Tortilla Soup

Recipe courtesy food network 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 6 cups chicken broth, low-sodium canned
• 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed
• 1 ripe tomato, chopped
• 1 cup shredded cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)
• About a dozen corn tortilla chips, broken a bit
• Lime wedges, optional

Directions

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, chipotle, chili powder, and salt and cook until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat slightly, and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the corn and cook for 5 minutes more.
Pull the saucepan from the heat and stir in the tomato, chicken, cilantro, and lime juice. Divide the tortilla chips among 4 warmed bowls, ladle the soup on top, and serve with lime wedges, if desired.
Know-How Get every last drop of juice from those little limes. Before halving, microwave them for a few seconds and roll them under the palm of your hand to release the juice from the pulp.
Add a swirl of chile and homey tortillas to comforting chicken soup and you have a bold hug of a meal.

**My variation: Used low sodium chicken broth (2 14oz cans) instead of 6 cups. I cut the chicken into cutlets, covered them in my fav mojo sauce/smoked paprika/some chili powder/cayenne pepper and broiled for 5 mins on each side on the shelf closest to the broiler. They were juicy and flavorful! Then I cut them up into little pieces and added them after the rest of stuff has been cooked.**

Recipe

Chicken Stir Fry

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 package shiitake mushrooms
• 2 to 3 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Serving suggestion: Hot, cooked rice noodles

Directions

In a large skillet, heat the oils over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

Add broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, pepper, and onion and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the water chestnuts. In a small bowl, combine broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger, and cornstarch.

Add to chicken mixture and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium to medium-low, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens. Serve over hot, cooked rice noodles.

**My variation: The chicken listed above was too bland for me, so I marinated it in 2 TBSP of soysauce, some fresh ginger and 2 TBSP of Hoisin sauce (the longer it sits, the better).

I used the whole 9.4 oz of Hoisin sauce (find one with low sugar if possible) and triple the amount of Low sodium soy sauce because the noodles seemed to suck it all up. I cooked the veggies seperately and the chicken separately then combined at the end.

I added in cashews, sesame seeds and 2 tsp sesame oil at the end.

To cut time, I used frozen veggies (broccoli and red/green peppers with onions)**

Short version: If you don't mind blandish food, go with this recipe. If you like your chicken to be covered in sauce, see variation.

Dessert - chocolate chip cookies!

Bought these to use tonight, but apparently they need reconstituting before cooking so I didn't have time...Next time though!!! :)

Chicken recipe

Pizza Chicken

Here is a recipe for my keto or low carb friends :) Recipe courtesy Linda's low carb menus/recipes

I like my variation better than her exact recipe, so I highly recommend trying mine first and making your own adjustments to suit~


Serves 1

Ingredients
1 boneless chicken breast, pounded flat if thick
Salt, pepper, garlic powder and italian seasoning to taste
1 TBSP pizza sauce
4 slices of pepperoni
1 tsp olive oil or butter
2 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 ounce mozzarella cheese or desired cheese, shredded

 Directions
Season the chicken with salt and other seasonings; grill. Meanwhile, saute the mushrooms and pepper rings in butter or oil until slightly tender, but not mushy; set aside. 
Spread the sauce over the chicken, then top with the pepperoni, the pepper rings, mushrooms and then finally, the cheese. Sprinkle with a little additional Italian seasoning, if desired. 
Bake at 350 degrees about 10-15 minutes or until hot and the cheese is melted. Serve at once.

PIZZA CHICKEN - SIMPLIFIED METHOD (No pre-grilling or pre-cooking involved)
Flatten the chicken breast slightly, if necessary, to make it an even thickness all over. 
Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. 
Spread the pizza sauce over the top of the chicken then top with the pepperoni, raw mushrooms and green pepper rings. 
Sprinkle the vegetables with a little more salt if you like. Bake at 400 degrees 15 minutes then top with the mozzarella cheese. 
Bake another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the chicken is done to your liking.


**My variation: Instead of pounding the chicken breast flat, I cut it in half (butterfly it) and that makes it thin enough for me. The only other thing I do differently is cover the chicken breast in milk and then cover in italian breadcrumbs. Then I bake it at 400 for 12 mins, add all toppings and rebake until cheese melts~ Cooking time varies by the thickness of your chicken ;) ** Note: adding the breadcrumbs increases the carb count :p


Linda's low carb menus/recipes 


My Dinner ~ 

This pic is after the chicken has been breaded and baked...2 chicken breasts halved

This pic is the finished product....The only toppings I used were pizza sauce, turkey bacon and 3 cheeses...I wasn't in the mood to cut up veggies ;) Oh and a sprinkle of italian seasoning on top of the cheese when taken out of the oven

Buffalo Chicken Cheese Balls

Recipe courtesy Aaron McCargo Jr.
Here is a very good (but naughty) appetizer~ Very important to read my "healthy" variation below LOL

Ingredients

• 1 store-bought rotisserie chicken
• 1/4 cup hot sauce (recommended: Frank's Red Hot)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 3/4 cups sharp Cheddar
• 1/4 cup freshly sliced scallions
• 1 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Blue Cheese Dip: 

• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup packed blue cheese, broken up
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic

Directions

Have oil heated to 350 degrees F.
Pick the meat from the chicken and discard the skin. Place the chicken in a large bowl and add the hot sauce, pepper, cheese, and scallions, and toss to combine. Roll the chicken into 2-ounce balls, about the size of a golf ball.
Place the flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in 3 separate bowls. Roll each ball in the flour, then the egg and then the bread crumbs. Set aside.
When the oil is hot fry the chicken balls in batches. Cook for about 2 minutes per batch. Remove the chicken to paper towel lined plate to drain the excess oil.
To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a large bowl and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve the chicken alongside the dipping sauce.


**My variation: Sooo instead of frying these, I bake them. The rotisserie chicken is already cooked so you just need to bake them long enough to melt the cheese. Set the oven at 350 and bake until the cheese looks gooey and the balls look golden brown. Trust me this one is a hit! Especially with kids :)

Instead of the blue cheese dip above, I used Ken's steakhouse chunky blue cheese dressing mixed with Frank's red hot buffalo sauce and it was still amazing**

Food network

Chicken Salad Pita with Baba Ghanoush

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Times:

Prep

10 min

Inactive Prep

15 min

Cook

10 min

Total:

35 min

Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 3 teaspoons dried mint, crumbled
• 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• Kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 4 chicken scallopine (4 to 5 ounces each)
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 unpeeled kirby cucumber, chopped
• Freshly ground pepper
• 4 pocketless pitas
• 1/2 cup baba ghanoush (eggplant spread, sold near hummus in the refrigerated section)
• 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

Directions

Whisk the vinegar, mint, red pepper flakes, 1 clove garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Gradually whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the chicken and marinate about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the tomatoes, cucumber and the remaining 1 clove garlic in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into 1/2-inch-thick strips. Toss with the vegetables.
Brush the pitas with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt. Grill, turning once, until marked. Place a pita on each plate and spread with baba ghanoush. Top with lettuce and chicken salad and drizzle with any juices from the bowl.

Per serving: Calories 342; Fat 15 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 74 mg; Sodium 587 mg; Carbohydrate 24 g; Fiber 4 g; Protein 29 g......No idea how accurate these stats are...

** My variation: Okay I know you are probably thinking "what the heck is baba ghanoush?"...Well it's the eggplant version of hummus. If you don't know what hummus is, you can find it by the deli section in publix (it will be in the cold section). Hummus is a paste made out of peas and it is delicious! 
I replace the baba g...... stuff with hummus because I prefer it :)

I have started making it from scratch (thanks to Doug) but if I'm in a hurry, I just use my fav store bought brand of hummus instead.
I don't use very much salt, so I think these stats are way off but oh well :)

I use whole wheat pitas and instead of chicken scallopine, I cut my chicken breasts into tiny bits and cook them on the stove to save time. If you have time though, it is amazing grilled.
Here's the most important part: marinate the chicken overnight. It is sooooo much yummier!!!
This recipe is awesome and very healthy!

Don't let the complicated weird name scare you off! 

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 40 min

Ingredients

• 1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
• 1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.
Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

**My variation: I use Barilla Plus elbow pasta because it has protein. I cook the pasta by following the directions on the pasta box. Sometimes I add other cheeses into the mix to be extra crazy!


For the chicken, I coat the cubed uncooked chicken in italian bread crumbs and bake@ 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Always try to cut the chicken as small as your patience can handle because I hate bland chicken and the bigger the pieces the more bland they are!!! 

I also use 3 chicken breasts instead of 1/2 cup because I love to have lots in each bite. And I leave out the butter, and you can't even tell the difference.** 
Because I pre-cook the chicken, I take it out of the oven as soon as the cheese melts and looks gooey. I have also tried adding 1 Tablespoon of roasted tomato pesto to it for additional flavor. It was delicious!**

Chicken pasta

Sweet and Hot Pepper Chicken, Asian Style!

Recipe of Emeril Lagassee

Level: Easy

Yield: 6 servings 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 4 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons minced green onion bottoms
• 10 dried red chiles
• 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced yellow onion
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, dark soy and cornstarch. Whisk to blend well, and add the chicken to the sauce. Toss to evenly coat the chicken and set aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine the ketchup, stock, chili garlic sauce and sugar. Stir to combine and set aside until ready to use. Place a wok over high heat and add the vegetable oil to the pan. Swirl the wok to be sure to coat well with the oil. Add the ginger, garlic, green onions, dried chilies and jalapenos to the wok. Cook, stirring often until the garlic is fragrant and the chilies begin to brown, about 20 to 30 seconds. Add the chicken, bell peppers and onions to the pan and stir-fry until the chicken is no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the sauce to the pan and bring to a boil, being sure to toss well in order to coat all the chicken and vegetables evenly, about 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the sesame seeds, sesame oil and cilantro into the pan and toss to combine. Remove from the heat and serve on a platter with steamed white rice.

**My variation: I use brown rice instead of white, substitute regular ketchup with sugar free organic ketchup, exclude the dark soy sauce (couldn't find it), use low sodium chicken stock, and it tastes better the smaller you cut the chicken squares!**

Asian chicken!

Healthy Version of Buffalo Wings! Best I have ever had

Alton Brown's Steamed Buffalo Wings
Prep: 15 min
Inactive Prep: 1 hr 0 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 1 hr 55 min

Ingredients
* 12 whole chicken wings
* 3 ounces unsalted butter
* 1 small clove garlic, minced
* 1/4 cup hot sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Place a 6-quart saucepan with a steamer basket and 1-inch of water in the bottom, over high heat, cover and bring to a boil.

Remove the tips of the wings and discard or save for making stock. Using kitchen shears, or a knife, separate the wings at the joint. Place the wings into the steamer basket, cover, reduce the heat to medium and steam for 10 minutes. Remove the wings from the basket and carefully pat dry. Lay the wings out on a cooling rack set in a half sheet pan lined with paper towels and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Replace the paper towels with parchment paper. Roast on the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes. Turn the wings over and cook another 20 minutes or until meat is cooked through and the skin is golden brown.

While the chicken is roasting, melt the butter in a small bowl along with the garlic. Pour this along with hot sauce and salt into a bowl large enough to hold all of the chicken and stir to combine.

Remove the wings from the oven and transfer to the bowl and toss with the sauce. Serve warm.

**My version: I reduce the amount of butter for the sauce** Important: If you don't want the extra work of cutting the wings (which I don't), just use drumettes (mini drumsticks)!

Alton Brown's Recipe