Recipe for left over Chicken #1

We eat a lot of chicken.  Definitely at least once a week, but usually more.  There are just SO many wonderful things that you can do with left over chicken.  It makes perfect sense that if you are going to cook some chicken, whether you bake it, grill it, fry it, roast it, saute it, however you decide to cook it...make a little extra for another meal.

Starting with this post, I have decided to keep track and write down all the different options that I can come up with for Chicken.  Now I'm not going to go crazy with this and start eating chicken every day or soliciting for all the chicken recipes I can find.  I won't even guarantee a weekly post. This is just a record for myself and maybe a little inspiration for you.

Yesterday we grilled Balsamic Chicken strips and I grilled extra for tonight.  It was cheap, fast, easy and SO delish.  ANY type of cooked chicken works for these. 

Corn Tortilla Chips
Slice or cube Chicken 
Salsa
Cheddar Cheese
Layer and Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes until cheese is melted and chicken is warm.

Layer nacho chips with sliced chicken, salsa and cheese.

Bake at 350 for approx. 15 minutes.  Add sour cream and ENJOY!!

Happy Memorial Day

All the fixings for coleslaw.

Grilled Brats and Balsamic Chicken Strips

Coleslaw

Grilled Sweet Potato rounds off the dinner.

Cole Slaw Recipe

1/3 Cup Diced Carrots
2 Cups Chopped Green Cabbage
1 Cup Chopped Purple Cabbage

1 Cup Mayo
2 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Tablespoons Vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Mix all ingredients together and chill at least 2 hours before serving.

For the Balsamic Chicken Strips
I just marinated sliced boneless chicken breasts in Balsamic Vinegar, Garlic Powder and Pepper and then grilled. 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend filled with good food, family and friends.
A big THANK YOU to all of our service members and their families for the sacrifices they make.

Blueberry Muffins - Great for a lazy Sunday!

I did not create this recipe and I have no idea who to give the credit to for it because I have used it for SO long now.  All I can say is I pulled it from a magazine probably 15 years ago.  Thank You to whomever created it because I love it and I'm passing it on hoping others will too.
This recipe makes 1 dozen muffins.

2 Cups all purpose flour
1/2 Cup Sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1 egg
3/4 Cup milk
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Topping
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cold butter

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  In another bowl, combine the egg, milk, orange peel and vanilla;  stir into crumb mixture just until moist.  Gently fold in blueberries.

For topping mixture combine ingredients, cut in the cold butter and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Fill paper lined muffin cups 2/3 full.  Sprinkle on about 1 teaspoon of topping over muffins.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

ENJOY!!

Chicken Flautas

I had never made this before but I will again.  This is a simple recipe and a great way to use up left over chicken.
I followed the recipe in Food Networks May issue all except for the radishes that I forgot to pick up.  It was really good though and we didn't even miss them.  We did however miss the cilantro which I forgot to put on. 

1 avocado, halved and pitted
1/2 cup sour cream
1 lime
Salt
6 Radishes thinly sliced
3 Cups shredded chicken
1 1/2 cups fresh salsa
Corn tortillas
Vegetable Oil for frying
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro

Scoop the avocado into processor/blender.  Add the sour cream and the juice of 1/2 lime and pulse until smooth.  Season with salt.

Squeeze the remaining 1/2 lime over the radishes in a small bowl and sprinkle with salt. 

Toss the chicken with 3/4 cup salsa.

Wrap the tortillas in paper towels and microwave until soft, about 45 minutes.  Or if you're like me and don't use a microwave, I heated them in the oven on 300 for about 2 or 3 minutes.  Spoon the chicken mixture down the middle of the tortillas.  Fold in the ends and roll up like a burrito and secure with toothpicks.

Heat 3/4 inch vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until approximately 375.  Fry the flautas, turning as needed, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove with tongs, set on paper towels and remove the toothpicks.  Serve with the avocado cream, radishes, cilantro, lime wedge and the remaining salsa.

I served with a little plain white rice.

ENJOY!!

My personal thoughts on food.

I believe that local organic food (produce, meat, dairy) is the best food you can eat.
I believe that food is one of the biggest factors in our health and well being.
I believe that processed food is full of chemicals and preservatives that are killing us.
I believe that you can prepare a meal at home with good quality ingredients for less money than you would spend at the fast food joint or in the freezer section of your local 'food' mart.

I understand that local organic food is not always easy to find.
I understand that for a number of years here in America the media hype has been preaching fast, easy, time saving and pre packaged.
I understand that life is busy and messy and stressful.

I hope that good quality, local and or organic food becomes the 'norm' and more easily accessible to all of us.
I hope that it becomes easier to learn about food, cooking and health.
I hope the media hype really picks up on the changes that are going on and starts to promote a more conscious and healthy way of living.

I personally am on the journey of changing how I live and do things. It's a journey in progress.

'Big Mac" Attack

We've never been much on 'fast food' at our house but I did used to enjoy a Big Mac every now and then. Well it's been years since we've had one so I decided to try to re-create one at home.

For the 'Special Sauce' I combined...
1/2 cup low fat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mayo
2 tablespoons nonfat milk
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
salt
3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
3 tablespoons minced red bell pepper.
And mix until smooth.

Cook up the best ground beef you can find. Make the patties small and try to keep them as flat as possible while cooking.

To assemble...
Bun bottom
Special Sauce
Slice of Cheese
Beef patty
Bun bottom
Special sauce
Slice of Cheese
Beef patty
Diced onion
3 or 4 Dill pickles
Shredded Lettuce
Top bun

They were really good and fun to make but I think if I make these again I will leave one layer out. Since we've been watching portion control, I couldn't eat the whole thing.
I gave it a really good try though.

Enjoy!

Coffee Cake Muffins

The dry ingredients for these muffins can be combined the night before baking. In the morning, just add the liquid ingredients and mix.
Another bonus is the variety. You can add a cup of raisins or blueberries or raspberries or diced apples...the list goes on.

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup oil

GLAZE
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl combine all (except nuts) dry ingredients. In another bowl beat the egg, milk and oil and stir into dry ingredients just until moist. I added 1 cup of raisins to the batter but get creative. This weekend I'll be making them with diced apples.

Spoon mixture into lined muffin tins and top with chopped nuts.

Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes.
Cool for 5 minutes.
Combine the glaze ingredients and drizzle over muffins.

Makes 1 dozen