Oven "Fried" Chicken Tenders

Everyone loves a good chicken tender. Whether they are dunked in ketchup or ranch, tossed on top of a salad, or placed inside of a sandwich, no one can deny the crunchy, goodness of chicken tenders. 

I like to lighten my chicken tenders up by marinating them in Greek yogurt and then coating them with Corn Flakes. This helps take away the fat from the traditional dreading processes of flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs. Marinating the chicken tenders in Greek yogurt also helps keep the chicken moist while baking. The Corn Flakes add the crunchy and crisp texture that everyone is looking for in a chicken tenders. I promise once you make these oven "fried" chicken tenders you will never go back to the greasy ones from fast food joints. 

Panko-Crusted Salmon

I love fish...my husband does not, so I am always trying to find new recipes for fish that he likes and will eat again. I have made this salmon dish three times now, and each time he tells me, "I would eat this again." I think I have a winner on my hands! Panko-Crusted Salmon! 

Baked Chicken Flautas

Love ordering chicken flautas at your favorite Mexican restaurant? Well now you can make them at home without the greasy mess and guilty feeling after eating them. These chicken flautas are packed with tons of vegetables and delicious flavors. What makes them even better is they are baked in the oven, not fried! Great for a quick, healthy lunch or busy school night dinner. 

Polenta Cakes with Mushroom Ragu

I have never had much luck making polenta, it never turns out as creamy or silky smooth as it should. But now I can buy pre-made polenta in the grocery store and enjoy the creamy texture I am always trying to achieve. I originally saw this recipe on The Chew, and have adapted it to my families liking. Pan-searing these polenta cakes makes the outside crispy while maintaining its creamy texture. Pair with a hearty mushroom ragu and you have a satisfying dinner on the table in no time.

Carbonara!

Carbonara, yum!

Here's the recipe for carbonara that  I use at home. It's quick, it's easy, it's DELICIOUS!

1 LB fettuccine noodles
1 LB bacon
1/2 C dry white wine (vodka works too!) 
1 tsp crushed red pepper
3-4 minced garlic cloves
1 tub of romano cheese
2 egg yolks
dried parsely

Cook fettuccine noodles according to package directions. While fettuccine is cooking, cube bacon, cook until crisp in a large pot. Drain fat. Deglaze the pot with wine. Add red pepper and garlic.

In a separate bowl whisk 2 egg yolks with a ladle full of pasta water. This is to temper your eggs and not wind up with scrambled egg in your pasta.

Toss noodles with bacon, pour egg mixture over. Toss well. Throw in a palmful of dried parsley.

That's it! Enjoy!

Creamy Slow-cooker Mac & Cheese

If your family loves Macaroni & Cheese from the little blue box, then you will love, love, love this recipe! This is the creamiest Mac & Cheese I have ever been able to make at home and all in the slow-cooker, so it is supper easy! I recently made this recipe for a family function; I tripled the recipe, and there was only one small scoop left...that in itself is a statement for how delicious this Mac & Cheese recipe is! Try it out and I guarantee you will love it.

Can anyone say delicious?!?!

Comforting Chili

This chili recipe is perfect for cold winter days, rainy monsoons, or a comforting night at home. I grew up eating this recipe and still love it today. It originally came from my Grandma Bauer, but over the years my mom and I have adjusted it to our personal tastes. It is packed with tons of beans and with the help of V-8 juice lots of vegetables too! A perfect way to get your daily value of vegetables in one delicious soup.

Spice-Rubbed, Grilled Pork Loin

My husband made this amazing pork loin for my birthday last night. It was so tender, juicy, and tasted delicious. The recipe is pretty simple, as along as you have a grill and a couple hours you can put a mouth-watering dinner on the table. 

This pork loin rested for 30 minutes and all that juice came out while we were cutting the meat. *It would be great to use the extra sauce to make a quick pan gravy.*

Slow Cooker Cashew, Almond Chicken

My husband and I absolutely love Chinese food, we pretty much eat it every chance we get. However, ordering Chinese take-out and eating at Chinese restaurants can get pricey, so I am always looking for new recipe to try at home. This cashew, almond, chicken is so easy and delicious. I will definitely be making this a regular in my recipe repertoire.

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken tenders
3 heaping tbs. all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tbs. vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbs. rice wine vinegar
2 tbs. Ketchup
1 tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 large cloves garlic, grated
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup cashews, salted or non-salted
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 cup snap peas
1 cup sliced carrots

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat the vegetable or canola oil. In a large zip-top bag, place the chicken tenders, flour, salt and pepper. Shake the bag until all the chicken is coated in the flour. Remove the chicken from the bag, shaking off the excess flour, and place in the skillet. Brown the chicken on each side, about 3-4 minutes.

While the chicken is browning, in a medium sized bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes until combined. When the chicken is done browning, place in the bottom of a slow cooker and pour the sauce over the top of the chicken. Cook on low 3-4 hours. During the last 30-45 minutes of cooking add the snap peas, carrots, almonds, and cashews.

Serve of rice and enjoy!

Note: If you like a lot of sauce you will probably want to double the sauce mixture.

Mexican Pizza

This recipe is so quick and easy! Start to finish it took me a total of 20 minutes to make...what could be easier then that? This pizza also comes in under 500 calories a serving which is always a plus when you are trying to eat healthy. This pizza reminds me of the Tostada Pizza that California Pizza Kitchen serves, the base of this Mexican pizza uses Pillsbury Crescent rolls, where as California Pizza Kitchen uses pizza dough. Either type of base will work, depending on what your family likes. Pizza dough would also bring the calorie count down even more if you wanted to go in that direction.

Bake the pizza in the oven at 375 degrees until the cheese has melted.

Ingredients-

1 lb. ground beef; 90% lean, 10% fat

2 (8 oz) cans Pillsbury Crescent rolls

2 tbs. Taco seasoning

2 (16 oz) cans refried beans

2 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, I used low-fat cheese

5 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup tomatoes, diced

1/3 cup black olives, sliced

4 cups shredded lettuce, I used Romaine

1/3 cup low-fat Greek yogurt

1 tbs. Ranch seasoning

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Unroll the Pillsbury Crescent rolls into rectangles and place in an ungreased 11 1/2 in x 16 1/2in jelly roll pan or baking sheet. Press the dough into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. The rolls may overlap slightly, that is ok. Bake the crust in the oven 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. 

While the crust is baking, brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Drain off any extra grease. Season the ground beef with salt, pepper, and taco seasoning. While the ground beef is cooking, heat the refried beans in a medium sized pot over medium heat. 

Once the crust is done cooking, carefully spread a layer of the refried beans over the crust. Next, spread that browned ground beef over the crust and top with the shredded cheese and scallions. Place back in the oven and cook for another 4-6 minutes until the cheese has melted. 

While the pizza is cooking, in a large bowl, mix together the Greek yogurt and ranch seasoning. Toss the lettuce, tomatoes, and olives in with the yogurt mixture until all the lettuce is nicely coated. When the pizza comes out of the oven top with the salad mixture and serve. Enjoy!

Delicious Turkey Burger

I have never really liked turkey burgers, every time I have had one they always taste like cardboard and are extremely dry, which does not make for good eats. Since my husband and I are trying to eat more healthy I decided to give them another go, however this time I made the burger mixture myself and added lots of ingredients I know my family enjoys. Not to toot my own horn, but these burgers were DELICIOUS! Even my husband thought so, which is always a good sign when I am trying new recipes. I will definitely be making these again!

1 lb ground turkey; 93% lean, 7% fat
1 Gala or Fuji apple, peeled and diced into small cubes
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chives, chopped
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup apricot preserve or jam; cranberry would also be good
1 tps. Tabasco hot sauce
2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juice and zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a small skillet, heat 1 tbs. olive oil over medium heat, then saute the apples and garlic till tender, about 10 minute. After the apples and garlic have cooked allow them to cool for about 10-15 minutes. In a medium sized bowl mix together the apples, garlic, chives, parsley, apricot preserve, Tabasco, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt and pepper. Add the ground turkey and mix until just combined, make sure not to over-mix otherwise the burgers will be tough. Place the burger mixture in the fridge for at least 30 minutes up to 6 hours.

After the mixture has chilled, form into four patties, and salt and pepper both sides. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbs. olive oil over medium-high heat. Place the burgers in the skillet and cook for 7 minutes on each side. You could also cook the burgers on a grill over medium-high heat for about 7 minutes on each side.

I served the burgers on a toasted roll with a small smear of mayonnaise, a slice of provolone cheese, and a handful of arugula. Enjoy!

Note: Even after letting the burger mixture rest in the fridge all day, the burgers were very loose. Next time I make these I will probably add an egg to the mixture or some bread crumbs. Also, my husband thought they were a little spicy, so you might want to add less Tabasco if you are sensitive to heat like he is.

Light and Healthy Chicken Potpie

I know what you must be thinking, light, healthy, how could chicken potpie fit this description and still be delicious... Well, I just might have found the recipe that offers the comforting feeling of eating chicken potpie and is only about 480 calories a serving. The key to making this potpie healthier is no cream, none at all. A combination of 2% milk and greek yogurt give the potpie the creamy consistency that everyone associates with chicken potpie.

I found the original recipe on Food Network, but modified it to my own family's tastes and likes. Hope you find this potpie as enjoyable as my husband did, he has only been talking about it for the past five days!

4 cups shredded chicken; you can use rotisserie chicken if you like

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to season the chicken

2 large russet potatoes

3 medium carrots, peeled and diced into chunks

2 large shallots, diced

1 tbs. fresh thyme leaves; striped from the stems

4 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

3 tbs. all-purpose flour

1/3 cup 1% milk

3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 large egg

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 store-bought pie crust

Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees F. Prick the potatoes with a fork and bake on the oven rack for about 45 minutes, or until tender. While the potatoes are baking place the chicken on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper and coat with 1 tbs. of the olive oil. Place the chicken in the same oven with the potatoes and bake for 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. When the potatoes come out of the oven, slightly cool then remove the peel and cut into cubes. Follow the same procedure with the chicken, except shredding instead of cutting into cubes. 

While the chicken is cooking, heat the remaining 3 tbs. olive oil in a large pot or skillet with tall sides. Add the shallots, carrots, thyme leaves, and salt and pepper to taste in the pan and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and continuously stir until the flour is lightly brown and toasted, about 3 minutes. Then add the milk, stock, and potatoes and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. After the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and stir in the corn, peas, chicken, yogurt, parsley, and season with salt and pepper. 

Pour the mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish. Roll out the pie crust on a lightly floured surface until it is slightly larger then the casserole dish. Place the pie crust over the dish and press the pie crust against the sides of the dish. Beat the egg in a bowl and then brush over the pie crust. Season the crust with salt and pepper. Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

Note: I ended up using 2 pie crust because I wanted a thicker crust on top of the potpie. You can also add more vegetable if you like; adjust the recipe to your taste. 

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

Here is a recipe for chicken noodle soup that is easy and sure to please on a blustery winter day!

What you need:

1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
Thyme - a few fresh sprigs, leaves stripped from stem or dried thyme leaves (1 tsp)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning (to your liking)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
6 cans chicken stalk
Wide egg noodles (half a bag)
Parsley for garnish (if desired)

Heat olive oil in stock pot over high heat. Dice chicken breasts and add to the pot. Brown chicken for about 5 minutes. Add vegetables, thyme, poultry seasoning and salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cover, letting the vegetables sweat for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add broth and bring to a boil. When vegetables are tender, add egg noodles and cook according to package. Serve immediately with parsley as garnish, if desired.

Variations: I like my chicken noodle soup VERY full of chicken and vegetables, so you can add more if you want.

Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Thyme Glazed Carrots

Monday was my dad's birthday, so I made pot roast with rice and carrots for his birthday dinner. I stuck the pot roast in the slow cooker and let it cook all day until it became juicy and tender. The carrots are also an one pot dish, so the entire meal is pretty easy and there is little clean-up involved, those are my favorite kind of meals! It was super delicious and will definitely feed a crowd. 

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

1 (4-5 lb) boneless round bottom roast; you could also use a chuck roast or top round roast

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to season the meat

Garlic powder, to season the meat

Onion powder, to season the meat

1 1/2 cups good red wine, whatever you prefer to drink  

1 large onion, grated or finely chopped

4 large garlic cloves, smashed

1 packet Au Jus mix or Brown Gravy mix

2 tbs. Worcestershire sauce

3 tbs. Dijon mustard

1/4 cup Ketchup

2 or 3 sprigs of thyme

1 tbs. Kosher salt

1 tbs. freshly ground black pepper

2 cups water

Season all sides of the meat liberally with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Place the roast in the slow cooker with the grated/chopped onion, garlic cloves and thyme sprigs. In a medium bowl mix together the red wine, Au Jus mix, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, ketchup, water, salt and pepper. Whisk until combined and then pour over meat. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 8 to 10 hours, depending on how much time you have. 

Once the roast is cooked, slice into 1/2 in. pieces and serve over white rice or mashed potatoes. Ladle the juices from the slow-cooker over the pot roast and enjoy!

Thyme Glazed Carrots

2 lbs baby carrots

2 tbs thyme leaves

4 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. While the olive oil is heating, strip the leaves from the thyme stems (no chopping involved) and wash the carrots. Make sure to thoroughly dry the carrots, as you do not want to get any water in the cooking oil. 

Once the olive oil has heated up place the carrots, thyme leaves, brown sugar, salt and pepper in the skillet. Stir together so all the carrots are coated in the brown sugar. Place a lid on the skillet and cook for 25-30 minutes depending on how tender you like your carrots. Stirring occasionally to ensure the carrots and brown sugar do not burn.

Serve with the pot roast and rice or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Note: This meal will serve a lot of people! There were 5 of us on Monday night and there were enough leftovers for four lunches. 

Fake-out Takeout

Pork Gyoza (Dumplings/Potstickers)

Vegetable Fried Rice

Instead of ordering Chinese takeout, why not try and make it at home? It is easy, fun, and friendly on your wallet! Below are the recipes for each dish.

Pork Gyoza (Dumplings/Potstickers)
1 lb. ground pork
6 oz. cream cheese; brought to room temperature
2 large eggs
4 scallions, diced
3 large garlic cloves, grated
2 tbs. ginger, grated
4 tbs. soy sauce
3 tsp. sesame oil
3 tbs. vegetable or canola oil
wonton wrapper; approximately 60

In a medium bowl whisk together the softened cream cheese, eggs, grated garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Whisk ingredients till combined - it is alright if there are still a few lumps of cream cheese. You can also mix the ingredients with a hand-mixer but I find that a whisk works just fine.

Next fold in the scallions and ground pork and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over work the mixture, as the meat will begin to get tough and will become chewy when cooked. Place a heaping teaspoon of the mixture into the center of a wonton wrapper. Moisten the edges of the wonton wrapper with a little water using your finger, fold the wrapper in half but do not seal. Pinch one end of the wrapper closed, then begin to create pleats along the edge of the wrapper until you reach the other end. Flatten out the bottom of the dumpling so it will sit nicely in the skillet. Repeat until all the wonton wrappers are filled.

In a large skillet, heat 3 tbs vegetable or canola oil on medium-high heat. Place the dumplings, flat side down, in the pan; making sure not to over-crowd the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the bottoms of the dumplings are golden brown. Next, pour 1/4 cup of water into the skillet and cover with a lid, cook the dumplings another 3-4 minutes until cooked through. Working in batches until all the dumplings are cooked. 

Serve with honey-soy dipping sauce and enjoy!

Note: This recipe makes a lot of dumplings, we generally freeze half of the dumplings to enjoy later.

Honey-Soy Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
4 tbs sesame oil
4 tbs rice vinegar
3 scallions, diced
1 large clove garlic, grated
1 tbs ginger, grated

Combine all the ingredients into a tupperware, tightly secure the lid, and shake until combined. Serve with pork gyoza.

Vegetable Fried Rice
1 c brown rice
2 1/4 c water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c edamame
1 c shredded carrots
1/2 c peas
4 tbs. vegetable or canola oil
1 packet of fried rice seasoning mix
2 tbs. soy sauce
1 scallion sliced thin for garnish

In a small sauce pan bring the water and salt to a boil. Once the water has boiled, stir in the rice, cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes. 

After the rice has cooked, heat the oil to high heat in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, place the rice, vegetables, soy sauce, and seasoning mix into the skillet. Stir to combine and let sit for 4-5 minutes until the bottom of the rice gets crisp and browned. Flip the rice and cook for another 4-5 minutes. You want the pan to stay very hot so you can get the rice crisp and a little crunchy, mimicking the traditional fried rice texture without having to "fry" it in too much oil or a wok.

Garnish with sliced scallions and serve!

Note: You can add whatever vegetables you like or substitute white rice for brown rice.