SPICY ROASTED GARLIC CHICKEN SOUP

SPICY ROASTED GARLIC CHICKEN SOUP
Olivia is very good at adapting recipes and tweaking them to make them her own.  Such is the case with this soup.  The combination of jalapeno peppers and ginger give it a delightful kick that soothes the soul on those still somewhat chilly Spring days.  If you are a little weary of chicken with rice, white chili, chicken noodle, etc. give your taste buds  a treat with this hearty soup.  Who knows, you may want to tweak it further and make it your very own variation.  Enjoy!
Nanette

SPICY ROASTED GARLIC CHICKEN SOUP

1 cup quinoa
2 heads garlic
olive oil
Kosher salt
8 cups chicken broth
1 purple onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
season salt to taste
10 jalapeño slices from a jar of pickled jalapeños (more or less to taste)
pinch of powdered ginger
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken

1)  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the tops off of both heads of garlic, and place on a large piece of foil.  Drizzle olive oil over each and sprinkle with Kosher salt.  Wrap the foil all the way up around the heads of garlic, so it makes a closed pouch.  Place in the oven for 30 minutes.  Remove, cool slightly, and then squeeze the heads of garlic so the roasted cloves pop out of the heads.  Set aside for a moment.
2)  In a stock pot, drizzle a bit of olive oil in the stock pot.  Place the onions in and begin to cook.  Add the carrots, and heat slightly over medium heat to soften both.
3)  Add the chicken broth, celery seed, ground pepper, ground ginger, and season salt to the stock pot.  Bring to a boil.
4)  Add the quinoa to the boiling chicken broth, cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes.
5)  Meanwhile, add the roasted garlic to a small food processor, chopper, or blender.  Add the jalapeño slices to the garlic, and process until smooth.
6)  At the end of the 10 minutes, add the garlic and jalapeño mixture and shredded chicken to the broth.
7)  Simmer the soup for 10 minutes and serve immediately.

OVEN CHICKEN FAJITAS

Oven Chicken Fajitas
Before you enjoy this delicious chicken fajita recipe, I want to tell you about the Heirloom Tomato Festival Olivia and I attended this last weekend.  For the second year in a row, Olivia competed in the salsa competition at the festival and she won for the second time in a row!  Her salsa was an original creation made in about twenty minutes and included corn, tomatoes, black beans, pineapple, onion, and other tasty ingredients.  Here is a a look at the colorful creation.

                                                                                                                               
The festival was held at the site of an old train depot, now a restaurant.  Here are a couple of images from the event.

   We had a great time exploring all things tomato!  There were fried green tomatoes, tomato soup, tomato sandwiches, and green tomato pie.  We had fun and I got to eat the salsa Olivia made during the competition.  Don't be afraid to experiment yourself with making homemade salsa.  A really tasty salsa and chips would be just the thing with this great fajita .
-Nanette                                                                                                                                                                                      

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced (I use half a green and half a red)
• 12 flour tortillas
• Toppings such as cheese, sour cream, and guacamole – if desired

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken strips in a greased 13×9 baking dish.
2. In a small bowl combine the oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt
3. Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and stir to coat.
4. Next add the tomatoes, peppers, and onions to the dish and stir to combine.
5. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve on tortillas with desired toppings.

CHILI CILANTRO CHICKEN

CHILI CILANTRO CHICKEN
In our neck of the woods it has been a somewhat wet spring.  This is bad for overflowing rivers and some very wet farmland but it has been good for our small gardens and potted plants.  Included in those homegrown items are herbs such as cilantro and vegetables such as asparagus.  Olivia made this delicious cilantro chicken dish (two flavors that are fantastic together) and served it with asparagus.

If you haven't already, start checking out your local farmers markets.  The early vegetables such as asparagus, radishes, onions, and a great variety of lettuces are starting to appear.  The freshness and goodness of these homegrown foods cannot be matched by anything you will find in the grocery.  Support local growers and improve the quality of food you eat.  Happy eating!
-Nanette

CHILI CILANTRO CHICKEN

• 2 pounds boneless/skinless chicken thighs or breast meat
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, mince
• 3/4 bunch fresh cilantro (save remaining for garnish)
• 1 teaspoon salt & pepper
• Sweet chili sauce for basting

Cooking Process: 

Soak skewers in water for at least 20 minutes to prevent burning.

Cut chicken into 1" cubes and place into bowl.  Add olive oil, garlic and cilantro in a food processor and pulverize. Pour the marinade into the bowl with the chicken, add teaspoon of salt and pepper and marinate overnite if possible.

Preheat the grill to medium heat and coat with oil. Remove chicken from the refrigerator and put 5-6 pieces of chicken on each skewer.  Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side. Brush chili sauce on chicken just before done cooking to create a nice glaze.

BAKED CHICKEN CHIMICHANGAS

CINCO DE MAYO ENTREE:
BAKED CHICKEN CHIMICHANGAS




In honor of Cinco De Mayo, here is a great Mexican dish you will want to try soon.  The ingredients are simple, the process is easy, and the taste is great!

You may be seeing a lot more recipes with a Southwestern or Mexican flare in the coming months.  Olivia and I went shopping for flower and vegetable plants today for our gardens, and Olivia found quite a few interesting pepper selections.  I'm confident it will work out well for her and those who enjoy the food she makes.  She likes spicy food she is innovative at preserving overflowing produce, so I'm sure it will all work out well.

We had great fun shopping for plants today.  We went to a nursery in Ligonier, Indiana that has been family run for many years.  In addition to selling plants, they also have a restaurant and in the fall, they produce fun and innovative displays with pumpkins.  They fashion them in the likenesses of Presidents, cartoon characters, cultural icons, etc.  We took Olivia there when she was a toddler.  Today she and I traveled  there to buy plants for our gardens.  That is one of the many things I love about growing up, having a child, and living in the same state for many years.  We have gathered a treasure of great memories.  I thought about those today as Olivia and I explored the plants together, talked over flower combinations and choices, and, of course, explored the mind boggling array of peppers.

Whether you mark Cinco De Mayo with great Mexican food, gather together to celebrate a meal during upcoming Mother's Day, or plan your own vegetable garden, be sure to make a lasting memory with those you love.

- Nanette

BAKED CHICKEN CHIMICHANGAS

8oz pkg. cream cheese

8oz. Lightening Jack or Pepperjack cheese, shredded

1 1/2 Tbsp. taco seasoning

1 lb. cooked chicken, shredded  (I used one pint jar of homemade shredded chicken and it made five chimichangas.)

8 flour tortillas

cooking spray

shredded cheddar cheese

green onions, for garnish

sour cream

salsa

Stir together cream cheese, Lightening Jack or Pepperjack cheese and taco seasoning.

Fold in chicken.

Divide among flour tortillas.  Sprinkle A bit of cheddar cheese on top of the mixture on each tortilla.

Tuck in sides, and roll up each tortilla.  You may need to use toothpicks to keep the  chimichanga together.  (See the picture below.)

Lay seam side down on a cookie rack placed on a large cookie sheet.  Make sure you've sprayed the cookie rack.

Spray tops of tortillas with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Turn chimichangas over, and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Serve with cheddar cheese, green onions, sour cream, and salsa.

Bacon-Cheese Topped Chicken

Olivia has a very good friend whose wife is an extraordinary cook!  This friend is a retired teacher who acted as a true mentor when Olivia first started teaching.  Luckily, even though this gentleman has retired he and Olivia have kept in touch.  In many ways, he has become like a second father to her.  Recently he and his wife invited Olivia and her husband to their home for dinner.  This recipe, which originally came from Taste of Home, was the main attraction for that evening.  Olivia raved about it.  I haven't had it yet, but the picture looks fabulous.

When Olivia originally tasted it, the recipe was made totally with maple syrup.  When Olivia made it herself, she used 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup syrup.  Olivia also substituted onions for the mushrooms--just out of personal preference.  Olivia tells me it comes out looking like it is coated with some kind of marvelous barbecue sauce and is very flavorful.  Hope you enjoy it!  Let's be honest here--it has bacon, chicken, cheese and the sweetness of honey and/or syrup--how could you NOT enjoy it?
- Nanette

Bacon-Cheese Topped Chicken
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup honey (or maple syrup or 1/4 c. syrup,1/4 cup honey) 
• 4-1/2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• Dash paprika
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 bacon strips, partially cooked
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the mustard, honey, 1-1/2 teaspoons oil and

lemon juice. Pour 1/2 cup into a large resealable plastic bag; add

the chicken. Seal the bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 2 hours.

Cover and refrigerate the remaining marinade.

Drain and discard marinade from chicken. In a large skillet over

medium heat, brown chicken in remaining oil on all sides. Sprinkle

with salt, pepper and paprika. Transfer to a greased 11-in. x 7-in.

baking dish. In the same skillet, saute mushrooms in butter until tender. Spoon

reserved marinade over chicken. Top with cheeses and mushrooms.

Place bacon strips in a crisscross pattern over chicken.

Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a meat

thermometer reads 170°. Sprinkle with parsley. Yield: 4

servings.

Recipe Source:  Taste of Home

Saving Money with a YUMMY Recipe!

It seems as though every time I go to the grocery, I notice food costs continuing to go up.  One way I save money is by buying bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts instead of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Now, before I go on any further with this post, I have to share my tale of woe.  I had taken pictures of how much chicken I got off of my bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, the prep work I did ahead, and the final food created with the recipe which will follow, but I had a mishap, and the pictures didn't end up on my phone.  When I told my husband about this, he said with a hopeful tone, "Soooooo....you have to make it again?!?"  To say the recipe I made last night was a hit is an understatement.  Since I didn't want to wait to post this until next week, when I make this again, I thought I'd go ahead and post, even without the pictures.  Please forgive the lack of pics!  :)

So back to the money savings here...  I put the bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts in a gallon sized bag with the marinade the night before I was going to grill them.  The package of chicken I was able to get on sale had three enormous pieces in it, and was $2.97.  It was an awesome deal! 

After marinating chicken overnight, I grilled the chicken when I had the grill going for another meal.  I wanted to get the chicken cooked so I could have a quick meal the following night.  I allowed the chicken to cool after I grilled it, so I could easily take it off the bone.  I put the chicken in a plastic container and stored it in the fridge.  I also cut the onions and peppers the night before.  Storing them in a gallon sized bag was an easy way to have everything ready to throw together when I wanted to prepare them.

The flavor of brushing the lime butter over the quesadillas gives this recipe a blast of flavor on the shell of the tortilla.  I sprinkled a bit of  Fleur de Sel Salt from the S.A.L.T. Sisters website.  This salt works wonderfully as a finishing salt and added the perfect touch on these quesidillas.  (You can order it here:  http://www.saltsistersonline.com/classicsalt/product/fleur-de-sel-organic-french-grey-sea-salt) 

With a bit of thinking ahead, you can easily save money and have a delicious meal with this recipe.  Please let us know how you like it if you try it!  :)

-Olivia

Margarita Chicken Quesadillas

Recipe from:  Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each)
• 3/4 cup thawed frozen limeade concentrate
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 medium sweet orange pepper, julienned
• 1 medium sweet yellow pepper, julienned
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 flour tortillas (10 inches)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges, optional

Directions

Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag; add limeade

concentrate. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 6 hours or

overnight.

In a large skillet, saute the onion and sweet peppers in oil until

tender; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; using long-handled tongs,

lightly coat the grill rack. Drain and discard marinade. Grill 5-8 minutes

on each side or until a thermometer reads 170°. Cut chicken into 1/4-in. strips; set aside.

On one half of each tortilla, layer Monterey Jack cheese, chicken,

pepper mixture and cheddar cheese; fold over. Place quesadillas on a

baking sheet. Combine butter and lime juice; brush over tortillas.

Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Sprinkle with cilantro; serve with

lime wedges if desired. Yield: 16 wedges.

Grilled Rosemary Ranch Chicken

Here in the Midwest, we are having an unusually warm end to our winter season.  It has been over 80 degrees out for the past four or five days now.  While I love the different seasons and I don't generally mind snow, I must say - I have really enjoyed the summer weather.  The flowers are sprouting, trees are flowering, grass is growing, robins are plentiful, and the grill has reappeared from the garage.  I love to grill.  I can marinate some meat for a couple of days, throw vegetable packets together in foil, and have dinner grilled in no time, with very little clean up!  Now that is my kind of weeknight cooking!

I do not keep ranch salad dressing in the house usually.  With that being said, I do keep my ranch salad dressing seasoning (see my post about homemade mixes) in the cupboard.  Instead of using ranch dressing in this, I used 1 cup of buttermilk and 3-4 tablespoons of ranch seasoning mix.  (I like a lot of seasonings in my marinades.)

This marinade resulted in the juiciest, most flavorful chicken ever.  I love this marinade so much that while I just used this recipe last week, I already have more of it made and marinating pork chops as we speak for dinner tomorrow night!

Try it for yourself and let us know how you like it!

Happy Grilling!

Olivia

I allowed this chicken to marinade for about 48 hours or so.  You certainly do not have to, but I like to throw it together on a Saturday or Sunday for dinner Monday or Tuesday night when I get home from work!

Rosemary Ranch Chicken

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup ranch dressing

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon dried rosemary  (I used fresh.)

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon white vinegar  (I used apple cider vinegar.)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves -

In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Pound chicken breast to 1/4" thickness. Place chicken in the gallon size Ziplock bag, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours (all day). Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Grill chicken for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

All grilled up and ready to eat...  MMMMMMMM!

Sour Cream and Bacon Crock Pot Chicken

I  must admit I have not tried this crock pot recipe, but Olivia says it is fabulous and my child has never told me something that isn't true...so this must be really good (wink).  It is reminiscent of a recipe we have made in the past that included wrapping chicken around dried beef and then wrapping the chicken with bacon, but that was an oven recipe.  Olivia says this is very similar and it can be done in a crock pot--what's not to love?  The chicken comes out so tender you can flake it with a fork and it can be served with rice, noodles, or potatoes.  What I also really like about it is the ingredients are simple things you are likely to have around the kitchen anyway.  This sounds like a week night meal waiting to happen to me.  Hope you like it!
-Nanette


Sour Cream and Bacon Crock Pot Chicken

Ingredients

• 8 bacon slices
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 (10 oz) cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup flour (all purpose or gluten free blend)
• 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
• garlic powder to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place the bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-low heat until some of the fat is rendered. Be sure that the bacon is still pliable and not crisp. Drain on paper towels. If you use this method, reduce the flour to 1/4 cup. Or don’t cook the bacon and proceed with the recipe.
2. Then wrap one slice of bacon around each boneless chicken breast and place in a 4-5 quart crockpot.
3. In medium bowl, combine condensed soups, sour cream, spices, and flour and mix with wire whisk to blend. Pour over chicken.
4. Cover crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours until chicken and bacon are thoroughly cooked. You may want to remove the chicken and beat the sauce with a wire whisk so it is very well blended.
5. Pour sauce over chicken.
6. If you have a newer crockpot, check the chicken at 5 hours. The internal temp should be 160 -170 degrees F.

Chicken in the crock pot all smothered and ready to cook!

The delicious chicken served up with some mashed potatoes and peas.  Mmmmm!

CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI CASSEROLE

Olivia found this great recipe, tried it, and really liked it.  There are several special things about this recipe.  You use fresh broccoli  and the sauce is totally homemade.  The recipe calls for poppy seeds--a different twist for a chicken recipe but a really nice one.  The recipe also calls for Ritz crackers and lots of cheese--yum!
-Nanette

 French Chicken Broccoli Supreme

Ingredients:

  1 – lb. fresh broccoli Break in pieces, and steam for 2 minutes.
3 cups cooked chicken breasts  – Break up in small pieces
3 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese divided
2 tubes Ritz Crackers
1  stick melted butter
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

  SAUCE: 
1/3 C. Butter melted
1/4 C. Cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 C. COLD Water
1/3 C. Chicken Broth
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 Cups Milk
1 1/2 cups of the above Cheddar Cheese

 Directions:

In greased 13×9 pan, layer the broccoli and chicken, then set aside. In saucepan over medium heat, combine the melted butter, cornstarch dissolved in water, chicken broth, seasonings, and milk. Stir well, and continue stirring until sauce has thickened. Turn heat down to low, and add 1- 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese. Stir until melted. Pour over the chicken and broccoli. Top with 1- 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese.

Melt the butter, and add the poppy seeds, and stir well. Crush Ritz crackers in large zip-lock bag with a rolling pin. Don’t crush too small. Add crumbs to the melted butter. Sprinkle crumbs over the top of the grated cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until hot & bubbly.

Recipe from:  "Get Off Your Butt and Bake" Website

Chicken and broccoli before it's smothered in sauce and cracker crumbs:

Cheesy, yummy sauce:

Finished casserole: