Curry Pinapple Chicken Fried Rice

 

Long time no see. It's been a while since I've uploaded a recipe. It's not that I haven't been cooking, because I have. I've just not been paying attention to my measurements, and just kind of winging it in the kitchen. However, I want to share some interesting dishes that I've been making. So without further ado, let's get to it!

This is a super simple dish to make. While the rice is cooking in the rice cooker, I cooked the rest of the dish. What I really loved about this dish is that, aside for the rice, everything is cooking in one pan. It took about half an hour to make from start to finish. However, don't let the quick cooking time fool you. This fried rice is packed with flavor due to the spices and pineapple. So, if you're in need of a quick and flavorful dish, give this one a try!

 

• ½ lb. ground chicken/turkey
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
• 20 oz. can pineapple chunks (packed in juice, not syrup)
• 3 cups cooked rice (cook the rice in chicken stock)
  
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
  
• salt and pepper to taste after cooking

 

1. Place the carrots in a large skillet with olive oil and cook for about 5 minutes until it starts to get soft. Add the chicken/turkey, spices, and pineapple juice (reserve the pineapple chunks for later) 
   
2. While the meat cooks, mix the cooked rice, carrots and zucchini in a large mixing bowl. When the meat is done mix that in along with the pineapple and serve. Top with sriracha for more spice.
   

Chicken Pot Pie

I don't know about the rest of you guys but we went through one cold spell here in the desert and that had me pulling out all my winter recipes. I grew up on frozen chicken pot pies. So to me, winter is not complete without one. I went out and bought whole chicken to roast in the oven in hopes to take the chill out of the house. Then the next day I took the leftover chicken and used it in the pot pie for another oven warming meal.

Because I used leftover chicken, I got to skip the whole cooking the chicken part. Which, when it's so cold I don't want to come out from under the warm throw blankets on the couch, is a total bonus for me. Plus, I like to be lazy and cut corners when I can. Who doesn't?

recipe adapted from Allrecipes

2 (9 inch) pie crusts

4 chicken breast (about 2 cups), boneless, skinless

1/2 c. onion, chopped

1 tsp. poultry seasoning

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

2 c. frozen mixed vegetables

1 c. mushrooms, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour a 2 quart casserole dish.
2. Place chicken breasts, onion, and poultry seasoning in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover. Simmer over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Drain and dice chicken.
3. In a large bowl, combine chicken, onions, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, Cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, mixed vegetables, mushrooms, and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
4. Lay one sheet of pastry in bottom of greased and floured pan. Pour chicken mixture over pastry. Cover with second sheet of pastry. Seal edges of top and bottom pastries. Cut steam vents in top.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes, until pastry is golden brown.

 

Chicken and Waffles

I've gone my entire life without knowing the joy of chicken and waffles. I've seen it on menus and every time I thought... "nope, that's just too weird".  Well, I'm happy to announce that I've finally popped my chicken and waffle cherry and have become obsessed with the duo. It all started when the Mr. came home one day and told me how he ordered chicken and waffles for lunch. I immediately started grilling him about it. Was it gross? How'd you eat it? Do you pour syrup over it like normal waffles or do they serve it with a special sauce? Once he reassured me that it was actually good and not in fact as bizarre a pairing as I originally thought, I decided to make them for myself with the Mr's guidance. Since I had no clue what to do.

Now let me take a moment to thank my mother for the waffle iron. Without her, my chicken and waffle epiphany would not have happened. Our waffle iron didn't survive the latest move and I've been waffle-less for about 2 years now. So thank you mom for the amazing gift of being able to make waffles once again.

Serves 4

Baked Chicken Strips

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast; cut into 1 inch strips
• 1 c. flour
• 1 eggs
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1 c. breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. 
2. Season the chicken strips with salt and pepper. In a shallow dish season the flour with salt and black pepper. Beat the egg in another shallow dish with the milk. Place the breadcrumbs in a thirst shallow dish. 
3. Dredge the chicken strips in the flour to coat, shaking off any excess flour. Dip the floured chicken tenders into the egg and finally, coat the chicken tenders with the breadcrumbs.  
4. Place the breaded chicken tenders onto a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. 

Cornmeal Waffles

• 1 c. AP flour
• 1 c. cornmeal (not cornbread mix)
• 1 TBSP. honey
• 1 TBSP. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 3/4 c. milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 TBSP. vegetable oil

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk and oil. Whisk milk mixture into dry ingredients just until dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened. Preheat waffle. Pour 1 cup of batter onto the center of the bottom grid. Close top and bake until brown, about 4 minutes.

Assemble the chicken and waffles

1. When the chicken and waffles are cooked place chicken strips on top of the waffles and serve with small bowls or melted butter, hot sauce and maple syrup for dipping.

Chicken Burgers Topped w/ Brie & Cranberries

There used to be this little cafe here in town that served these delicious sandwiches that consisted croissant, turkey, cranberries and brie cheese. Every time I went there I always got this sandwich, there was never any question about it. I was loyal to my sandwich. So what does one do when they can no longer go out and order their favorite sandwich? You make your own of course!

Buffalo Chicken & Blue Cheese Meatloaf and Giveaway

I received an email the other day from Chef Jeff who is the author of the cookbook DinneRevolution. The cookbook contains over 200 healthy recipes that have 10 ingredients or less. I like that it has a wide selection of poultry, beef, pork, seafood, vegetarian and side dish recipes. The ingredients are easy to find in your local grocery store and the directions are easy to follow. There is also the nutrient facts at the bottom of each recipe. So if you are counting calories or just watching what you eat in general, this cookbook won't leave you guessing. I have only made one thing from this cookbook so far and both the Mr. and I loved it.

Pepper Jack Chicken & Chipotle Potato Chips

I was given Robin Takes 5 cookbook for review and let me tell you, so far the recipes have not disappointed. This was the first recipe from the cookbook that I have tried and it definitely started off on a good start. I love how not only do the recipes have 5 ingredients or less but they are 500 calories or less AND... all of the recipes are super quick and easy, making it perfect for the weekdays.

Summer Chicken Salad

Are you looking for something easy to throw together that won't heat up your house? That seems to be my number one problem living here in the desert. With it being over 100°F here every day, I am in desperate need of meals that use little to no cooking on the the stove. So it goes without saying why I made this salad. The berries added a nice sweetness while the almonds added an extra crunch factor. This was a simple and easy salad to throw together and it was perfect for the intense hot summer days that we have been having here.

Buffalo Chicken & Potato Casserole

Do you ever have those days where you really don't want to dirty a ton of dishes in the kitchen? I love cooking and eating but I hate the cleanup after wards. Now it wouldn't be so bad if the Mr. and I had the "I cook, therefor you clean" method to break up the responsibility but we don't. See the Mr. is deathly allergic to doing the dishes just like I can go into cardiac arrest if I get anywhere near the laundry basket. And since the Mr. is the breakfast/burger king and I prefer more of a variety when it comes to my dinner, I am the one cooking and cleaning up the mess. So it is a no brainer that I get giddy when I come across recipes that don't use all of my pots/pans and bowls just to make one measly little meal.

Ole Burger

A couple of weeks ago the Mr. and I drove out to Vegas to meet up with one of my best friends, Marissa and her parents before their flight left for NY. While we were visiting them we got to walk the strip which in my opinion is pretty from afar but once you are down in the middle of all the chaos on the strip, it is just a mess. Regardless, I had a ton of fun seeing Marissa and her parents. One of my highlights of the trip was going to Madame Tussauds.

Balsamic Chicken w/ Quinoa and Vegetables

I finally got my hands on quinoa! It only took a year and a move across the country to do it but I am excited to announce that I am in love! I love the way it looks, I love how it holds it's shape and doesn't get mushy and most of all I love how it can adapt to pretty much any recipe. The Mr. is going to have to watch out, quinoa has rapidly stolen a place in my heart. ❤

Chicken Francese

I wasn't always a marine wife but sometimes it is hard to remember life before the military. In the past six years that we have been married a lot has happened. We have moved across the country three times, lived in four different houses and the Mr. has gone on two deployments. We have been lucky enough to have been able to spend four of our anniversaries together out of the six years. So this year we decided to stay in and make our own fancy dinner. Not only is it cheaper and healthier than eating out but there really is no nice restaurant to eat out at where we currently live. Last year I made Seafood Alfredo but this year I wanted to make something different. So I went to the internet and started looking up recipes. I picked Tyler Florence's Chicken Francese because that was what was served at our wedding reception. I will be honest that I don't remember eating it but really, that night I had a lot more on my mind than worrying about what the food tasted like.

Chicken Yakisoba

Most people think of sushi when they think of Japanese food however I tend to think outside the box when I think of going to a Japanese restaurant. Not that I don't think of sushi but the one dish I am always interested in is the yakisoba. When my husband was deployed to Okinawa for 6 months he was like any deployed marine out there, depressed and lonely and... yeah right, what am I saying? He was having a blast! He went snorkeling, to the aquarium he even went to this lady's house who sold yakisoba through her kitchen window. I remember him telling me about it and I just thought that was one of the neatest things. He loved the food there and when he came back home I got to work trying different yakisoba recipes. Now this is a little bit sweeter than traditional yakisoba but I love it. I am hoping to one day go to Okinawa and experience all that he had. I really am a little jealous... okay okay, very jealous.

Moroccan Chicken, Chickpea and Apricot Tagine

This month I decided to sign up for taste & create's monthly partnering event. Once a month they pair you up with another blogger where you then choose a dish to make from their blog and post your results on the main page. I thought that it would be a fun way to try something new and boy was I right.

Easy Peasy Chicken Dinner & Review

The name says it all. It is easy, it has peas and it is a chicken dinner. HaHa. Now what makes it easy and quick is the fact that I used Tyson grilled & ready cooked chicken breasts. The chicken is already fully cooked and even has a glaze on it which adds extra flavor. It definitely made my job in the kitchen a little easier not having to play the "is it done?" game.

Gyro Burgers w/ Greek Salad

I am always looking for ways to spice up the everyday burger. Not that your typical burger with pickles and onions is a problem but every once in a while I like to change it up. I love gyros, so when I came across this recipe in my 30-Minute Get Real Meals cookbook I knew I had to make it. This is easy to make and it packs a lot of flavor. The yogurt spice mixture in the meat really makes the burger.

You cannot use fat free yogurt. The recipe calls for full fat and I ignored it and bought fat free. When I tried forming the patties they were like mush in my hands. I worked with it some and they came out fine but it was more hassle than I thought it would be. I also added extra yogurt as a dressing for the burger since I did not find the Greek salad to be enough. Besides, when you get a gyro it always has the tzatziki sauce on it.

• 1 1/2 lb ground chicken or lamb
• 2 c. plain full fat yogurt
• handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1 Tbsp. grill seasoning
• olive oil
• Greek salad
  

1. Preheat skillet to medium-high heat.
   
2. In a large bowl combine the ground meat with 1 cup of yogurt, parsley, garlic, spices and seasonings. Form 4 patties and drizzle with olive oil and cook for 3 minutes on each side.
   
3. Assemble burgers on rolls and top with Greek salad and extra yogurt.
   

Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

I made this a few weeks ago when my parents were in town visiting. I wanted to make something slightly different from their everyday meal but close enough that it wouldn't scare them away. I saw the recipe on Cafe Groenhout's blog and knew that this was the perfect recipe to try. It is practically chicken and rice which is a huge staple in their house but it isn't just your plain old baked chicken with rice. I also made the craisin-walnut salad to go along with this dish. I planned on taking pictures but it was gone before I knew it.

I had to change it up some since I couldn't find sun dried tomatoes that were not packed in oil. If you have the same problem as me, just buy the oil packed and put your sun dried tomatoes between paper towels to help soak up some of the oil. I also didn't have fresh marjoram on hand but I had the dried stuff. So I used 2 teaspoons of dried marjoram for the sauce. The next time that I make this I will make double the sauce, it didn't seem like quite enough to me but my husband and mother liked it as is.

• 8 oz. orzo
• 1 C water
• 1/2 C chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), divided
• 1 plum tomato, diced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 3 tsp chopped fresh marjoram, divided
• 1 tbsp red-wine vinegar
• 2 tsp plus 1 tbsp EVOO, divided
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 C finely shredded Romano cheese, divided

1. Cook orzo in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Meanwhile, place water, 1/4 C sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomato, garlic, 2 tsp marjoram, vinegar and 2 tsp oil in a blender. Blend until just a few chunks remain.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden outside and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
4. Set aside 1/2 C of the tomato mix. Pour the rest into the pan and bring to a boil. Add the remaining 1/4 C sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the orzo and 6 tbsp cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates.
5. Slice the chicken. Top each portion of pasta with sliced chicken, 2 tbsp of the reserved tomato mix and a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and marjoram.

This post is submitted in:
What's on the Menu Wednesday
Whatcha Got Cooking Wednesday
Make It From Scratch
Recipe Share
Show Off Your Stuff
Presto Pasta Nights

Greek Chicken and Feta Couscous

I decided to crack open my Rachael Ray 30-Minute Get Real Meals cookbook and make dinner from it. I found this really tasty chicken and salad recipe but the only problem was that I didn't have anything for the salad. So I looked in my pantry found the couscous and went to work. I am a huge fan of the yogurt marinated chicken. It not only kept the chicken moist but it gave it flavor as well. If you use wooden skewers be sure to soak them in water for at least 15 minutes before you use them. It helps to keep them from burning as fast as they would if they were dry.

• 1 c. plain fat free yogurt
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp. Montreal steak seasoning
• 2 chicken breast, cut into bite size chunks

1. In a bowl combine yogurt, spices and chicken and let marinate one hour in the refrigerator.
2. Thread meat onto skewers. Brush the grill with oil and grill meat for 5-6 minutes on each side.

Feta Couscous

• 1 (5.4 oz) box wild mushroom couscous
• 1/4 c. feta, crumbled
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped small
• 1 tsp. dried oregano

1. Follow the direction for the couscous but add oregano to the water.
2. After fluffing the couscous add tomatoes and feta and mix.

This post is submitted in:

Recipe Share
Make it From Scratch
What's on the Menu Wednesday
Ultimate Recipe Swap
Friday Feasts
Food on Fridays
Tatertots & Jello
Friday Favorites
Finer Things Friday

On another note after 6 years of service in the Marine Corp, The Mr. picked up Staff Sergeant yesterday. I could not be more proud of him. They did the promotion at the National Museum of the Marine Corp and they even let me pin him.

Healthy Chicken and Zucchini Alfredo

Let me start out by saying that this Alfredo has absolutely no heavy cream, no half and half and virtually no fat. That's right I said it folks, this is not the heavy weigh you down, make you feel guilty Alfredo that you get in restaurants. However, the taste will fool you and make you feel like you have stepped out of your kitchen and accidentally sat down at an Italian restaurant. I got this recipe from my good friend Kaylie over at Cafe Groenhout . When she posted this a couple of months ago I couldn't believe that there was no cream. I was always led to believe that for Alfredo it has to be the good tasting but bad for you heavy cream which is why I always bought Alfredo sauce from the grocery store because I didn't want to know what was really in it. Not with this sauce though, you can really cut calories with this baby.






Now I used skim milk which cut down even more calories. Instead of getting whole wheat pasta I got this vegetable mix pasta with carrot, tomato and spinach. The vegetable mix was cheaper and well I am a penny pincher so I went with the vegetable mix pasta. This is really easy to make and comes together really fast. If you can find thin chicken breasts you can use that instead of pounding out chicken but it is always nice to get your frustration out after a long day, plus I believe that it's good exercise. I already stocked my refrigerator with zucchini and broccoli for a vegetarian version of this.

• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 tbsp EVOO
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 zucchini, thinly sliced into half-moons
• 4 thin boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
  
• 12 oz. whole wheat fettuccine
  
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 C cold skim milk
• 1/2 C evaporated nonfat milk
• 3/4 C freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat 1 tbsp EVOO in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 clove garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the zucchini, cover and cook until tender, stirring, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Heat another tablespoon oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and cook through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
3. Cook the pasta in the boiling water as the label directs. Drain, reserving 1/2 C cooking water; return the pasta to the pot.
4. Meanwhile, whisk the flour and low-fat milk in a bowl. Place the remaining 1 clove garlic and 1 tbsp oil in the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, 30 seconds. Add the flour-milk mixture and bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add the evaporated milk, 1/2 tsp salt and the cheese; stir to melt, 1 minute.
5. Cut the chicken into strips. Toss with the pasta, sauce, zucchini, adding the reserved pasta water to loosen.
   

This post is submitted in :
Presto Pasta Nights hosted by The Crispy Cook
DIY
Make It From Scratch

Chicken Kampama

I bought The Encyclopedia of Creative Cooking a few months ago at a local book sale. It has 800 pages and thousands of recipes. When going through it one day this Greek recipe caught my eye and since I had everything on hand I decided to make it. The recipe in the book was really vague and it wasn't until I looked it up online that I found out that you serve it over noodles. I was a little worried when I could smell the cinnamon cooking with the chicken but it turned out to be really good. It was a nice spin to the typical spaghetti and marinara sauce. I will admit that it is not the most glamorous picture but it is pretty tasty.
The recipe serves 4 people.

• 3 lbs chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 Tbsp. margarine/butter
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (14oz) can diced tomato
• 1/2 (6oz) can tomato paste
  
• 1/4 tsp. all spice, ground
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, ground
  
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 c. red wine
• 1/4 c. water
  
• 1 lb rotini pasta

1. In a large skillet brown chicken in butter and olive oil; remove from pan.
   
2. Brown onions and garlic. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, seasonings and wine; bring to a boil. Add chicken and cover, reduce heat to a simmer; cook 1 - 1 1/2 hours or until tender.
3. In the last 20 minutes cook the pasta. Drain, pour sauce over pasta.
   

Island Drumsticks

This all started with a trip to the grocery store. We were running low on meat and I needed to restock our freezer. When I went over to the poultry section I noticed this family size pack of chicken drumsticks. I always buy chicken breast and and nothing else but when I saw that this huge pack of drumsticks were only $3 I just had to have them. You see I am one of those people that has to buy something because it is a good deal. I almost walked out of the store with a lamb leg roast and I have never had lamb before other than in a gyro, all because it was half off.

I let this marinate for over 24 hours partially due to not making it the night I planned on eating it. The flavor is spicy sweet. I used chipotle chili powder but whatever you have will work fine. The smokiness and heat from the chili powder paired with the sweet pineapple rum and brown sugar really balance each other out nicely. I also bought a pineapple and cut it into strips and grilled it for about 5-10 minutes and served them alongside the drumsticks and also made rice. Two drumsticks were enough for one person when you had other things to go along with it. I marinated the whole package of drumsticks and just put them in dinner portion bags and threw them in the freezer for another dinner.

• 8 drumsticks
• 1/4 c. pineapple rum
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp. Franks hot sauce

1. Mix the rum, chili powder, lime juice, brown sugar, garlic and hot sauce in a gallon size zip lock bag. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade for cooking. Put the chicken in the bag and mix to coat the chicken, get out as much air as possible. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least over night.
2. Cook the chicken on the grill over medium heat with the grill closed for 15-20 minutes, brushing the chicken with the reserved marinade after 10 minutes. Turn chicken over, brush with reserved marinade and continue to cook for another 15-20 minutes.
3. Make sure the internal temperature of the chicken is 185° F.

This post is submitted in :
Food Revolution Friday
BSI