Sweet Dijon Chicken Thighs

I am trying to keep up with my promise to start cooking the things I am Pinning on my Pinterest recipes board.  I have had this recipe on my "to-do" list for a while now and just picked up a big pack of thighs at Costco.   If you are eating these bad boys with either rice or potatoes, the sauce makes a great "gravy".  I can see why the original recipe author called this dish "Man Pleasing Chicken", my husband loved them too!!  I served them with roasted carrots and garlic and herb mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

• Chicken thighs (I used 6, you might need a little more sauce for 8, especially if you like your meat saucey like I do!)
• 1/2 c. dijon mustard
• 1/4 c. maple syrup
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1 tsp rosemary
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Mix up the sauce ingredients (mustard to salt & peppers).
2. Spread the thighs out in a baking dish and cover with the sauce.  Marrinate over night or for the day, if possible, but they are OK cooked right away too!
3. Heat the oven to 450 F.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, basting twice during cooking time, until thighs are cooked through.

BBQ Chicken Salad (in a mixing bowl)

Do you eat your salad in a mixing bowl?  In case you haven't noticed from previous posts, I am a volume eater.  I like to cram all of my food full of veggies so that I can eat the largest quantity possible.

This is recipe is definitely a keeper.  My husband loved it too and this says a lot, as he was formerly part of the "you don't make friends with salad" camp.



P.S.  I seriously need to STOP taking photos with my broken phone!

Makes:  4 large bowls of salad

Ingredients:

• 2 heads/stalks of romain lettuce, chopped
• 1/4 red onion, sliced
• 1 sweet red pepper, sliced
• 2 c. mushrooms, chopped
• 1 can sweet corn, drained
• 3 green onion stalks, chopped
• 4 oz lite havarti (or jack), shredded
• 2 rotisserie chicken breasts, chopped (or cook and shred your own breasts)
• 1/2 c. BBQ sauce
• 1 tbsp Frank's hot sauce
• 4-8 tbps of ranch (depends how ranchy you like it)
• Optional:  tortilla chips, crushed

Directions:

1. Chop, slice and shred all of the veggies and cheese.  Divide into four bowls.
2. Heat a non-stick skillet.  Toss chicken, BBQ sauce and Frank's in the pan until heated through.
3. Top salad with the chicken and ranch dressing.  Tortilla chips add a bit of crunch too, if you can spare the calories.
4. Mix it alllllll up and NOMNONNOM



Grillled BBQ Chicken Salad Sandwich

I have messed around with this photo (taken cellphone style) for the last 20 minutes and I can't get it to post properly, so here it is, in all its' sideways glory. The sandwich was to ooeygooey delicious not to photograph!

The Cuisinart Griddler has changed our lives. We have a new weekly tradition of having soup and a grilled sandwich once a week, because the Griddler rocks so hard. My husband loves soup and sandwich night more than anything and I have made it my personal vendetta to never serve the same combo.

I bought a rotisserie chicken from Costco on the weekend for quesadillas and the sandwiches, so this was seriously EASY. The bread comes in our kitchen box from Real Food Connections and it is The. Best. I usually try to incorporate other things from the kitchen box into both the soup and sammy. This week, the peashoot greens were especially good on the sandwich!

Makes: 4 sandwiches or wraps.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 a rotisserie chicken, chopped


• 3 stalks of celery, minced


• 1 red pepper, minced


• 1/2 small red onion, minced


• 1/4 c. light or fat free mayo


• 1/4 c. BBQ sauce


• S&P


• 4 slices of cheddar


• Bread or wraps


• Shredded lettuce (I used pea shoots from our kitchen box!)

Directions:

1. Chop chicken and mince veggies. Combine with BBQ sauce, mayo and s&p.


2. Divide chicken into 4 and put on a sandwich or wrap with a slice of cheddar.


3. Grill sandwich or wrap until the outside is crispy and the cheese is melty.


4. Remove from grill and add greens. I had slimy wilted greens, so I add them after cooking.


5. Enjoy :)
   

*I was going to post the recipe for the soup, but I didn't measure a single thing when I made it! Ooops.

Asian Chicken Salad

Source: Me!
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs


• 1/2 c. flour, seasoned with salt and pepper


• 2 tbsp EVOO


• 1/4 c. mango chutney


• 1 head of Boston lettuce, shredded (or greens of your choice)


• 1 carrot, shredded


• 1/2 red onion, sliced thin


• 1 c. sliced mushrooms


• 2 stalks of green onion


• Asian toasted sesame ginger dressing


• Optional topping: chow mein noodles

Directions:

1. Chop chicken into bite sized pieces. In a ziplock bag, toss chicken in seasoned flour until coated.


2. Heat up oil in a non-stick skillet. Brown chicken for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until the chicken is almost cooked, just a tiny bit pink in the center.


3. Add the mango chutney and toss the chicken until coated. Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, about another minute or two.


4. Meanwhile, make up the salad of shredded lettuce, sliced red onion, sliced mushrooms, chopped green onion and shredded carrots.


5. Let the chicken cool a little. Top the salad with the chicken, asisan toasted sesame dressing and crushed chow mein noodles (optional).

Comments:

This almost felt like a restaurant main course salad that would be really bad for you, it was so good! Next time, for a change, I might try tossing the chicken in sweet chili sauce and adding some mandarin oranges. Definitely a make again!

Chicken "Fried" Rice

CHICKEN FRIED RICE
Servings: 4
Source: Me, melding together a variety of recipes from the internet

Ingredients:

• 2 c. cooked brown rice
• 4 oz cooked chicken, diced
• 4 oz cooked pork, diced (you can use all chicken, if you like)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c. egg whites
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
• 1 small/medium carrot, finely chopped
• 1 c. mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 c. frozen peas
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (or to taste)
• Garnish: Chopped green onion, sweet chili sauce or plain :)

Instructions:

1. I used leftover chicken and pork that I had at home already. If you don't have leftover's, grab a rotisserie chicken and use 8 oz off of that. You can use any combination of chicken or pork.
2. Cook the brown rice. You can complete most of the steps with the vegetables while the rice is cooking.
3. In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil. Add the veggies (except the peas) and sautée until they are soft.
4. Beat the egg and egg whites together. Move the veggies to the side of the skillet and scramble the egg and egg white.
5. Add the peas and meat. Mix everything together, cook until the peas and meat are heated.
6. Add the brown rice and soy sauce. Mix everything together and sautée until all of the rice is covered in soy sauce and heated through.
7. Serve, garnished with green onion. I topped mine with some Taste of Thai sweet chili sauce too!

Comments:

This was so simple and a great way to use up some leftovers! It tasted just as good, if not better, then the restaurant version. I really think the key to getting the right flavour is the sesame oil! The portion size for a meal is very large, or you can have a smaller portion and enjoy it as a side.

Caramelized Onion, Pear and Bleu Cheese Pizza

CARAMELIZED ONION, PEAR AND BLEU CHEESE PIZZA
Source: Me, inspired by a local restaurant
Makes: 4 individual pizzas

Ingredients:

• 4 Mother Nature's whole wheat pita's (or other crust)
• 1 chicken breast, cooked and diced
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
• 2 c. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1 pear, sliced
• 4 tsp olive oil, divided in 4
• 4 tsp minced garlic, divided in 4
• Bleu cheese, to taste
• 1/2 c. shredded mozza cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
2. Brush each pita with olive oil. Sprinkle with minced garlic.
3. In a sautee pan, heat 1 tsp of olive oil. Add onion and sautee, stiring continuously until it starts to brown and is soft and translucent. Add balsamic vinegar and continue cooking and stiring until the vinegar any extra liquid is cooked off. Divide equally between the pizzas.
4. In the same sautee pan, cook the mushrooms in 1 tsp of oil until the release their liquid and brown a little. Divine equally between the pizzas.
5. In the same sautee pan, cook the pear slices in 1 tsp of olive oil until they soften and brown slightly. Divide equally between the pizzas.
6. Crumbled the bleu cheese onto the pizzas. Top with the mozza.
7. Bake at 450 F for 5-7 minutes (if your crust is pre-cooked).
8. Optional: drizzle with reduced balsamic vinegar.

Comments:

This is my favorite pizza at a local restaurant and I have been dying to recreate it. This was delicious! The combination of flavours is amazing and you don't even miss traditional pizza sauce. I paired this with a spinach salad.

Another favorite pizza is carmelized onion in balsamic, turkey sausage, sliced apple and mushrooms, topped with cheddar.

Amazing Grilled Chicken Wraps

Amazing Grilled Chicken Wraps

Source: Modified substantially from a Kraft recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breasts, grilled or baked and diced
• 1.5 c. shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
• 1/2 c. red pepper, chopped
• 1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 c. green onion, chopped
• 1/2-1 c. shredded low fat cheddar
• 1/3 c. fat free ranch salad dressing
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion salt
• 8 tortillas (I used weight watchers whole wheat tortillas)
• Salsa

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.* Grease a large rectangular baking dish (like a lasagna pan).
2. Combine all of the ingredients up to the tortillas.
3. Put 1/8th of the chicken mixture down the centre of each tortilla. Roll up and place in baking dish. When tortillas are all rolled, spray the top with a little cooking spray or brush with EVOO.
4. Bake* for 15 minutes. Serve with salsa.

*You can grill these, but need to tuck the ends in to make a pouch.

Comments:

These sounded SO strange to me, like some sort of demented enchilada. I had a hard time grasping the concept of the cabbage and the combination of ranch with the seasoning. I was wrong to question, because these things are DELICIOUS! They are also a dieters dream at about 200 cals and 4 grams of fat per stuffed tortilla! (nutrional info varies, depending on brand of tortilla and cheese) They are definitely going into the regular rotation.

Tomato Greek-y Tuscan-y Chicken over Quinoa

I am having a hard time appropriately naming this meal... it has a greek/tuscan flair to it, I suppose. The original recipe called for ground lamb, which I am dying to try. I added a bunch of veggies to this recipe that the original didn't call for for either, but I think the sauce makes a great base for anything!

Source: Inspired by Company's Coming: 30 Minute Weekday Meals
Serves: 6 large servings

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces and cooked
• 1 tbsp of oil (I used the oil of the sundried tomatoes for extra flavour)
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 1 pkg of mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 10 sundried tomatoes, sliced (about 1/2-3/4 c.)
• 1 can of asparagus
• feta

Sauce:

• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 1/2 c. red wine
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 tsp of dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• s&p

Instructions:

1. Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Put the quinoa on, following the instructions on the package.
3. Cook the chicken in the skillet until browned on the outside and a tiny bit pink in the centre. Set aside.
4. Heat the oil. Soften the red onion and add mushrooms after about 5 mins. When the mushrooms release their liquid and are soft, deglaze with the balsamic vinegar and cook stiring continuously until the vinegar cooks down.
5. Add the sundried tomatoes, asparagus, sauce and chicken.
6. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes and until the chicken is cooked through.
7. Serve over quinoa and top with crumbled feta.

Comments:

This was a big hit, especially for a quick week night meal. I was just kind of making it up as I went, so I was glad it turned out! The spices give this thick, hearty dish an interesting flavour. The original recipe called for spinach wilted in at the end instead of asparagus. I wanted to use up the asparagus, so I added it and cooked spinach as a side with some evoo and garlic. But, it would be great with spinach or even black olives (bleck, olives, one of the few foods I hate!) I can't wait to try this with ground lamb.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

CROCKPOT SALSA CHICKEN
Source: My variation of a popular internet recipe

Ingredients:

• 3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 package of taco seasoning
• 1 jar of salsa

Instructions:

1. Put the chicken breasts in the crockpot and top with the salsa and the taco seasoning.
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
3. Shred.

Comments:

This mexican flavoured shredded chicken can be used in so many ways... for taco's, burritos, to top salad or my favorite, in Mexican Rice and Beans.

Mexican Black Beans and Rice

MEXICAN BLACK BEANS AND RICE
Source: Moi!
Servings: A lot, probably 8?

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c. uncooked brown rice (cooks up to about 2.5 cups)
• Crockpot salsa chicken (or ground beef/chicken/turkey, cooked in taco seasoning)
• 1 jar of salsa (if you don't use the crockpot salsa chicken)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tbsp garlic
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 can of corn
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

Possible toppings:

• Low-fat shredded cheese
• Fat-free sour cream
• Guacamole
• Shredded lettuce (to make a salad)
• Chopped green onion
• Black olives
• Tortilla (to make a burrito)

Instructions:

1. Make the crockpot taco chicken or ground meat. Make the brown rice.
2. In a skillet, cook the onion, red pepper, green pepper and garlic in the olive oil until the veggies are soft.
3. Add the corn, black beans, chicken (or meat and salsa) and diced tomatoes. Cook until heated through.
4. Add the rice and mix everything up. Cook, stirring regularly until heated through.
5. Serve with toppings, over rice or in a tortilla as a burrito.

Comments:

This recipe is very flexible. We jokingly call it "mexican dump" because you can dump in a variety of ingredients and use them up. Sometimes, I use the crockpot salsa chicken, other times I use ground beef cooked with a packet of taco seasoning and sometimes I leave out the meat altogether. You can also use whatever veggies you have on hand.

Best Ever Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

CHEESY CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE
Source: Me!
Servings: 8 (or 6 big ones :)

Ingredients:

• 3-4 chicken breasts, boneless/skinless, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 c. brown rice, cooked (or whatever 1 c. uncooked makes)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 large carrots, diced
• 4 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 can of mushrooms, drained (or 1 package of fresh sliced mushrooms)
• 1 tbsp jarred garlic
• 1 can of Campbell's low-fat cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 c. milk (I used 1/2 the soup can)
• 1 c. fat-free or low-fat sour cream
• 1 tbsp dry mustard
• salt and pepper (I like lots of fresh ground black pepper in this)
• 2 c. low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Cook diced chicken and rice, if you aren't using leftovers.
3. While they are cooking, dice carrots, celery and onion (mushrooms too, if using fresh). Cook the vegetables in a pan until they are soft. Add garlic and the canned mushrooms at the end and cook for about a minute.
4. In a large mixing bowl, mix the chicken, rice, vegetables, soup, sour cream, milk, dry mustard, s&p and 1 c. of the cheddar.
5. Pour it into a large greased rectangular pan, like your lasagna pan. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 mins if ingredients are already warm, 30-40 if cold.

Comments:

I have a cold and had a hankering for creamy comfort food. I had chicken breasts thawed and the other ingredients are things I always have on hand. The KEY to this recipe is the dry mustard. It might sound crazy, but it doesn't make it taste mustardy at all, trust me, because I LOATHE mustard. It just gives it it a nice kick. Using all low-fat and fat-free ingredients, due to the vegetable content, this is a pretty light recipe too!

You could totally use leftover chicken or turkey too. I would keep the onion/carrot/celery veggie base, because it gives it a nice flavour, but you could definitely add chopped peppers, corn, broccoli, etc...

Bubble-Up Pizza Casserole

BUBBLE-UP PIZZA CASSEROLE
Source: Internet/Me

Ingredients:

• Ground chicken or turkey (you can use beef, I'm just trying to keep things light)
• Turkey pepperoni (I used a package of butterball brand)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp jarred minced garlic
• 1 large can tomato sauce
• 1 small can pizza sauce
• 1 medium can diced tomatoes, liquid drained
• Italian seasoning (1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp basil, 1 tsp Italian seasoning)
• 1 can Pillsbury biscuits
• 1 c. Kraft 4 cheese Italian blend (skim)

Directions:

1. Grease a lasagna pan (large rectangular) and turn over to 375 F.

2. Brown ground meat and put it in a large mixing bowl. Soften onions, peppers, mushrooms and garlic and add to the mixing bowl.

3. In the mixing bowl, combine ground meat, vegetables, sauces and seasoning.

4. Remove biscuits from the tube and quarter them. Stir into mixture. Pour into pan.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until biscuits are puffy and start to brown. Cover the top in cheese and bake for 10 more minutes. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to thicken a bit. Cut and serve!

Comments:

I made the enchilada version of this a couple of weeks ago and it was delicious, so I thought I would give the pizza version a try. It did not disappoint! Again, the presentation certainly wasn't great, but the taste made up for it. It is quite time consuming to make all at once. I really should make it all up the night before and when I get home, just add the biscuits and bake.

Stuffed Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken

STUFFED PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED CHICKEN
Source: Me!

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• fresh basil, juiliened
• goat cheese
• sundried tomatoes, sliced
• salt & pepper
• prosciutto

Directions:

1. Defrost chicken. Preheat over to 375 F. Pound chicken breasts until they are quite thin. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
2. Julienne the basil. I am a tool and didn't know how to do this before. You just roll up the basil and slice it! So easy! Chop up the sundried tomato.
3. Stuff each chicken breast with about a tbsp of goat cheese, 1 tbsp of chopped subdried tomatoes and some basil.
4. Roll up and wrap in prosciutto. The prosciutto is sticky enough that you don't need toothpicks.
5. Cover a baking sheet in foil and spray. Bake for around 20-25 mins. The chicken is thin so it cooks quickly.

Comments:

These were SO, SO good. I wish I had a photo, because the presentation was even gorgeous. I would make these for guests, with red potatoes and green beans. The prosciutto keeps all the moisture in the chicken breasts and the flavours are amazing. We had them with spinach and garlic stuffed portobellos, topped with a little goat cheese.

Marinated Chicken and Grilled Veggies

MARINATED CHICKEN
Source: Kalyn's Kitchen Blog

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 c. white wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp low-fat mayo (not miracle whip)
• 1 tbsp Worchestire Sauce
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp thyme
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Instructions:

Mix the marinade ingredients together. Marinate chicken all day. Grill, continuously brushing marinade over chicken.

GRILLED VEGGIES
Source: Me

Ingredients:

• 1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1" cube pieces
• 1 8 ounce package of mushrooms, cut in half
• 1 red pepper, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 green pepper, cut into 1" pieces
• 1/2 red onion, cut into 1" pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp fresh group pepper
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp onion salt
• 1 tsp fresh garlic
• 1 tbsp vegetable spice

Instructions:

Mix olive oil and spices together. Toss vegetables in the mixture until they are all coated. Grill in a grill basket while the chicken is cooking.

Comments:

We each had a chicken breast, with veggies and a spinach salad. It was a TON of food and such a good way to get in a lot of vegetables. I had never cooked an eggplant before and was pleasantly surprised that it just took on the flavour of the other ingredients. Also, I was a bit skeptical of the chicken when I saw the marinade but OMG it was so, so good. The chicken was really moist and by continuously brushing it with the marinade while it was grilling, so flavourful!

Lemon Chicken in the Crockpot

I have been having a hankering for chinese food for the past couple of weeks. I remembered seeing this recipe on one of my favorite cooking blogs, a great site FULL of slowcooker recipes (https://crockpot365.blogspot.com/) and decided to give it a go. I made a few modifications, because the recipe didn't include any veggies and I had some peppers to use up. I cut up an onion and green, red and yellow peppers and put them in the bottom of the crock and put the chicken on top of it. I also used 5 chicken breasts, instead of four. Finally, because of the veggies, extra chicken and our general love of sauce, I doubled the sauce recipe, to use up the whole can of lemonade.

This is cooking in the crock right now and it smells DELICIOUS! I just went out to taste the sauce and I know already this is going to be a hit served over brown rice. You could make it without frying the chicken first, to save on calories and time, but you wouldn't get the same take-out effect of crispy chunks of chicken. It will be more shreddy. The blog also said to try this with orange juice concentrate, which I will definitely do in the future!

LEMON CHICKEN
Source: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/01/chinese-lemon-chicken-crockpot-recipe.html

Ingredients:

• 5 chicken breasts, thawed and cut into strips or pieces
• 1/2 c. flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
• Oil (enough to brown the chicken, about 1/4 c., but probably not all at once)
• 1 can lemonade concentrate
• 6 tbsp brown sugar
• 6 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• red pepper flakes (to taste)
• Chopped onion, peppers, carrots, etc...

Directions:

1. Coat chicken pieces in flour, salt and pepper mixture. Fry until browned and flour is stuck to the chicken. DO NOT cook all the way through, you want it to actually cook in the crockpot.
2. Put chopped veggies in the bottom of the crock. Put chicken on top.
3. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl to make sauce. Pour over veggies and chicken.
4. Cook in the crock on high for 4 hrs or on low for around 6 hrs. Serve over rice.

**I read on the blog that if you cook this for 8hrs on low, it will likely be overcooked and the sauce will get to dark and tart, especially if you don't double the recipe or add the veggies because you won't have a lot in your crockpot. You can totally cook it on low for 6hrs and then let it switch to "warm" for the rest of the time if you will be away from home during the cooking time.

Photo to come!!

Maple Curry Chicken Pasta

MAPLE CURRY CHICKEN PASTA

This is a great dish from a restaurant in town. The combination sounds strange, but I promise you, it is DELICIOUS! Savoury and sweet all at once. I use whatever veggies we have on hand, but peppers, shredded carrots and onions are usually in it. You could add zucchini, mushrooms, water chestnuts, etc...



Ingredients:

• 1 package of pasta cook, slightly undercooked (I use penne noodles, but linguine is good too)
• 1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, slightly under cooked, cut into strips or bite sized pieces
• 1 c. cream (I used milk and it tastes the same!)
• 1/4 c. maple syrup
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp curry paste
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed (1 tbsp of jarred garlic)
• Sliced peppers (I use 3 of different colors)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 c. shredded carrots
• olive oil
• pepper
• red pepper flakes (optional, add if you like is spicy :)
• 3 green onions, chopped

Directions:

1. Cut chicken into pieces. Cook until outside is browned, but slightly pink in the centre. Set aside. I ususally grill it, but you can boil, bake or fry too.
2. Put pasta on to boil, you will add it to the sauce at the end, so try to time it accordingly.
3. In a large skillet, cook vegetables in oil and garlic until they are starting to soften. Add chicken back in skillet.
4. Sprinkle sugar or splenda over veggies and chicken. Cook for 3 mins.
5. Pour maple syrup over it, mix and let it cook for 3-5 mins, or until slightly caramelized.
6. Add curry paste and milk/cream. Simmer for 10-15 mins.
7. Strain pasta and add curry from skillet. Cook on low heat for about 5 mins covered, stirring regularly so the pasta cooks up some of the sauce. To be flavourful, this should be quite saucy, almost runny.
8. Top with chopped green onion.

**The leftovers are almost better then it is fresh, because the pasta absorbs so much sauce. YUM!

Chicken Lo Mein

CHICKEN LO MEIN

I have made this a few times for Sunday Supper and while people were initially skeptical, it was a huge hit! The inspiration for this recipe is a kraft recipe, but as usual, I have made some modifications.

Ingredients:
1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
Rice noodles
1/4 c. Kraft asian toasted seasame dressing
1 tbsp peanut butter
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 cloves of garlic
Sliced veggies (I would suggest green and red pepper, an onion, mushrooms and shredded carrots)
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Fresh green onion, chopped

1. Prepare rice noodles as directed on the package. With rice noodles, this usually just involves soaking them in boiling water for about 7 mins. Slightly under cook them, because you will add them to the skillet at the end and they will suck up the delicious lo mein sauce. You don't want them to be mushy!
2. Heat dressing in a large skillet. Add chicken and garlic. Stir-fry until chicken is no longer pink on the outside.
3. Add chopped veggies, broth and peanut butter. Stir-fry until chicken is cooked through.
4. Add cooked rice noodles and soy sauce. Mix it all up. Stir-fry a few minutes longer so the noodles can absorb some of the sauce. If you like it spicy, add some red pepper flakes.
5. Serve topped with fresh cilantro and green onion.

Thai Turkey Burgers

I haven't posted in ages, but I am going to get back at it! I need to start cooking at least one new thing a week. Some of my posts from now on, might not be Sunday Supper recipes, but just new recipes I have tried lately.

THAI TURKEY BURGERS

I had these at a popular restaurant here in town and they were so delicious, I decided to recreate them on my own! So, the source is ME for once!

Ingredients:

• 1lb ground turkey (chicken works too!)
• 1 tbps peanut butter
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp ginger
• pepper
• 1/2 c. bread crumbs (start with this much and add until you get the right consistency
• Pineapple, sliced
• sweet chili sauce
• buns
• red onion, sliced
• green pepper, sliced

Directions:

1. Combine first 6 ingredients and form burgers. Grill burgers and pineapple slices.
2. Put onion and green pepper in a greased foil packet and grill.
3. Make burger out of turkey, topped with grilled pineapple, onion, green pepper and sweet chili sauce.

Side Salad:

I had some leftover pineapple, so I chopped it up and added it to a salad of spinach, peppers, goat cheese and homemade balsamic vinegrette. For the vinegrette, I just combined equal parts of EVOO and balsamic and added a little garlic and pepper.

Enchiladas, Spanish Rice and Chocolate Chocolate Trifle

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
Source: Barb Frame

Note: I made 17 large enchiladas with the ingredients below. You could half or even make a third of this recipe for a normal meal.

Ingredients:

• 2 rottisserie chickens (you can just cook up breasts and shred)
• 2 blocks of cream cheese (I used light)
• 1 pkg Kraft shredded mexican blend
• 2 red peppers, chopped
• 4 stalks of green onion, chopped
• Cumin (about 1 tbsp)
• Tortillas
• Salsa

-I pulled apart the two chickens and chopped up
-Chop red peppers and green onion
-Combine cream cheese, cumin, chicken and veggies, I used my hands to mix it up really well
-Put a dab of salsa, a spoonful of the chicken mixture and some cheese on a tortilla. Roll up and place in a greased pan.
-Spray the tops of the enchiladas or brush with olive oil, it makes them crispy
-Bake at 350 for around 25-30 mins, top with remaining cheese and chopped green onion. Put it back in the over for 5 mins, until cheese is melted.
-Serve with sour cream, extra salsa or any other toppings (Guac is good!)

Comments: These enchiladas are AWESOME. Always a crowd pleaser. The babies even liked them. Thanks for the recipe Barb (and Amanda!)

Chicken Mixture

Ready to go in the oven!

Finished Product

SPANISH RICE
Source: Me!

Note: Again, this was a HUGE batch and there were tons of leftovers. Adjust accordingly.

Ingredients:

• Instant brown rice (cooked according to directions on box, I made 4 c.)
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 green pepper chopped
• mushrooms, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• Cumin
• Chili powder
• Garlic
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• salsa

-Cook rice according to directions.
-Saute vegetables in olive oil and spices, to taste, depending on how spicey you like it.
-Add rice, salsa and can of diced tomatoes, combine and heat through.

Comments: This is a great side for any mexican dish. It makes great leftovers too. You can add some black beans, top with cheese and sour cream for a complete meal.

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE TRIFLE
Source: kraft.com

Ingredients:

• 2 pkgs of fat free chocolate pudding, prepared according to directions
• 1 pan of brownies
• Raspberry pie filling
• 1 container of cool whip

-Layer crumbled brownie, raspberry pie filling, pudding and cool whip in a large bowl.
-Place in fridge to set.

Comments: Delicious! I put some extra leftover pie filling on the table, so people could add more if they liked. Really easy and tasty. I used fat free pudding and fat free coolwhip, so this was actually not that bad for you either.