QUICK CHICKEN RAMEN NOODLE STIR FRY

yield: 4 SERVINGS

prep time: 15 MINUTES

cook time: 15 MINUTES

total time: 30 MINUTES

Noodles, tender chicken, broccoli, bell pepper and mushrooms with the best and easiest stir fry sauce ever. 30 min. Start to finish.
From Damned Delicious

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 (3.5-ounce) packages instant ramen noodles, flavor packets discarded
• 1/3 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced (or rotisserie chicken)
• 1 1/2 cups small broccoli florets, or zucchini 
• 1 cup diced sweet onion
• 1 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger-I used dried
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook ramen noodles until tender, about 3-4 minutes; rinse with cold water and drain well.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together chicken stock, oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar and Sriracha.
3. Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until golden and cooked through, about 4-6 minutes; set aside.
4. Stir in broccoli, onion, bell pepper and mushrooms until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
5. Stir in garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 1 minute.
6. Stir in chicken stock mixture, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
7. Stir in ramen noodles and chicken until heated through and evenly coated in sauce, about 1-2 minutes.
8. Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

One Pan Tuscan Chicken and Vegetables

Callie shared this with me-quick and easy and you make and serve in the same pan!!

One Pan Tuscan Chicken and Vegetables

TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes
Makes 6 servings

YOU WILL NEED
Tuscan seasoning mix: 1 tsp each of sea salt oregano, and basil, ¼ tsp each of black pepper, red pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder

2 Tbsp. oil
1 lb. chicken tenders or boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 can (141/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained (I used fresh cut up tomatoes)
1 can (15 oz.) white (cannellini) beans or any variety of beans, rinsed and drained
1 package (6 oz.) baby spinach leaves

½ of a lemon

½ onion, diced 

Any other vegetables you’d like to add: I used zucchin and mushrooms

Parmesan Cheese, optional

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and diced onion, salt and pepper to taste; cook and stir 8 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet.
2. Stir in tomatoes, beans, any other vegetables you want to add, and Seasoning Mix. Squeeze in fresh lemon juice. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 3 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through.
3. Return chicken to skillet. Stir in spinach; cook 2 minutes or just until spinach is wilted. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  

Serve alone or with pasta, couscous or rice.

Grilled Chicken Variations

2 new marinades for grilled chicken I've tried and really liked!!

Overnight Version-

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (we used white balsamic)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 small (or 2 large) garlic cloves, chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• Large handful parsley, chopped (roughly 4 "loose/heaping" Tablespoons
• salt & pepper, to taste

Spice Rub Version-

• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoon of olive oil

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

LEMON CHICKEN ORZO SOUP

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

Chockfull of hearty veggies and tender chicken in a refreshing lemony broth – it’s pure comfort in a bowl!
INGREDIENTS:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
2. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the stockpot. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Whisk in chicken stock, bay leaves and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Stir in orzo, rosemary and chicken; reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, spinach and parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Serve immediately.

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

 

INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 2 Meyer lemons (2/3 cups juice)
• 2 teaspoons garlic
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 2 medium diced carrots
• 2 egg yolks
• 6 oz. orzo
• salt and pepper to taste
• 
  
• 
  
• INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a 4 quart saucepan saute onion, carrot with garlic and a tablespoon of oil.
2. Add in chicken broth and orzo bring to a boil.
3. Time 9 minutes.
4. Remove a cup of broth and whisk egg yolks into it and slowly add mixture to soup while stirring.
5. Add in lemon juice and chicken.
6. Cook 2 more minutes.

Peanut Sauce

I love to serve this with chicken over rice or noodles and my kids gobble it up!

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp. minced ginger (or 1/2 tsp. dry)
1/3 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup crunchy (or smooth) peanut butter
4 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp. hot chili paste (I've omitted this when I've been in a pinch)
4 cloves garlic, minced

*garnish with green onions and crushed peanuts

Combine the ingredients and bring to a boil. Add chicken. When serving with noodles, I pour the whole mixture over the noodles and stir to combine. When serving with rice, I put a scoop of rice on each plate with a spoonful of the peanut chicken mixture on top.

Crockpot White Bean Chicken Chili

This recipe comes from my friend Brooke and is a regular in our house during the winter time. Bonus - it's a crockpot meal which always makes the dinner hour a little smoother!

4 chicken breasts
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion
4 garlic cloves (minced)
1 4oz can diced green chilies
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. red pepper
3 cans Bush's Great Northern Beans (or canneloni or small white beans)
4 cups chicken broth (or more depending on desired consistency)
1-2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese

In a large pan, sweat onions over medium heat in olive oil until they are translucent. Add the next five ingredients with a little of the chicken broth to combine the flavors. Simmer for a few minutes and put it in the crockpot with the chicken, beans and rest of the chicken broth. Cook 6-8 hours or until the chicken is cooked through and can be shredded. Shred the chicken, add the cheese and serve. Delicious topped with chips, guac, sour cream - all the fixings!

Roasted Greek-Style Chicken and Vegetables

This is a modified version of a recipe my neighbor Karen shared with me. We decided it should be on the menu at our favorite Greek restaurant!!!

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
juice from 1 lemon
2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
2-3 zucchini, cut in discs
2 cups grape tomatoes
14 oz can artichoke hearts, packed in water
Feta cheese

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Saute in olive oil and garlic until almost cooked. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Coat a large nonstick baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine 4 teaspoons oil, garlic, oregano, lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper; add vegetables and toss to coat.
Combine chicken and marinated vegetables in a 9 x 13 inch pan.
Roast until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through, stirring vegetables once, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve topped with feta cheese.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

It doesn't matter if we go out for Thai or Chinese- Corey always picks a sweet and sour dish to add to our mix. Over the years at home I have tried different prepared sauces and homemade recipes-all just O.K. in his opinion. My latest trial has taken 1st Place! No need to try out any other recipes. Found on Mel's Kitchen Cafe web site. It's a keeper!!

INGREDIENTS

Chicken:
• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup canola oil
Sauce:
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. While the oil is heating, cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Place the cornstarch in a gallon-sized ziploc bag. Put the chicken into the bag with the cornstarch and seal, tossing to coat the chicken. Whisk the eggs together in a shallow pie plate. Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken pieces in the egg and place them carefully in a single layer in the hot skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then flip each piece over to cook on the other side until nicely golden but not all the way cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
3. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and pour over the chicken in the baking dish. Bake for one hour, turning the chicken once or twice while cooking to coat evenly with sauce.  Serve over hot, steamed rice.
4. **I added sauted onion, bell peppers, and pineapple

Butternut Squash with Chicken

I love it when friends share a recipe that they have tried and loved. Callie made this and loved it and I love her for sharing!! It's quick and uniquely yummy!

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash-(buying it cubed makes the prep time so much easier!)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 med. vidalia onion
1 red or green bell pepper
2 T olive oil
Low fat Chicken stock-about 1-2 cups
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp dried cilantro
1/2 tsp pepper
Chopped Walnuts
Sea Salt to taste
Hot sauce to taste-I used 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper

Directions:

Cube chicken breasts. In an iron skillet, add olive oil and saute chicken breasts with spices, onion and green pepper. Add squash and chicken stock and simmer until squash is soft. Add chopped walnuts and season with hot sauce. Salt to taste.

Crock Pot Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

recipe via image via

Ingredients:
4-6 chicken breasts boneless skinless chicken
1/2 to 1 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (if you don’t have fresh use around 2 teaspoons of dried parsley)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
12 slider buns or 4-6 regular sized hamburger buns (or any type of roll)

Instructions:
1. Place chicken in crock pot with 1-2 cups of water, cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.

2. Remove chicken from cooker and drain the water from the slow cooker. Shred chicken, discard fat and return to crock pot.

3. Pour dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper over the top. Stir until mixed evenly. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until mixture is hot.

4. Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto each slider bun if you are making sliders or more for regular sized buns. Top with extra shredded Parmesan cheese and lettuce to serve.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

This is a delicious (and healthy!) rendition of the classic Chicken Salad Sandwich

that can be served on croissants (not so healthy) or in lettuce cups.

• 1 cup cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
• 1/4 cup celery, thinly diced
• 1-2 green onions, thinly diced
• 1/2 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
• 1/2 cup red grapes, halved
• handful of slivered almonds
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp yellow mustard (or to taste)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Chicken and Sesame Noodles

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup peanut butter

5 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced ginger

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons brown sugar

9 ounces linguine

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

4 scallions, sliced thin

1. Toast sesame seeds in medium skillet over

medium heat until lightly browned. Set aside.

2. Puree 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, peanut butter,

soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper and

brown sugar together in food processor until smooth,

about 30 seconds. Set aside.

3. Cook linguine in salted water until tender.

Drain noodles and keep warm.

4. Toss noodles with sesame oil until coated.

Add chicken, scallions and sauce and toss well

to combine. Sprinkle with remaining sesame

seeds and serve.

Serves 4. Also good cold!!

Santa Fe Chicken Salad Wraps

I LOVE light, summer foods.

This salad was absolutely amazing
and paired with a warm homemade tortilla
it was the perfect summer meal.


For the Chicken Salad
(adapted from Good Life Eats...I made a few healthy changes)

1 avocado, diced
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 - 2 tablespoon minced cilantro
2 – 3 green onions, sliced thin
2 cups poached, diced or shredded chicken
2/3 cup black beans
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
1/3 cup corn kernels

For the Wraps
Santa Fe Chicken Salad
Burrito Sized Tortillas or homemade
Salad Greens or Baby Spinach

Directions:

For the Chicken Salad:

In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, lime juice, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and cilantro. Whisk to combine.

Add the chicken and green onion, to the Greek yogurt mixture. Stir until the chicken is well coated.

Fold in the black beans, avocado, bell pepper, and corn. Cover and chill until serving.

To Prepare the Wraps:
Layer chicken salad and baby spinach inside burrito sized tortillas. Fold up the ends and roll the wrap to seal it.

*My homemade tortillas were a little thick, so instead of rolling them up, we ate them open-face. Still delicious!!

Chicken Parmesan

I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! It's quite the impressive-looking meal, but doesn't take a huge amount of effort.

recipe via/image via

For the Sauce:

7-8 garden tomatoes (if you don't have garden tomatoes, I would suggest using 1 large can of crushed tomatoes and 1-2 cans of diced tomatoes)

1/2 tsp salt

dash pepper

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 yellow onion, diced

2 Tbsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried oregano

2 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes

1/2 tsp. sugar

salt and pepper to taste

1 small can tomato sauce

For the Chicken:

3 chicken breasts (pounded flat)

2 eggs, beaten

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 c. Panko bread crumbs

1 Tbsp. italian seasoning

1/4 c. parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

6 slices provolone or mozzarella cheese

1 lb. spaghetti

If you are using fresh tomatoes, peel them and mash them with a potato masher in a medium-sized bowl. Add salt and pepper, set aside. Heat a little vegetable oil in a large skillet and saute onion and garlic. When onions are clear, add the smashed tomatoes. Add basil, oregano, parsley, sugar, salt and pepper and bring to a good rolling simmer. Add tomato sauce (to thicken it up a little bit). It still may seem a little watery, but trust me, it thickens up quite a bit after it simmers. Reduce heat a little and simmer uncovered for at least an hour, stirring occasionally.

About 20 minutes prior to serving. Put chicken in a Ziploc bag and add beaten egg and garlic. Smash all the air out of the bag, seal tightly, then work the the chicken around a little bit so it is covered in egg. On a plate or pie pan, combine bread crumbs, parsley, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Heat some oil on medium heat in another large skillet. Remove chicken from egg mixture and press into the bread crumbs. When covered in bread crumbs, add the chicken to the oil brown on each side.

Place chicken on a greased cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 375-degrees for about 12 minutes or until no longer pink. In the meantime, cook spaghetti to al dente. Remove chicken from oven, add 2 slices of cheese per chicken breast, then return to the oven for about 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Layer on individual plates: spaghetti, sauce, then chicken.

Honey Lime Fajitas

Remember these delicious enchiladas??
I love the honey lime marinade and thought I'd try marinating chicken
in it overnight for some fajitas I was planning to make.
They were INCREDIBLE! Hands-down the best fajitas I've ever made!
I served the chicken in corn tortillas and topped the fajitas with sauteed onions and sweet peppers, guacamole, and queso fresco. So fresh and absolutely delicious!

Instructions:
Cut your raw chicken into thin fajita-like slices
and soak in the honey lime marinade for a few hours (or overnight, like I did).
When you're ready to eat, pour the chicken (marinade and all) into a pan and saute until the chicken is almost completely cooked. At this point, drain all of the liquid out of the pan and continue cooking the chicken until it browns up to your liking.
Serve with sauteed onions and red, yellow and orange bell peppers (I used the huge bag of sweet peppers from Costco) and top with whatever fajita fixings you like!
Enjoy!!


Marinade:

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 large limes)

2 teaspoons to 1 Tablespoon chili powder

2 large cloves of garlic, finely minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder