Spring Vegetable Couscous with Chicken

I've recently given asparagus another try, and to my surprise, I found that it's actually pretty good. As a result, this week I made Spring Vegetable Couscous with Chicken. This dish was light and satisfied my craving for something green. I cut back on the butter, which probably didn't make it quite as flavorful as it could have been. However, the addition of lemon added some great flavor and really complemented the vegetables- definitely don't omit the lemon! 

Overall, I was very happy with how the dish turned out- it tasted like spring in about 15 minutes. (I really love how quickly couscous cooks- it's like magic!)

Pineapple Jerk Chicken and Rice

I'm a big fan of jamaican jerk chicken and stir fry, and I really enjoy this combination of the two- Pineapple Jerk Chicken and Rice. I followed the recipe pretty faithfully, except for a few adjustments to the ingredients. First, I added a chopped red pepper to up the veggie quota. Also, rather than using the marinade mix, I use a combination of a tasty spice blend and pineapple juice.

Once you've got all the ingredients prepped, this meal comes together pretty quickly- just saute the chicken and veggies and throw in the spices and juice. I suppose the parsley's not strictly necessary, but it adds a touch of color and makes the meal look more appealing. A great sweet heat combo!

Quick Chicken Marsala

One of my favorite things to order when I go out to eat is chicken marsala, but many of the recipes that I've found for this dish seem a bit more complicated than I usually feel like tackling at home. In response, I've come up with my own quick home version that has many of the same flavors. I start by dredging chicken cutlets in some flour seasoned with salt, pepper, and thyme. I saute the cutlets in a bit of olive oil and then stick them in the oven to keep them warm. Mushrooms are a key ingredient in chicken marsala, so I saute those for a bit next. After they've gone for a few minutes, I add a splash of marsala wine (another key ingredient). At this point, the chicken goes back in to meld with the mushrooms and wine. Right before I'm getting ready to serve it, I also like to add a splash of cream. Half and half works too, but it doesn't incorporate into the sauce as well. 

I like to serve the chicken with hot buttered noodles and a vegetable. While it's not as good as good restaurant chicken marsala, it satisfies the craving!

One Pot Chicken and Brown Rice

This healthy chicken and rice recipe is on my regular rotation, even though the brown rice takes quite awhile to cook. I've made a couple minor adjustments to the original recipe- but overall I follow it pretty faithfully. The only major change I've made is using a bone-in skin-on chicken breast instead of chicken thighs. I cook the breast with the rice and veggies, and then toward the end I pull out the chicken and shred it to mix back in.  This recipe is also great for using up some vegetables that are getting a little old, since they simmer in the pot until they're nice and tender. The onions just dissolve into pure yummy flavor. 

Once the wait for the rice to cook is over, I'm left with a healthy and tasty one dish meal. Because it cooks on the stove top, it's okay for any time of year, but I find it especially comforting on a cold winter night.

Sticky Chicken

Chris really likes Sticky Chicken, so last time he visited for the weekend, I made him some. This isn't really a stir-fry, but it definitely includes some Asian flavors, like ginger and soy sauce. It's got quite a bit of sugar in it (that's what makes it sticky), but at least it's low in fat... It does need to marinate for awhile, so getting it started the day before is ideal.  I've also just let it sit for a couple of hours before, and it's still turned out fine.

It's kind of hard to see in the picture, but the chicken should end up covered in a fairly think syrup. Be careful not to burn it though- I've done that before, and it was pretty disappointing. The chicken goes really well with jasmine rice, which helps to soak up the sauce!

Chicken Cutlets with White Wine and Garlic

One of my favorite ways to eat boneless skinless chicken breasts is to make Chicken Cutlets with White Wine and Garlic.  It's very quick to make if you marinade the chicken beforehand. I usually get it started the night before, but you can also freeze it or do it about half an hour before you plan to eat.  The recipe calls for fresh thyme, but I've always used dried, and it's turned out just fine.

I served my chicken with some egg noodles and green beans, but it's also really awesome with some sauteed mushrooms and a splash of marsala. This is a quick dinner that's on a pretty regular rotation for me.

Six Ingredient Chicken Noodle Soup

It's been good soup weather in Iowa lately, so I thought I'd try this easy take on a classic- Six Ingredient Chicken Noodle Soup. As the title might suggest, it was pretty basic, and I actually made it even easier than the original recipe. Since I had some shredded chicken left over from making a roasted chicken awhile back, I just used that instead of poaching raw chicken in the broth. While poaching in the broth may have added more flavor, I thought the soup still turned out pretty tasty. I did stick with the recipe on the vegetables front and used only carrots and frozen peas. It'd be easy enough to add in whatever you like and have on hand though.

Overall, the soup was pretty good- not the best chicken noodle soup I've ever had, but a far cry from the worst, and  it was definitely better than canned. The main thing that I would alter if I make this again is substituting some egg noodles for the spaghetti- the spaghetti did not want to stay on the spoon.  As a bonus, I also discovered that it made way more than 4 servings- I'll get more like 6 out of it. As a result, I have some extra waiting in my freezer for a quick weeknight meal.

Chicken and Black Bean Nachos

While it's not the healthiest meal, every once in awhile, I love to have nachos for dinner. Of course you need tortilla chips for the base, and for the main topping, my favorite is a smashed together mix of shredded chicken, black beans, and some taco seasoning. Next, nachos aren't nachos without cheese- usually I just use some shredded cheese and throw the nachos in the oven so the cheese will melt, but this time I used some jarred queso. 

The toppings are also an important element in nachos. I like mine with some shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, green onion, and, of course, some pickled jalapenos. They definitely give the nachos a bite! Messy, but delicious.

Cashew Chicken

Chris has been staying with me this week, and we both love stir fry, so we made Cashew Chicken the other day. I used to work at Hy-Vee in high school, and when I worked in the evenings, I would often get delicious, greasy cashew chicken for dinner. This recipe satisfied that same craving while being much lighter. The sauce ingredients weren't too exotic- it was all stuff that I already had on hand, like rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger. 

Chris mixed the sauce while I chopped, and we were sitting down to dinner within about half an hour. I loved the nutty crunch of the cashews and the freshness of the green onions on top. It definitely satisfied my desire for takeout!

Herb Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

This recipe from the November 2010 issue of Everyday Food inspired me to try something totally new. I roasted my first whole chicken, which was an experience, to say the least. Apparently whole chickens tend to come with the necks and gizzards stuffed in the cavity, so I had to summon nerves of steel to take care of that... (I'll spare you the pictures)

After roasting, I discovered that my bird was upside down. I guess I was so relieved to get it wrangled into the pot, that I didn't notice that it was breast-side down before sticking it in the oven. It doesn't really matter, I guess, because the meat still turned out nice and moist. I don't think this will be my last roasted chicken, but I'll probably stick to chicken breasts for the most part, since I'm a white meat person.

Chicken Piccata with Orzo

After all the holiday decadence, I was craving something lighter, so I made Chicken Piccata with Orzo for my family the other night. I found the recipe in Cooking Light Magazine, and I thought it struck the right balance of lightening things up without totally forsaking delicious oil and butter. I also liked that the recipe called for mostly everyday ingredients- the only thing unusual was the capers. I'd never tried them before, but they definitely add flavor!

While it didn't quite live up to the richer restaurant version, this recipe was filling, lemony, and light. The sauce was really tangy, but the chicken and orzo balanced it out. It was great served with a spinach salad.

Dijon Crusted Chicken Breasts

Tonight for dinner I tried dijon crusted chicken breasts from Taste of Home, and they turned out to be simple and delicious. The crust was very satisfying- it really did remind me of fried chicken, but much healthier. The mustard added nice flavor without being overpowering.  The ingredients were pretty simple- just boneless skinless chicken breasts brushed with dijon mustard and rolled in bread crumbs, parmesan, thyme, salt, and pepper. I simply sauteed them in a bit of olive oil, but I suspect they'd also be good baked!

I served my chicken breasts with simple sides- just mashed potatoes and green beans. I went from getting home from work to eating dinner in about 35 minutes.