Thursday, July 26, 2012
Walnut Chicken Salad
INGREDIENTS
4
skinned and boned chicken breast halves
3
tablespoons buttermilk
1
cup finely ground walnuts
1/2
cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
1
teaspoon salt
2
tablespoons vegetable oil
6
cups torn mixed salad greens
4
cups torn fresh spinach
1
cup (4 ounces) shredded colby-Monterey Jack cheese
blend
16
cherry tomatoes, cut in half
PREPARATION
Place
chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4-inch
thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Brush buttermilk evenly over
chicken.
Combine
walnuts, breadcrumbs, and salt in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in
mixture.
Pour
oil into a large skillet; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken,
and cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove from heat; cool
slightly. Cut chicken crosswise into thin slices.
Combine
salad greens and spinach, and arrange on each of 4 individual plates. Sprinkle
with cheese, and top with tomato halves and chicken.
Cheesy Chicken Taco Casserole
INGREDIENTS
1
1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Salt
and pepper
1
(24 oz.) jar pasta sauce
9
(5-inch) corn tortillas
1
cup chopped cilantro
2
cups shredded Monterey Jack (8 oz.)
1
small tomato, sliced
PREPARATION
Preheat
oven to 400°F. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a small skillet and
add cold water to cover. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to
medium-low and cook, turning once or twice, until opaque and firm, about 10
minutes. Remove, let cool and cut into small pieces or shred. You should have
about 3 cups cut-up chicken.
Spread
one-third of sauce over bottom of a 7-by-11-inch baking dish. Arrange 3
tortillas, slightly overlapping, on top. Sprinkle one-third of chicken and
cilantro over tortillas. Top with a third of cheese. Make two more layers of
sauce, tortillas, chicken, cilantro and cheese. Arrange tomato on final layer of
cheese. Cover with foil and bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and
cook until top is lightly browned, 10 minutes more
Baked Buffalo Chicken Strips with Blue Cheese Dip
INGREDIENTS
2
pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1
1/2 cups plus 1/2 cup buttermilk
2/3
cup hot sauce
1
cup sour cream
5
ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1/2
tablespoon white wine vinegar
1
1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt
and pepper
8
ounces Ritz crackers (2 sleeves)
3
tablespoons Buffalo wing seasoning mix
4
tablespoons canola oil
6
large celery ribs, cut in quarters lengthwise
PREPARATION
Cut
each chicken breast into 4 strips, lengthwise, and place in a large bowl. In a
separate bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups buttermilk and hot sauce until blended.
Pour over chicken; mix until chicken is coated. Cover and refrigerate for 1
hour.
Make
dip: In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, 1/2 cup buttermilk, blue cheese,
vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk to mix well. Season to taste with salt
and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
Preheat
oven to 350ºF. Mist 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray. In a food
processor, pulse crackers until crushed. Add seasoning mix and pulse to
combine.
Spread
cracker mixture on a large platter. Remove chicken from marinade and carefully
dredge each strip in cracker mixture.
In
a large skillet, warm 2 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add
half of chicken and cook, turning, until brown and crisp on all sides, 2 to 3
minutes. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining oil and
chicken.
Place
baking sheets in oven and bake until chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
Serve chicken hot with celery and blue cheese dip.
Chicken Rice Casserole
INGREDIENTS
Cooking
spray
1
cup chopped onion
1
(8-ounce) bone-in chicken breast half, skinned
1/2
teaspoon black pepper, divided
1
(14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1
tablespoon butter
1
(8-ounce) zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1
(8-ounce) yellow squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2
cups cooked long-grain white rice
1
teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1
1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1
1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2
cup (2 ounces) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese,
divided
1/4
teaspoon salt
PREPARATION
Preheat
oven to 350°.
Heat
a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add
onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4
teaspoon pepper; add chicken, meaty side down, to pan. Cook 6 minutes or until
browned; turn chicken over. Add broth to pan. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15
minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan, reserving broth in
pan. Let chicken stand 10 minutes. Remove chicken from bones; shred. Discard
bones. Place chicken in a large bowl.
Bring
broth to a boil; cook, uncovered, until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 10 minutes).
Add broth mixture to chicken. Melt butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add
squash to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently.
Add squash mixture, rice, and minced rosemary to the chicken mixture, and toss
gently to combine.
Place
flour in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add milk, stirring until
smooth; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly with
a whisk. Remove from heat; let stand 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup cheese; stir with a
whisk until smooth. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, milk mixture, and salt to
chicken mixture; stir to combine. Spoon chicken mixture into a broiler-safe
8-inch ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup
cheese over rice mixture; bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly
heated. Remove casserole from oven.
Preheat
broiler.
Broil
casserole 5 minutes or until golden.
NUTRITIONAL
INFORMATION Calories
(337); Fat (9.7g/sat 5.7g/mono 2.7g/poly 0.6g); Protein (23.9g); Carb (38.2g);
Fiber (2.8g); Chol (56mg);
Iron (2.3mg); Sodium (592mg); Calc
(331mg)
Chicken Cacciatore
INGREDIENTS
1/4
cup all-purpose flour
1
1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4
teaspoon black pepper
1
3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, cut into pieces
1/4
cup olive oil
1
medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1
carrot, diced
1
celery stalk, diced
4
cloves garlic, finely chopped
3
sprigs fresh thyme
1
bay leaf
1
28-ounce can plum tomatoes
1/3
cup dry red wine
1/4
cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
PREPARATION
In
a shallow bowl, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of
the pepper. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. Working in
batches, lightly coat the chicken with the flour mixture, shaking off any
excess.
Heat
the oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat. Add some of the
chicken to the pan and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to
a plate; set aside. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Add
the onion to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, garlic,
thyme, and bay leaf. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
Crush
the tomatoes in the can with a large spoon and stir them into the vegetables
along with the wine and the remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Add
the chicken, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes, turning the pieces
occasionally. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the parsley
Chicken Fajitas
INGREDIENTS
2
tablespoons olive oil, divided
1
onion, sliced
2
red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, or a combination, cored and
sliced
Salt,
to taste
2
garlic cloves, minced
1
1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
1
teaspoon ground chili powder, or to taste
6
tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
1/4
cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1
(3- to 4-pound) roasted whole chicken, chopped
8
(8-inch) flour tortillas
Toppings
salsa,
sliced avocado or prepared guacamole, sour cream, and sliced green
onions
PREPARATION
Heat
1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onion, bell
pepper, and salt, and cook 3 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and chili powder, and
cook 1 minute or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from heat, and stir
in 2 tablespoons lime juice and 2 tablespoons cilantro.
Heat
tortillas according to package directions.
Whisk
together remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 4 tablespoons lime juice, and 2 tablespoons
cilantro in a small bowl; season with salt. Drizzle dressing over chicken; toss
to coat. Arrange chicken, vegetables, and warm tortillas on platter. Serve with
toppings.
Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
INGREDIENTS
1/2
teaspoon salt
1/4
teaspoon pepper
6
skinned and boned chicken breast halves
1
(5.5-ounce) box seasoned croutons, crushed
1/3
cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2
egg whites
2
tablespoons water
12
thinly sliced smoked ham slices
6
Swiss cheese slices
Honey
mustard dressing (optional)
PREPARATION
Sprinkle
salt and pepper evenly over chicken; set aside.
Combine
seasoned crouton crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a large zip-top plastic bag.
Whisk together egg whites and 2 tablespoons water in a shallow
bowl.
Dip
chicken in egg white mixture, and drain. Place 1 breast
half in bag; seal and shake to coat. Remove to a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined baking sheet, and repeat with remaining
chicken.
Bake
at 450° for 20 minutes or until chicken is done. Top each breast half with 2 ham
slices and 1 Swiss cheese slice. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese melts.
Serve with honey mustard dressing, if desired.