put the chicken on bamboo skewers, place the chicken skewers on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 15 -20 minutes. You could also toss these on an indoor (or outdoor) grill.

Peanut sauce

1 cup smooth peanut butter

2 T soy sauce

1 t fish sauce

3 drops chili oil

1 t sesame oil

2 T orange juice

While your chicken is marinating combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. (You can heat the peanut butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds if it’s too thick to work with.) Serve with skewers. I served mine up on some wild rice pilaf and tossed on some cilantro to garnish. You could serve these at a party in a large glass and let people grab them off the table and mingle with them. Who doesn’t love food on a stick???

The Neely’s Get Your Man Chicken

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:25:58 +0000

Pat & Gina Neely’s Get Your Man Chicken

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 chicken thighs, skinless
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in thick puree
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon lemon-pepper
Hot buttered rice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.

Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken, meat-side down first, and turning once, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate to reserve.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan.

Add onion to the pan and saute until tender, roughly 3 minutes. Add the stock and wine and stir, scrapping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Turn heat to high and reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add the dried herbs and lemon pepper. Add the chicken thighs back into the pan.Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 40 minutes.

Remove chicken from liquid and serve on hot buttered rice. Ladle the sauce on top and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:00:38 +0000

Big shout out to my girl, Shell over at Things I Can\’t Say ! She blogged about how much her kids liked this dish and it sounded so amazing I had to make it immediately. Let’s just say we were ALL licking the plates clean.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes

1 pound penne

2 t salt

1 ½ t pepper

1 T garlic powder

1 T Cajun seasoning

1 pound chicken, diced

2 T oil

3 T hot sauce, Frank’s or Tobasco, divided

1 cup mayo

1/2 cup ranch dressing

¾ cup milk

1 cup chopped celery

½ cup chopped scallions

shredded mozzerella

chopped blue cheese

Put on a pot of water to boil and when it does toss in some salt to season it and add in your pasta and cook until al dente.

Season chicken with the spices. You can pour it all into a ziploc bag to shake it all up. Heat oil over med-high heat and cook chicken until it’s cooked, about 5 minutes or so. Next add 2 T hot sauce and cook for an additional minute or so. This part always makes me cough, but I use A LOT of hot sauce, I like mine extra spicy!

Combine mayo, ranch, and milk and mix. It will be lumpy, then stir in additional T of hot sauce. It depends on how hot you want it. Add this to the skillet with the chicken. Cook a few minutes, until heated.

Pour over pasta and stir to combine. Top with fresh celery, scallions, mozzarella and crumbled blue cheese. Sooo good! Thanks, Shell! This one is going into permanent rotation!!!

Chicken Amazing

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:13:55 +0000

Serves 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes

2 T unsalted butter

2 T Olive Oil

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms

1 small onion, sliced thin

2 T minced shallots

1 T minced garlic

½ cup white wine

S&P

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Set a large skillet over medium heat. Add butter and olive oil and let it melt. Add mushrooms, onions and shallots and season with S&P. Cook about 5 minutes, toss in your garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add chicken and cook 10 minutes on first side and about 8 on the second, or until tender. Pour in your white wine about when you flip your chicken. Be sure to scrape up all the good stuff on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with cheese and remove from heat. Cover with tin foil for a few minutes, until, cheese melts. Serve it up good and hot! MMMmmmm!