Asian Grilled Chicken Salad {in less than 30 minutes}

This salad seriously takes less than 30 minutes. Well, I did start marinating the chicken earlier, but You can make do with a quick marinade if need be! 

The weather is now perfect for grilling and so this morning I started marinating a big batch of chicken using my favorite teriyaki marinade. 

You need:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 mashed cloves garlic ( I used 2 Tbsp minced garlic)
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger (I use 1 Tbsp ground if I don't have fresh)
2 Tbsp mirin

Combine ingredients and mix well. I doubled it and we grilled about 6 chicken breasts... We will use it for a couple different meals this week!

Then this evening, Will started the grilling while I made a salad.
I mixed together some arugula, spinach, and romaine with some veggies. But I felt like it needed a little more...
so I crushed up a bag of ramen, and browned it with about a tablespoon of butter. Stir it up until the ramen is browned.
But I was missing the good asian dressing. I love my creamy sesame, but was not wanting a creamy base with the teriyaki chicken. So I browsed on pinterest and found this sesame dressing which I mixed up in no time. (I didn't have fresh ginger on hand so used the powdered stuff. I am sure fresh would be much more amazing, but it worked. It tastes like the delicious ginger dressing they put on salads in all the japanese restaurants you go to here. I would probably use a little less onions than the recipe called for... but other than that, it was perfect.
We have lots of chicken and dressing left over for more salads this week! The ramen should stay crunchy for another day or two stored in an air tight container.

The chicken was perfect and juicy and we didn't need much dressing, just enough to add some extra flavor!

Will and I decided to let the boys eat while watching a show so we could enjoy a little peace and quiet while eating tonight! ;) Everyone was happy! 

Summer cooking!

It seems appropriate the summer recipes involve fresh veggies or the grill! I have a little garden going. It is more of an experiment. I have a lot of tomatoes on their way to ripening, beans, corn, cucumbers, egg plants... then some carrots and spinach that do not seem to be doing well at all! While we wait on all that veggie goodness, I am enjoying using a lot of the herbs we planted! Lots and lots of basil, mint and cilantro! :) 

Thanks to lots of basil I have been making lots of pesto! Some times I freeze it, but other times we use it right away. I use the recipe found here, but often make some substitutions. I use pine nuts or walnuts, and often add spinach. We use it on pizza or with pasta. The boys love it. Some times I mix in some sausage or other times I saute a bunch of veggies (peppers, zucchini, onions) and we have a yummy meatless meal! 

On the grill we have a new go-to chicken marinade that I found here. We will sometimes substitute mint for the cilantro if we don't have cilantro on hand. This chicken is perfect to cut into long slices and eat on top of salad! The best part is that Will often makes the marinade and then grills it so all I have to do is make a salad! :) 

Recipe #338: Curry Roasted Chicken

Another Real Simple Recipe! I used chicken breasts and instead of chicken legs, and roasted it with an onion and sweet potato.

you need:
2 chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper
2 sweet potatoes
coriander
1 onion

• heat oven to 450.
• in a skillet heat olive oil
• season chicken with curry powder, salt and pepper
• add to skillet and cook on both sides until slightly browned
• cut up veggies and add to a roasting pan. 
• nestle chicken with veggies
• pour curry oil from pan around on the veggies, and sprinkle a little coriander on them as well.
• bake for about 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

tastes great with rice too! :)

Recipe #306: Popcorn Chicken

I found the recipe here!

You need:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup flour
cooking oil

• cut chicken into one inch pieces
• season with salt and pepper
• heat oil over medium high heat
• dip chicken in buttermilk then roll in flour
• heat in oil until cooked through

enjoy with rice and your choice of dipping sauce!

Recipe #289: Chicken and Rosemary Pasta

I found the recipe in an old Real Simple Magazine, but you can find it here too. I made some changes, but this was the gist of it! It was a fun way to use some parmesan straight from Italy and fresh rosemary from the garden!

You need:
2 chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
olive oil
2+ Tbsp rosemary, chopped
1 box whole wheat rotini pasta
3/4 cups fresh grated parmesan

• heat olive oil and garlic in a pan.
• add sprinkle of rosemary and chicken. pan fry until cooked through.
• shred into smaller pieces
• meanwhile cook pasta according to package directions
• save 11/4 cup pasta water.
• add pasta back to pot. stir in 1/2 cup parmesan, rosemary, chicken, salt and pepper
• cook over low heat until sauce has thickened. top with remaining parmesan

Fresh and Delicious! 

Recipe #278: Spinach and Chicken Quesadilla

An easy, delicious meal!

You need:z
tortilla
rotisserie chicken
shredded cheddar
spinach
small bit of butter

• on a tortilla add some cheese, spinach and shredded rotisserie chicken
• fold in half and spread a little butter on both sides
• heat in a pan until cheese is melted and tortilla is a little brown

top with sour cream and salsa!

Recipe #275: Chicken Vesuvio

I started getting the Everyday with Rachel Ray Magazine thanks to a great deal, and to get some fresh ideas for recipes. Basically it is a recipe found here, I did make some changes based on what was in my kitchen! It was pretty delicious!

You need:
4 red potatoes
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 lb chicken breasts cut into chunks
whole wheat flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 small bag of frozen broccoli
olive oil

• peel and cut potatoes into thin rounds
• heat 1/4 cup (or less) olive oil in a pan, add potatoes, garlic and oregano. cook until browned
• take potatoes out and put in a baking dish
• coat chicken pieces in flour and then add to the fry pan (some left over olive oil should still be in the pan)
• brown chicken in pan then add the chicken stock. add in broccoli
• transfer the chicken and broccoli to the baking dish (if you have an oven proof skillet you could cook everything in there and then put that in the oven)  I did not add all the broth because I didn't want it to get soggy.
• roast at 375 for about 10-12 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Recipe #271 and #272: Grilled Chicken with spicy veggies

I am skipping some recipes to go to tonight's dinner. It was a perfect spring evening. 

So of course we had to grill!

You need:
2 bone in chicken legs
salt, pepper
barbecue sauce

• pat chicken dry
• generously add salt and pepper
• heat grill and cook on each side for about 10 minutes
• add barbecue sauce and heat each side for another 5-10 minutes of until done

Spicy veggies:

you need:

onion, chopped up

red potatoes, cut in rounds

spicy rub found here

paprika

cilantro

• chop up veggies. put in separate bags
• add a little olive oil to each bag
•  add in spicy rub to potatoes 
• add paprika and cilantro to onion
• close each bag and shake up
• grill until browning

Recipe #270: Sweet Chili Chicken Wrap

Okay, this is probably the most delicious wrap ever! Sweet Chili Sauce is my new favorite! the best part was this was completely a leftover meal!

You need:
whole wheat tortillas
rotisserie chicken
balsamic cole slaw that I made here
sweet chili sauce

• heat up some chicken on a tortilla wrap.
• add in a spoonful or two of cole slaw 
• add in some sweet chili sauce, as much or little as your want!
• happiness in your mouth!

Recipe #261: Chicken Parmesan

Or "chicky chicky parm parm" as our friend on Parks and Rec loves to say! :)

I made another version found here but this was actually crusted.

You need:
2 chicken breasts cut into three pieces
2 eggs
1/4 cup parmesan
1/2 cup italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
oil
garlic
noodles
pasta sauce
1 cup mozzarella

• mix together parmesan and bread crumbs
• coat chicken in flour, then egg, and finally bread crumb mixture
• heat oil and garlic in pan then start to add chicken
• fry until both sides are brown
• place on rack when done
• in at 9x13 dish, layer bottom of pan with pasta sauce
• top with chicken and sprinkle cheese on top
• bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted.
• while baking, cook noodles and enjoy!

Recipe #256: Tomato Sauce Chicken

This was a super easy recipe! I stuck the chicken in frozen. I just forgot to tell Will to stir or check it while I was gone so it was ready to fall off the bone at about 4 and we were going to eat at 6. But it worked out just fine!

You need:
4 bone in chicken thighs
1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 green pepper
rice

• stick chicken in crock pot.
• cut green peppers into strips and add to crock pot
• pour sauce on top and mix up.
• cook on low for 8 hours.

sorry, the picture was blurry and I was too tired to really care! :)

Recipe #240 and 241:Spicy Grilled Chicken with Garlicly Sweet potatoes

I love the fact that we are grilling in February because the weather is so nice! 

I found the recipe for the chicken rub here and OH MY. It definitely has a kick to it! Delicious, but my mouth was burning. Will loved it though so if you are a spicy, spicy food person, I think you will like it!

you need:
1 1/5 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp salt
1/2 Tbsp thyme
1/2 Tbsp cayenne pepper
1/2 Tbsp rosemary
1/4ish Tbsp pepper
2 chicken breast, cut in half.

• mix spices together.
• use about 3 Tbsp to rub on top of chicken
• grill until both sides are done!

Alex LOVED the grilled sweet potatoes! He couldn't get enough of them!

You need:

2 sweet potatoes

olive oil

garlic powder

sea salt

• cut sweet potatoes into rounds and put into a ziploc bag
• pour in a little olive oil, garlic powder, and sea salt
• grill until well done!

Recipe #230: Pan-Fried Chicken with Tomatoes and Pasta

We were out at Will's game tonight, and all I knew when going that we would have chicken and I was in the mood for something with tomatoes. An hour later, after a well played game but a loss, we headed home, with about 15 minutes to spare until Alex was SUPPOSED to be in bed. Needless to say he went to bed a little late, but this meal was on the table in 15 minutes and it was pretty delicious at that!

You need:
Two chicken breasts
3 roma tomatoes
olive oil
oregano
basil
parsley
whole wheat spaghetti noodles

• heat olive oil in pan.
• cut chicken breasts into smaller pieces. I cut them into three pieces each.
• season chicken with salt and pepper then put in pan.
• brown on both sides, sprinkle oregano, basil, and parsley on top
• heat until internal temp of chicken is 165. 
• cut up tomatoes and add to pan. sprinkle in a little more basil.
• cook until tomatoes are soft.
• meanwhile boil noodles according to package directions.
• we ate the noodles with our alfredo sauce we made yesterday found here. 

It was delicious! Fast and easy too.

Recipe #225: Soy-glazed Chicken with veggies

Now when I get my new Real Simple magazine I always look at the recipes first now. I knew I wanted to try this one! I have trouble getting everything together for a crock pot meal when I leave for school but it is nice to throw something in on the weekends and not have to worry food but enjoy family time instead! Will told me he wanted rice and chicken with my choice of seasoning so I thought this was the perfect meal!

You need:
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 Tbsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 chicken breasts
for veggies I used: carrots, broccoli, and beans
sesame oil

• mix together brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, pepper in a crock pot. 
• Add chicken and flip several times to coat with sauce
• cover and cook on high for 3-5 hours ( I started late so left it in only 3 hours, I htink it would have been more tender if I had I left it in longer)
• In the meantime make rice. I did a mix of white and brown
• transfer chicken to a plate. Pour liquid into a fry pan. allow to boil to thicken. Add chicken to pan and heat on low, flipping chicken to evenly coat it with the sauce.
• in a small pan stir fry the vegetables with some sesame oil

Will said it hit the spot!

Recipe #218: White and Green Stew

White thanks to the potatoes, sauce, and chicken, green due to the beans and broccoli!

You need:
white sauce recipe or box of Japanese white stew cubes! :)
chicken
potatoes
milk
broccoli
string beans
rice

• cut up chicken and brown in a pot
• add potatoes and 6 cups water
• add in sauce cubes
• allow to simmer until potatoes are soft
• add 1 1/2 cups milk
• add in frozen veggies and continue to cook until vegetables are warm
• serve over rice

Recipe #214 and #215: Chicken Tacos two ways!

This is a variation of another recipe I made found here.

You need:

2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup plus taco seasoning
3 cups (or less if using frozen chicken breasts) water
3 chicken boullion cubes
1can cream of chicken soup
tortillas
cheddar cheese
lettuce
tomatoes etc.

• put chicken, taco seasoning, water, and boullion cubes in crockpot. Heat on high for at least 4 hours 
• take  one piece of chicken out and shred 
• in a sauce pan add chicken and cream of chicken soup and 1/2 cup water from the crock pot, stir until cream sauce is heated
• shred the other chicken breast and put back in the crock pot. 
• choose your favorite chicken and add to a soft taco along with your favorite toppings!

Recipe #206: Cheesy Chicken and Tortillas

This was a pretty good and easy meal. We were going to hang out at my grandparents for the day so put the chicken in the crockpot in the morning and then it took 10 minutes to get in the oven! Easy meal with not a lot of hands on time! I found it on pinterest but is originally found here.

You need:
3 chicken breasts
1/4 cup plus taco seasoning
3 1/4 (or less if using frozen chicken breasts) water
3 chicken boullion cubes
2 Tbsp butter
2 cans cream of chicken soup
6 torillas
4 cups or so cheddar cheese

• put chicken, taco seasoning, water, and boullion cubes in crockpot. Heat on low for at least 4 hours (ours was more like 7!)
• take chicken out and shred 
• in a sauce pan melt butter then add soup and a little more taco seasoning
• stir in chicken
• in a 9x13 pan put a layer of chicken, then layer tortillas and cheese on top. repeat another layer of each. (I didn't really break apart tortillas because I didn't read original directions, it is your choice!)
• bake at 350 for about 30 minutes

Enjoy on top of rice. As we were eating we were thinking of all the great add ins you could do with this! The chicken mixture is so good and I will definitely be using it again!

Recipe #198 and #199: Thai Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

So our neighbors gave us some lettuce that was organic from a farmer's market. Yeah, we don't buy lettuce like that usually so I felt like I needed to make a meal that highlighted this amazing lettuce instead of using it in a simple salad. So as I was looking up how to make thai lettuce wraps, I realized I didn't have very many of the ingredients so we improvised!

You need:
2 chicken breasts
sesame rub found here
soy sauce
6 romaine lettuce leaves
one bunch of green onions
matchstick carrots
cucumbers cut into skinny slices

• cut chicken into strips sprinkle rub over it.
• cut green onions, take the white parts and saute with some olive oil
• add in chicken. 
• once chicken is cooked through add in a little soy sauce.
• in the last couple minutes add in the carrots and tops of green onions

peanut sauce. I found the recipe here. but I used the serving helper to decrease it ALOT, so this is about a small bowls full worth, but it was plenty for our wraps

You need:

3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

1 Tbsp coconut milk

1 tsp water

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp hot sauce

1/4 tsp of ginger

1 clove garlic

• combine all ingredients and stir until mixed well.

To make your wrap:

• take a lettuce leaf and add in a couple slices of chicken 

• top with cucumbers, green onions, carrots, and peanut sauce
• then wrap lettuce up and enjoy!

Recipe #192: Chicken Roll-Ups 2

So here is another version of the chicken roll up. I made a dish earlier this week found here. I had some extra filling left over so decided to bake it into some bread!

You need:
chicken filling

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup milk (plus 2 Tbsp for later)

4 oz cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp butter, softened

1 tsp garlic powder

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 small onion, chopped

grapefruit sized portion of boule bread, recipe found here

• first pull out portion of dough and let it rest for 40 minutes
• turn on oven to 450
• mix together the rest of the ingredients (you won't really need this much, I used leftovers from a previous meal)
• roll out dough into a long narrow rectangle.
• Add some filling to the middle of the dough.
• roll up and bake for 30 minutes, or until outside is brown

Recipe #188: Cheesy Chicken Roll-ups

Thanks to pinterest I discovered this pretty amazing recipe from a blog found here. Even though I added onions Will still enjoyed it, which says something about the recipe because he does not love onions! We have plenty of leftovers for tomorrow too!
It seems a little bit involved, but don't let that scare you, it is really delicious!

You need:
2 cans of crescent rolls
1 can cream of chicken
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk (plus 2 Tbsp for later)
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp garlic powder
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 small onion, chopped

• first start boiling chicken
• while it is cooking combine 1 can cream of chicken, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, and 1/2 cup milk, mix well. pour some into the bottom of a greased 9x13 dish.
• in small bowl stick cream cheese and butter in the microwave to soften
• put into a larger bowl and mix in garlic powder
• add 3/4 cup cheese, onion, 2 Tbsp milk and shredded chicken. mix well.
• unroll crescent rolls and lay out on surface
• put a heaping spoonful of chicken mixture in each crescent, and roll up and tuck sides under.
• put each one in the 9x13 pan. top with some more of the cream of chicken mixture (you don't need to use all of it)
• top with the rest of the cheese
• bake for 30 minutes at 350.