Panko Crusted Mexican Chicken

Mmmm. Chicken

This recipe was originally created as a knock off of Chicken Parm. I didn't have red sauce, all I had was chicken, "The Heredez", my husbands favorite salsa, and an over ripe avocado. Turns out I was onto something and it tasted DELICIOUS!

1. 4 thawed chicken breasts
2. 1 ripe avocado smashed- over ripe is fine but you have to pick around the bruises.
3. 1/4 cup (or more) of "The Heredez" or your favorite salsa
4. Mexican blend cheese
5. 1 cup of plain panko
6. 1 tbs cumin
7. 1-2 tsp chipotle red pepper flakes
8. 1 tsp garlic salt
9. 1 tsp pepper
10. 1-2 eggs

Turn the oven on to 400 degrees. Get out 2 low sided dishes and 1 skillet. Add 1 tbs of EVOO to the pan and turn on Medium heat. Set up the two dishes as a station to the side of the skillet. Use the first low sided dish for the eggs - beaten, and the other for the panko and spices (cumin, red pepper flakes, garlic salt, pepper). Here is you first option. If you want, you can beat the chicken to be a little thinner using a meat hammer or another skillet. Typically, chicken parm is one large and thin piece of chicken... although I never do this because I usually just want to eat faster. If you do thin the chicken, make sure to note the cooking time will probably be less. Dip the thawed chicken one at a time through the eggs then the spiced panko, making sure you have an even crust of panko. Once panko crusted place in the hot skillet and brown both sides of the chicken. This will cook the majority of the chicken but remember, you are placing this in the oven to cook through and melt the cheese. Repeat this crusting and browning process with all 4 pieces of chicken. Once browned on each side place each chicken breast into an oven safe baking dish. Top all pieces with smashed avocado, salsa and cheese. Place in the oven for anywhere from 15-25 min. depending on the size and thickness of your chicken breasts. If yours are really thick and you are worried about cooking the chicken then melting the cheese... place aluminum foil over the chicken and remove approx 10 minutes before the timer goes off.

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

3 or 4 chicken breasts
4 cans of chicken broth (low sodium) + 1 can worth of water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 yellow onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
3 or 4 full sized carrots - cut to whatever size you want (I cut down the center and slice them)
3 or 4 celery sticks - cut same as carrots
1tbs poultry seasoning
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp Thyme
1 tsp crushed bay leaves
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tbs of olive oil
1 large bag of egg noodles

Sweat the onions and add the garlic in a skillet with a tbs of olive oil over medium-high heat. After, add the  poultry seasoning, rosemary, thyme, crushed bay leaves, pepper, and garlic salt (to release more aromas and flavor, crunch the rosemary etc. between your finders before adding). Stir then add chicken to the pan and sear both sides (you want it practically cooked before moving it to the crock pot). While the chicken cooks turn the crock pot on high and add the liquids from above, bouillon cubes, celery, and carrots. Add the chicken when its ready then spoon a little liquid in the skillet and rub the back of your spatula or wooden utensil on the bottom of the pan to release the little tasty bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet then pour that mixture in with the rest. Replace the lid on your crock pot and now... you wait.

I am fortunate and was able to do the above during my lunch break, we live close, so I left it to cook on high for about 4 hrs.. When my husband got home just before me, he turned it down to low reporting it was boiling which didn't bother me but if you are uncomfortable leaving your crock pot on high because of this... you could always cook it on low and make sure the chicken is fully cooked before adding to the crock pot.

At this point you are probably wondering... well it isn't chicken noodle soup with out noodles and that's where you keep reading.

After I got home, I put a large pot of water on the stove and I shredded the chicken using two forks and added it back to the broth. After the water boils, add 1 palm full (approx.1/4 cup?) of sea salt to the water. Then... add a large bag of Egg noodles. Cook to your desired texture (I pulled mine out a little early because of the fact that the hot broth would be going over the noodles and might cook them and I don't like soggy noodles so much). Once I drain the water, I keep the noodles and chicken & broth separate and add the desired amount of noodles to a bowl then ladle the chicken and broth over them. This was something I thought was so weird when I first saw my mother-in-law do it, but I really do like it. It lets you choose how much you want and leaves the plain unused noodles for a later lunch or dinner dish (like parm buttered noodles, yumm...).

Combine in a bowl and Enjoy!!!

Dancing Noodle ♥

Spicy Thai Noodles

So I found this recipe on Pinterest, started making it and decided to tweak it a little to make it my own.


1 chicken breast
1-2 tbs crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup toasted sesame oil
6 tbs honey
6 tbs lite soy sauce
1 box of whole wheat linguine
1/3 cup green onions- sliced
1-2 carrots- shredded
2 tbs sesame seeds
2 tbs slivered almonds (toasted)
1-2 tsp saracha


1. Cut the chicken breast into thin pieces and cook through in a small frying pan. Feel free to add any seasoning you want. I would probably just use salt, pepper, and olive oil, or I bet you can use some Chinese 5 spice or any other Asian/Thai seasonings your heart desires.


Now for the NooDles~


2. Start by boiling enough water in a pot for the linguine. 
3. Combine red pepper flakes, vegetable oil, and sesame oil in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Once the mixture comes up to temperature leave it there for 2 minutes. 
4. After 2 min., reserve the oil in a bowl and strain out red pepper flakes. 
5. When the water has come to a boil, salt the water by adding approx. 2 tbs of Kosher salt (this is how you flavor the actual noodle). Cook the linguine to package directions, straining it when the noodle still has a little bite to it (this is supposed to be when it is the most healthy because it doesn't reabsorb the starches or something like that). 
6. While the noodles cook, add the honey and lite soy sauce to the reserved pepper oil. Try to mix this as best as you can but don't worry it will still separate regardless. 
7. After the noodles are cooked and drained, add the sauce you just mixed up. 
8. Then put the final touches on the dish by adding the green onions, shredded carrots, sesame seeds, saracha, and slivered almonds. 
9. Place in the serving bowls and top with chicken and garnish with a little more green onion and sesame seeds.
10. Enjoy your very own home made Thai food. This can also be served cold. 

Sweet Sausage Soup

Soup, Glorious Soup...

What you'll need:

• 4-6 stalks of Kale, Picked Over, Cleaned, And Torn Into Bite Sized Pieces
• 10-12 whole Red Potatos, Sliced Thin
• 1 whole Onion, Chopped
• 1-1/2 pound Italian, sweet, or maple Sausage
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (more To Taste)
• 2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 4 cups of Milk (recipe called for whole but I used 1%)
• 2 cups Half-and-half
• 2 Tbs of Sour Cream
• 1 Tbs of Dried Oregano
• Black Pepper To Taste
• 4-6 dashes of Hot sauce- I used Tapatillo. 

How to make it:

1. Pull the kale of the stalks and tear into bite sized pieces. 

-Wash and drain in salad spinner, if you have one, then set it aside.

2. Slice the red potatoes into thin slices. 

-Add the potatoes to a medium pot, add enough water the potatoes by approximately 1  inch of water and salt the water with approx. 1 tbs of sea salt. If tasted, the water should taste like the ocean. Cook potatoes until tender. Drain and set aside.

3. In a large pot, crumble and brown the sausage. Drain as much as the fat as you can (Tip: If you didn't use sweet or maple sausage, add some honey or agave to give the meat a sweet taste). 

-Stir in the red pepper flakes, oregano, chicken broth, milk, and half-and-half. Simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Give it a taste and adjust seasonings as needed. 

-Add the hot sauce, add the potatoes, sour cream, then stir in the kale. 

-Simmer an additional 10-15 minutes, then serve.

* I found this recipe and pictures on thepioneerwoman.com, then massaged and  adjusted the recipe to better fit my tastes.

Gyro!

Simple, Delicious, and Healthy!

I came across this recipe and couldn't believe how good they are! Although, if you like a good gyro, you know that nothing can replace going to a good greek restaurant and having them shave off the beef or lamb and adorning it with all the delicious toppings. BUT... if your like me and you get into craving ruts where you crave a particular food for every meal for weeks on end, you know that your wallet and your body will appreciate finding new ways to satisfy these cravings.


Add these ingredients to your weekly shopping list:
1 package of good, lean Deli Roast Beef
1 English Cucumber (I like that they have less seeds and less water to dilute the taste)
1 package of Cherry tomatoes (or really any kind of tomato diced)
1 Onion (diced, yellow or red, whatever you can stand on a normal basis)
1 package of Tabbouleh (optional, my store carries it any day so I say, "Why not?")
1 8oz  greek yogurt (or more, as much as you think you'll use)
1 bunch of Dill (I buy it as a fresh paste because I don't use enough of the fresh when I do buy it)
Feta cheese
Black Olives
Flat Bread or Pita (I just found whole wheat Pita, its pretty good!)


Other things you probably have in your pantry:
Olive Oil
A dash of worcestershire sauce
Paprika
Oregano
Garlic Salt
Pepper
Italian Seasoning or Greek seasoning if you have it


1. Ok, do this first (ps. it's best if it has some time to sit and let the flavors combine. Yes, your lunch tomorrow will be that much better, believe it)!
-Combine greek yogurt, 1/2 of the cucumber diced, 1 tbs of Dill fresh paste, salt and pepper to taste. 
-Cover your Tzatziki sauce and refrigerate until you're ready to assemble your gyros. 
2. Now we'll make the gyro.
- Warm a skillet to medium, add Olive Oil, and a little less then 1/4 of the diced onion. While the onions cook to translucent- take out and cut into long pieces 1 slice of Deli sliced Roast beef per pita round. I only eat 1/2 a pita stuffed with Gyro so I only use half a slice; My husband loves at least 1 full pita overstuffed with Gyro which is 1 full slice of Roast beef plus the rest of mine if I don't use it. 
- Once the onion is translucent add the Roast beef and season at least 1 Tsp of Oregano, dash of worcestershire sauce, paprika, garlic salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. I mostly just make sure there is a good even coating of the spices to the roast beef so i do this part by how it looks. 
- While the roast beef heats through cut up your tomatoes and put the pita in the toaster, microwave, or under the broiler to heat them up. Don't forget to open up the pocket first if your pitas have pockets.
3. Assemble the beast...
Open up the pita pocket and stuff with gyro-roast beef- meat, Tabbouleh, diced tomatoes, diced onions, feta cheese, black olives, left-over diced cucumber, and your Tzatziki (cucumber, yogurt) sauce. 


Now enjoy the fruits/meats/ and veggies of your labor. Yumm!