Sesame Chicken

I picked this one out of an old Chinese cookbook that I've since gotten rid of. It turned out really good - especially over rice!

Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large green onions, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp dark sesame oil

Directions:
1. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces; toss with teriyaki sauce in small bowl. Marinate at room temperature 15 minutes or cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours.

2. Drain chicken and reserve marinade. Blend reserved marinade into cornstarch until smooth.

3. Heat wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add peanut oil; heat until hot. Add chicken and garlic; stir-fry 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir marinade mixture; add to wok along with onions and sesame seeds. Stir-fry 30 seconds or until sauce boils and thickens. Stir in sesame oil.

Yield: 4 servings

Notes: To add a little spice, toss in some crushed red pepper flakes or include a handful of dried red chili peppers during the stir-fry stage.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches

Found this one with a George Foreman grill (when I still had one). It's one of Kate's favorites - and these days I just use a real grill to cook the chicken.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp teriyaki baste and glaze sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp grated ginger root
1 tsp honey
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp teriyaki baste and glaze sauce
8-oz can pineapple slices, well drained
4 split kaiser rolls or hoagie buns

Directions:

1. In small bowl, combine mayonnaise, 2 tsp teriyaki sauce, sesame seeds, ginger root and honey and blend well. Cover and refrigerate.

2. Brush 2 tbsp teriyaki sauce on chicken breasts and set aside. Pat pineapple slices dry with paper towel and cook on medium heated grill until tender and hot, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from grill. Grill chicken breasts on grill for 4-6 minutes until thoroughly cooked. Make sandwiches with kaiser rolls, reserved mayonnaise mixture, grilled chicken, and grilled pineapple.

4 servings


Notes: I usually flatten the chicken out a bit to insure proper cooking.

Spicy Garlic Chicken Pizza

Now here is a tasty bit. I can't recall where I picked this up - but it's a winner in my book. While I'm sure the pre-made crust works fine, Kate prefers to make up her own crust. Also, feel free to use whatever mix of cheeses you prefer.

Spicy Garlic Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup sliced green onion, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp white vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water
1 16-oz italian bread shell (boboli brand) or tube of pizza crust
1/2 cup grated monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup slivered almonds (optional)

Directions:
1. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. In a large bowl combine 1/4 cup of the green onion, minced garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and the cayenne and black pepper. Add the chicken pieces; stir to coat. Refrigerate the chicken in the marinade for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving marinade.

2. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet on medium high; add chicken pieces. Cook and stir about 5 to 7 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir cornstarch into the reserved marinade adding the 1 tablespoon of water. Add to skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Combine grated cheese and 1/4 cup of green onions.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spoon chicken mixture evenly atop bread shell. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 12 minutes. Top with slivered almonds, if desired. Return to oven for 2 minutes more.


Makes 4 servings.

Chicken Ole

This recipe is a little something one of my co-workers gave me. It's a great way to use up leftover chicken or turkey!

Chicken Ole

Ingredients:
12 tortillas, cut into 6-8 pieces each
4 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can (7 oz) green chili salsa
1 cup sour cream
1 tbsp grated onion
1 ½ cup grated cheese

Directions:
- Lightly grease sides and bottom of crock pot.
- Mix all ingredients together, reserving half the cheese. Place in crock pot.
- Cover. Cook on low 4-5 hours.
- Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Cover and cook on low 20 minutes more.
- Serve with additional warm tortillas.


Notes: I sometimes found that using the above number of tortillas in the slow cooker made the chicken ole a bit heavy and thick. Feel free to eyeball the thickness of the meal and reduce the tortillas accordingly.

Chicken, Black Bean & Tortilla Casserole

This was a recipe I got from my sister Dianna. Kate and I liked it so much, we've made it something of a staple dinner. Best of all, it freezes well!

Chicken, Black Bean & Tortilla Casserole

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts (diced)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. cumin
1 chopped onion (small)
1/2 cup green bell peppers, chopped
14.5 oz. can diced Mexican-style tomatoes
3/4 c. salsa
2 15 oz. cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
6 7-inch tortillas
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese


Directions:

1. In a large skillet, brown the chicken with a little garlic salt and pepper, the cumin, and the minced garlic. Add the onions and bell peppers and cook a bit longer.

2. Add undrained tomatoes and salsa. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the beans.

3. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with non-stick spray. Add 1/3 of the chicken-bean mixture to the pan. Sprinkle with a little cheese. Layer three tortillas on top. (Rather like layering a lasagna)

4. Repeat the process: chicken-bean mixture, cheese, tortillas, then chicken-bean mixture - until you run out of tortillas.

5. Top with the rest of your cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Island Chicken and Rice

Found this one in a newspaper advertisement. It turned out to be a winner! :-)

Island Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:
1 can (20oz) pineapple chunks or tidbits
½ cup golden raisens.
½ cup sliced green onions
½ tsp ground ginger
1 minced garlic clove
3 cups cooked white rice
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
2 tbsps soy sauce

Directions:
Drain pineapple, reserving 4 Tbsps of the juice. Heat 2 Tbsps of the reserved juice over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add raisens, green onions, ginger, and garlic. Cook and stir 3 minutes. Stir in pineapple, rice, chicken, and soy sauce. Add the remaining 2 Tbsps of pineapple juice. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 5 minutes, until heated through.

Serves 4.

Notes: Kate and I often prefer to make this dish with brown rice for the added nutrients and flavor it adds.

Southwest Chicken Stew

Here's something new that I tried just this evening. I wasn't too sure about how it would turn out but in fact it was delicious! Originally found online in a random web recipe search (I think it was from the Good Housekeeping magazine):

Southwest Chicken Stew


Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil
6 large skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), trimmed and cut up
1 medium onion, chopped
2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, crushed with garlic press
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound medium red potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 can (15 to 19 ounces) white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained
1 can (15 1/4 ounces) whole-kernel corn, drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth (1 3/4 cups)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup crushed baked tortilla chips
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped


Directions:

1. In deep nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until browned on both sides. Transfer chicken to plate.

2. To same skillet, add onion, jalapeños, garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook over medium heat, covered, until onion is golden, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Return chicken to skillet. Add potatoes, beans, corn, broth, and salt; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, 15 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender and juices run clear when thickest part of chicken thigh is pierced with tip of knife, stirring occasionally.

4. Stir in tortilla chips and cook, uncovered, about 2 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly. Add cilantro just before serving.

Serving: 6 main-dish servings
Cook Time: About 30 minutes
Total Time: About 55 minutes

Chicken Enchiladas

Been a while since I posted a decent recipe here so I think I'll throw out one that I got from my Betty Crocker cookbook. It's been tweaked a bit but it's mostly as I found it. Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp margarine or butter
1 4-ounce can diced green chili peppers, drained
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
12 7-inch tortillas
1 10 1/4-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 8-ounce carton plain yogurt
1 cup milk
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (3 ounces)

Directions:

1. In a skillet, cook the onion in margarine or butter
over medium heat until onion is tender. Remove from
heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the canned green chili
peppers.

2. In a medium mixing bowl combine softened cream
cheese, the tablespoon milk, and cumin; add
onion-chili mixture and chicken. Stir until combined.
Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto
each tortilla near an edge; roll up. Place filled
tortillas, seam sides down, in a greased 3-quart
retangular baking dish.

3. In a medium mixing bowl combine soup, plain yogurt,
the 1 cup milk, and remaining canned green chili
peppers. Pour the soup mixture evenly over the
tortillas in the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake
in a 350 degree oven about 35 minutes or until heated
through. Remove foil. Sprinkle enchiladas with
Monterey jack cheese. Return to oven and bake about 5
minutes more or until cheese melts.
Low Fat Options: Use fat free cream cheese, lower
sodium soup, fat-free yogurt, skim milk, and reduced
fat Monterey Jack cheese.

Toppers: 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes.

Prep: 25 minutes
Bake: 40 minutes
Servings: 6

Crunch Option: Cook 1/4 cup chopped pecans with onion.
Also, sprinkle 2 tablespoons chopped pecans with
cheese.

Tortilla Soup

Okay, another quick one. This is a soup recipe that our friend and co-worker Debbie put into a recipe we were giving to another of our co-workers. It's quick, easy, and very tasty!

Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
1 can (16 oz) refried beans
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1 can (10 oz) chicken OR 3 chicken breasts, boiled and chopped
1 can (15 1/4 oz) whole kernel corn with liquid
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup salsa, chunky style
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a pot.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until refried beans are completely mixed with other ingredients.
3. Turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in cheese.

To serve, put some tortilla chips (I prefer Frito's) in the bottom of your bowl and add soup over it. Toss some more cheese on top if you'd like. I used a Mexican blend of cheese instead of plain cheddar.

Notes: This recipe is easily scaled up for larger crowds.