Basil Tomato Chicken Burgers (Gluten Free Option)

My daughter Juleen made these burgers us a couple weeks ago when we got home from our trip. It was wonderful to have someone make dinner for us and even better that it tasted soo good. I felt a lot of love from her. I love my family.

I believe love really does affect the food that we eat. Whoever it is that is preparing the food, if it is prepared with love for those who are to eat it, it will taste better. It is part of the whole eating experience. Think of a meal that you ate prepared by someone you love and think about the love that was put into the meal and how that affected the whole eating experience. Love makes a difference every time. Add some love into your food and you will see a difference too. That is why home-cooked meals always taste the best.

These burgers are a great way to enjoy this time of year as the weather starts to warm up. They would be yummy cooked on the barbecue.


Ingredients   (Serves 4)

2 slices whole grain bread (gluten free if desired)
3 tablespoons water
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped into small pieces
3 tablespoon fresh basil chopped up
1/4 cup minced onion
1 1/4 lb ground chicken
1/2 cup feta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoon tomato oil
4 Hamburger buns whole grain (gluten free if desired)

Directions

In a bowl break the 2 bread slices into small pieces. Stir in the water and stir until all combined.

Stir tomatoes, basil, and onion into bread mixture until all combined.

(I like to use disposable gloves for this part) Knead into bread mixture with hands until combined: chicken, cheese, salt and pepper. (You could use a spoon to combine but will not be as evenly distributed.)

Form the meat into patties. Heat up skillet or barbecue to medium high heat. For the skillet add 2 T of oil (that came from sun dried tomatoes.) When the oil or barbecue is hot, cook the meat on both sides about 3 to 4 min on each side. Then put a lid over the meat or barbecue lid on the barbecue. Turn down the heat to medium low and cook another 8 minutes or until fully cooked inside.

Take off the heat and serve with buns and other condiments. You can freeze the extra in an airtight container.

Chicken Sweet Potatoes and Rice

Sweet Potatoes are a wonderful addition to a dish they add color, nutrition and a natural sweetness to your dish. I loved what they added to this chicken dish. I think the sweet potatoes were my favorite part of the dish.

Ingredients

2 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1 onion chopped
1 bell pepper chopped
1/4 C chia
3 cooked chicken breast chopped
2 sweet potatoes cooked
3 C brown rice
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions

1. Heat up skillet on medium heat and add the oil. Stir in garlic and onion. Let cook together about 3-4 minutes until the onions start to soften.
2. Stir in the peppers and chia and let all of them cook together for about 3-4 minutes.
3. Toss in the chicken, sweet potatoes, brown rice, thyme, salt, and pepper. Let all of it cook together on medium low with the lid on. Stir a couple times. Let the flavors meld together for about 10 minutes. Don't over stir. It will get mushy. If you need to add a 1/4 cup of water if it needs more moisture.
4. Serve while it is warm.

White Chicken Chili

This is one of my families favorite dinners. It is a wonderful hearty chili that also has vegetables to add extra nutrition. It cooks up fast and is great for a small group or a big gathering. We really enjoyed it today. I hope you do too.

 Ingredients

3-4 T olive oil
2 C Cooked chopped  chicken (you could also use turkey)
1 C chopped onions
1 whole chopped red pepper seeds removed
3 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 C  chia *optional
4 C water
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1- 4 oz can of diced green chilies)
1-11oz can white shoe peg corn
juice from 2 limes
2-14 oz drained and rinsed great northern beans
serve with
tortilla chips
grated cheese

Directions

1. In a large pot pour in oil and heat to medium heat. Toss in the chicken and let it start to lightly brown.
2. Then add onions, peppers and garlic, and chia if desired. Continue to let it cook on medium heat. If you need a little more oil then add some. Continue to cook until vegetables are softened and slightly browned. (The browning adds extra flavor)
3. Stir in the water, salt, cumin, chilies, corn and lime juice. Let it come to a boil.
4. Turn down the heat to low and then stir in the beans.
5. Cover and let cook for 30-40 min.
6. Serve in bowls. With chips and cheese if desired.
7. Store leftovers covered in the fridge. Enjoy

Lentil Chicken Stew

This month's Recipe Redux challenge is Spooky Spices. I can relate to this topic because when I got married 8 years ago, I received a great spice rack filled with all sorts of spices. And while I have some jars that are regularly empty and being refilled (basil, parsley, oregano), I have others that I probably haven't opened in the last 8 years except to sniff. You know, just to see what they were. (They probably have reached their shelf life at this point and should be thrown out.)

For our Spooky Spice, we chose marjoram. It's not a spice I use frequently, but it's fantastic in soups and stews, dressings and sauces. The lovely thing about using those spices that get dusty in the back of your spice cupboard is that they each have different health benefits. Marjoram has been scientifically proven to help with the gastrointestinal tract. Cool, right?

This stew is a delicious blend of vegetables, legumes, and fresh chicken, and it is very filling. The sweet potato is a fantastic sweetening touch. And although we said the chia was optional, it helps make the soup even more filling, which is great if you're trying to save on calories. Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1 onion chopped up
1 1b diced up chicken breasts
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp thyme
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp allspice ground (optional)
1/2 C chia, ground (optional)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
6 C water
1 C lentils
4 stalks of celery chopped up
1 sweet potato chopped in small pieces


Directions  Serves 8

1. In a large pot heat pan to medium heat and put in onion and garlic stir and let cook about 5 minutes until softened.
2. Stir in the chicken and cook until the chicken is cooked all the way through.
3. Then stir all of the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil. Then turn down to medium low. Cook until the potatoes and lentils are soft at least 30-45 minutes.
4. Serve in soup bowls.
5. You can store leftovers in airtight container in fridge or freezer.


Here are some other spices you might be interested in:
Star Anise
Turmeric, Garlic, and Parsley
Chili and Thyme
Cinnamon, Ginger, and Cardamon

An InLinkz Link-up

Easy Crock Pot Barbeque Pulled Chicken

Have you ever made your own barbecue sauce? I find it a fantastic alternative the most bottled sauces, which often contain high fructose corn syrup and/or preservatives. This recipe is extremely simple (and delicious!) despite the fact that you are making your sauce. Just mix together, throw into a crock pot, and wait. Crock pot meals are always fantastic because they won't heat up your kitchen like an oven, and they make your house smell amazing for hours.

Ingredients
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
1/4 C honey
1/4 C apple cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 large chicken breasts
rolls

Directions
1. In a large bowl, mix together tomato sauce, honey, vinegar, garlic, cumin, ground mustard, and salt.
2. Put chicken in the crock pot. Scatter onion pieces on the top, and then pour the sauce on top of that.
3. Turn crock pot on low for 8 hours. (Or high for 4 hours, if you're short on time.)
4. Scoop the chicken out of the crock pot and into a bowl. Shred it with 2 forks. Return the shredded chicken back into the crock pot and stir into the sauce.
5. Serve meat in rolls, sandwich style, directly before serving.

Serves 6

Delicious Chicken Salad with Yogurt

I had this for dinner this week. It tasted so good. I love chicken salad but, don't love to eat all the mayo that is usually in it. So this is a recipe that uses no mayo at all. I love the kick the lemon adds to it as well. I saved calories by serving it on lettuce.It was a treat to have leftovers for lunch the next day. Delish! I hope that you are doing something fun this weekend. This is a wonderful time of year enjoy it!

Ingredients:
1 C of cooked chicken chopped in small pieces
1/2 C green onion chopped up
1 green apple diced up
1 C of red grapes chopped in half
1/4 C of unsalted cashew pieces or nut of your choosing
3/4 C celery chopped into pieces
1/2 C plain low fat yogurt
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
Romaine lettuce to serve it on.

Directions: Serves 4
1. Place the first 6 ingredients into the bowl.
2. In a small bowl mix the yogurt, lemon juice and garlic powder together.
3. Pour over the salad and stir in. Add salt and pepper to your taste preference.
4, Scoop on to lettuce leaves and serve.

Lettuce Chicken Wraps

Good Morning !

Chicken wraps

Good Morning! I was looking out the window this morning, and had to take a picture of it. I love mornings. It is such a peaceful time of day. It is a new beginning too. It is so wonderful to watch the sun come over the mountain. It is a perfect time of day to go on a walk.  My daughter and I planted our garden yesterday. We will proabablly add some more along the way. We got it all planted and it started to rain. It was perfect. It was nice spending time out in the sunshine.

My daughter requested I make these last night. They were delicious. I love using the lettuce to wrap the chicken in. It is a nice way to get some greens into your meal. It is a complete meal you don't really need anything else. It is a fast meal to serve if your chicken and brown rice are already cooked.  

Ingredients: serves 4
1 1/2 C cooked shredded chicken
1 T oil
2 T chili garlic sauce
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 T lime zest
3 T Lime juice
7 T fish sauce
2 T honey
1 tsp salt
3 C cooked brown rice
1/4 C fresh basil chopped
4 green onions chopped
Romaine lettuce leaves washed

Directions:
1. Heat skillet to medium heat, add oil and chicken. Cook and stir a couple minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic sauce, garlic, zest, juice, fish sauce, honey, salt, and brown rice cook and stir about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in basil and green onions. Take off the heat and scoop on to lettuce leaves. Serve.   

Green Curry Chicken with Brown Rice

A couple of days ago one of my daughters came to make some freezer meals. This is one of the meals that she made. She let us have some too. It is always fun to have someone else to make your dinner. We enjoyed her company as well. It is always a treat to have our family come home.

This is a yummy meal. That we enjoyed for dinner. :) Thanks to my sweet daughter.

Ingredients: Serves 3-4
4 green onion washed and chopped up
1/2 of a small can of green chilies
1 small piece of ginger peeled
2 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 tsp fish sauce
nice handful of fresh cilantro
3 T water
2 T grapeseed oil
4 boneless chicken breasts cut in cubes
1 green pepper. sliced in thin pieces
1 can of coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste
3 C cooked brown rice

Directions:
1. Place in blender or food processor green onions, chilies, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, and water. Blend until it turns into a nice smooth paste.
2. Heat  1 T of the oil on medium heat. Brown chicken on both sides. Take out of the pan and place in dish.
3. Heat 1 T oil and cook the peppers for a couple minutes. Then stir in the paste. Stir and fry together a couple of minutes. The mixture should thicken up.
4. Pour the chicken back in along with the coconut milk. Bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down the heat. Put a lid over the skillet. Allow some space for a little air to escape. Simmer for 10 min.
5. Serve over hot brown rice.
* This could freeze nicely in an airtight container.   

Chicken Flautas

We are looking forward to welcoming our third grandson. It will be a lot of fun to see what he looks like. I love the wonderful smell of a newborns skin. It is a wonderful gift to have these sweet babies straight from heaven. My heart will stretch bigger and make room for him. I love my other two grandsons to pieces. I love being a grandparent. It is a sweet time of life.

I made these the other day for my sons lunch. He was skeptical. Since he had never had them before.With all the experimenting I do. I understand why he might be. He was pleased how they tasted. It is hard to go wrong with Mexican food. It is one of my top picks to eat.

These come together really easy. I have found that it is handy to cook extra chicken when I am making it for something. Then I shred it and put the extra in the freezer. Then it is fast and easy to use.

Ingredients:
salsa
3 tomatoes cut up
small handful of washed cilantro
1/2 of an onion dice
1/2 jalapeno diced small
juice from one lime 
salt and pepper to taste

filling:
1 C cooked shredded chicken
1/2 C cheese (I used jack)
1 dozen corn tortillas
oil (I used grapeseed oil)
topping options: cheese black beans rice, guacamole, salsa, cilantro 


1. Stir all the ingredients for salsa in a bowl. and then set aside.
2. Soften tortillas with a little water. (You could sprinkle with water and soften 1 min. in the microwave.)  Lay out flat place a small spoonful of chicken and a spoonful of cheese on to the tortilla. roll up tight. Place on a plate seam down until all of them are rolled.
3. Heat oil to medium high heat. I did just enough to cover the bottom. I did not want to deep fry them.
4. Place rolled tortilla seam down. and cook to lightly golden then roll over and cook the other side till lightly golden. Place on a paper towel to absorb the oil.
5. Then serve on a plate with salsa and your other favorite toppings. :)  

Healthy Spicy Chicken Dip

I hope you are able to gather your family or a group of friends around you for the weekend.  It is Super Bowl Weekend again. We don't watch the game but we enjoy lots of yummy foods and being together. So whatever way you spend it, I hope it is a great one.

Recently  I heard about someone making a spicy chicken dip. I thought that sounded yummy. So I started experimenting on making a healthy one. My son devoured it last night so, that was a sign to me that I had found a winner. This could be a snack, a lunch, or dinner with a nice green salad.

Ingredients:
1 can of cannelli beans rinsed and drained
2 T olive oil or grapeseed oil
3 T cilantro
3 T purple onion diced in small pieces
1/2 C shredded chicken small pieces
2 T plain yogurt
1 sm can of green chiles
1 1/4 tsp chili powder
1 garlic clove minced
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper * optional
1/2 jalapeno diced small pieces *optional
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded *optional
garnish with cilantro

Directions:
1. Blend the beans in an electric mixer or food processor (or power blender) until creamy.
2. Pour in the remaining ingredients blend until nice and creamy. 
3. Pour in an oven proof dish and heat in oven at 350 or microwave until warm.
4. Serve hot with chips, fresh tortillas (would make a great filling for burritos) or with fresh vegetables.             

Barbecued chicken

One of my favorite dinners is barbecued  chicken. I love when the sauce is cooked on in the oven. It is really easy to make your own sauce at home and it tastes so much better and is so much better for you.

Ingredients:
3/4 C ketchup or tomato sauce
1/4 C apple cider vinegar
1/4 C honey or brown sugar
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T soy sauce
1 clove of garlic minced
1/4 tsp dried ginger
1/2 tsp dried mustard
3 T dehydrated onions

2 lbs of chicken uncooked

Directions: Heat oven to 350 Serves about 6
1. Pour everything but the chicken in a small saucepan on medium heat. Cook while stirring about 10 min. (The longer the sauce cooks the better the flavor.so let it cook longer on low if your time allows.)   You want it nice and thick.
2. Place chicken in a 13 x 9 greased pan. Spread sauce over the chicken.
3. Cover with foil and bake about 45 min or until done. .    

Barley Chicken Soup

Enjoy a great soup with a lot of vegetables and barley added that is a wonderful grain. 

Ingredients: Serves about 8
2 Chicken Breast skinned
7 C Water
2 olive oil
2 onions chopped up
 2 minced garlic
3 stalks of celery washed and chopped
1 T thyme
1 T chicken seasoning
1 tsp pepper
1 C barley cooked
*extra seasoning to your taste preference 

Directions:
1. Pour water into pot. Heat on the stove to medium heat. Place chicken breasts in the pan. Cook the chicken till completely cooked.   
2. Once the chicken is all cooked take the pot off the stove. Take the chicken out and shred the chicken. Put the chicken back into the pot. Put back on the stove on medium low heat.
3. In a small frying pan heat the oil to medium heat. Place onion in the pan stir and let cook till soft. It should take 3-5 min. Then stir in the garlic cook another 2 min. Then take the onion and garlic mixture into the chicken pot.   
4. Pour the remaining ingredients into the pot and cook until the carrots and celery are soft. 
5. Serve warm.
   

Yummy Roasted Tomatilo Chicken Chili

It is starting to cool down during the day around here. It is a great time of year for chili. Chicken chili is one of my favorite kind to make. I have made different versions of it. This version is my favorite so far. It made a great dinner and the leftovers made a great lunch. Yum! Have a great weekend.

Ingredients: 
2 T grape seed oil or olive oil 
1/2 white onion diced
2 garlic cloves minced
6-8 small tomatilos chopped up (you can buy them canned)
1 jalapeno deseeded and diced
1 small can green chili's
2 boneless chicken breast fully cooked cubed
1 C of chicken broth
6-8 tomatoes diced or 1- 16 oz can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp cumin
2 can of shoe peg corn
1 16oz can of white beans (I used cannellini beans) 
salt and pepper to taste
1 handful of cilantro
garnish with cheese, chips, sour cream, lettuce, salsa etc..


Directions:  
1. In a skillet heat up oil on med. high heat. Pour in the onions and let cook till soft about 5 min. 
2. Then add minced garlic, and tomatilos. Let the tomatilos roast a little getting slightly brown.
3.  Stir in the jalapeno and chili's cook and stir. Let cook a couple minutes together. 
4.Then stir in the chicken and broth. Turn down to medium heat. Let it cook together for 10 min. on low heat. So all the flavors can meld together nicely.  
5. Stir in the tomatoes and cumin cook another 5 min. 
6. Stir in the corn, beans, and salt and pepper to taste. Throw in some cilantro. Cook another 5 min. 
7. Serve on tortilla chips hot and top with your favorite topping.     

Chicken Salad with Chia or Poppy Seed Dressing

It is that time of year to enjoy nice Summer Salads.  I made this last week and my family loved it. It was easy to put together. It was fun to make a dressing  that was not high in calories. I used chia instead of poppy seeds. Chia seeds work as a nice thickener in dressing.

Ingredients:
2 C grilled chicken or cooked chopped small pieces
1/2 C chopped up carrots
1/4 to 1/2 purple onion chopped in small pieces
1 cucumber chopped
4 C Spring salad mix or other greens
 *sprinkle bacon pieces on top if desired
Dressing:
1 C plain yogurt
2 to 3 T honey or sweetener
2 to 2 1/2 T lemon juice
1 to 2 tsp chia seed (or poppy)

Directions: 
1. Toss all the ingredients in together except the bacon. 
2. Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing together. 
3. Just prior to serving. Pour on the dressing. and toss the bacon on top if desired.

Amy's Sopa Especial

This recipe comes from my friend Amy. She taught a wonderful class today about clean eating, and how she feeds her family. I got a lot of great ideas. I love learning from other people. She shared one of her wonderful recipes with us and I asked if I could pass it along and she agreed. It tasted so wonderful. It would make a great lunch or dinner. It is all healthy ingredients and tastes so fresh. Black beans could be a yummy addition as well.

Sopa Especial

From the Kitchen of Amy Moreno

Rice and Broth Ingredients:

2 cups long grain brown rice

2 T chicken bouillon

1 clove garlic

¼ white onion (pull layers apart)

Pico de Gallo Salsa Ingredients:

2 cups chopped tomato (I like Roma’s)

1 cup chopped white onion

2/3 cup chopped cilantro

1 T chopped Serrano chili

1 T fresh lime juice (approx.½ lime)

Salt to taste. (you can also add a little sugar if the tomatoes aren’t sweet enough)

Add-ins:

1 ripe avocado (cubed)

3 limes (quartered)

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (shredded)

Instructions:

1. Cook brown rice as directed on package. Set aside.

2. Boil chicken breasts in 8 cups of water with bouillon, garlic and onion for flavor.

3. When chicken is cooked, remove from pan. Set aside to cool.

4. Strain broth to remove onion chunks, garlic,and excess fat. (I usually use a gallon pitcher to strain the broth into so that I can easily pour it back into the pan later.)

5. Clean out pan with a paper towel, then return broth to pan. Keep warm.

6. Combine salsa ingredients and put in a bowl.

7. Shred chicken breasts and put in a bowl.

8. Cube the avocado and put in a bowl.

9. Slice limes and put in a bowl.

To Serve:

Each person creates their soup (sopa) by serving themselves some broth, then adding the chicken, rice (about a ½ cup), salsa, avocado, and lime juice. 

* They said you can sprinkle on a little cayenne to give it a little more bite. 

Chicken Pot Stickers

Chicken Pot Stickers

We have bought these at Costco but never made them, so we decided to give it a try. It is fun to make your own so you can control what's in it. (quality control! :) They were so good we all loved them. They were loaded with good things in them as well. I will be making these again soon. They would be great for a get together if you are having one this weekend!

Hope you have a great weekend. We are looking forward to a wonderful family day on Sunday, too. It has become a tradition to have lots of yummy food for the day and enjoy the family. We skip the football game, and just focus on family time. Our family looks forward to this all year. :) Family time is what life is all about. Let the fun begin!

Filling:
2 1/2 C napa cabbage
1/2 lb ground chicken
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 C water
1 T low sodium soy sauce
2 T ultra gel (This is fantastic!) or 1 T cornstarch
1 T fresh ginger grated
3/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1/2 C spelt berries or cooked rice, or cooked quinoa + 2 T water (optional)*
40 wonton wraps
small bowl of water
oil to cook them in (I used grape seed oil)



Sauce:
2 T soy sauce
2 T rice vinegar
4 T salsa
6 T cilantro chopped up
4 garlic cloves minced
1 T grated fresh ginger




Directions:

1. Mix ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and set aside.

2. Cut up cabbage in thin slices. Sprinkle with salt and set aside for 20 min. (This will help get some of the moisture out.)

3. In a skillet, saute chicken, and garlic till lightly browned.

4. Squeeze the cabbage in your fists over a bowl to get out the excess moisture. Then put cabbage, cooked meat, water, say sauce, ultra gel or cornstarch, ginger, pepper, mustard and grain (if desired) in blender or food processor. Blend until all combined and a creamy consistency.

5. Lay out the wonton shells several at a time so you can do a mass production. Scoop about about a tsp of the mixture on to the wonton wrapper. Wet your finger with water from the bowl and rub it all along the edge of the wonton wrapper. Fold over to make a triangle and seal shut, squeezing out the air as much as possible.

6. Heat up skillet to medium heat. Pour in a small amount of oil about 2 T. Place the pot stickers (Put in about 10 at a time depending on your skillet size) in the skillet with the seam up. Let them get lightly brown on the bottom. Then carefully pour in 1/3 C water and turn down the heat to medium low. Be careful, because if your oil is too hot, it could splatter! Cover and let it cook until the water evaporates or almost evaporates. Take them out of the skillet while and keep them warm while you cook the other pot stickers. Wipe out the pan after each batch with a paper towel and restart the process.

7. Serve with the dipping sauce. Yum! This recipe made about 35 small pot stickers.

*How to make spelt berries:

Ingredients:

2 C water
1 C spelt
1 T coconut oil

Directions:

Pressure cooking method:
1. Pour spelt, water, oil and into the pressure cooking.

2. Set the pressure cooker on to high pressure. Set timer for 25 min.

3. Put on lid and let it cook. Let the pressure release on its on. You can leave it on warm and serve whenever you want to.

Stove top method: Add an extra cup of water

1.Pour 3 cups of water into medium saucepan heat till comes to a boil.

2. Pour cup of spelt in boiling water and add spices and oil. Let it come to a boil again.

3. Put the lid on turn it to low. Let it cook another 40-60 min or until soft and they start to split. Drain off water.

Whole Grain Breaded Fish or Chicken Tenders

Whole Grain Breaded Fish  

                                               Whole Grain Chicken Tenders                           
                                                 

I have never made fish like this for my family they enjoyed it. Last night when I served it to them they  thought it was chicken. The thing I really liked about it was, I was having a meeting at my house last night, and cooking fish for dinner didn't even make the house smell. :) That was a added bonus.You could do this same process with Fish or chicken. I gave you two options.  We did it over the weekend on chicken and enjoyed it. Making your own breadcrumb is easy and a better tasting and healthier option to store bought breadcrumbs.


Ingredients:

For fish:
3 to 4 T Oil I used grape seed oil
4 pieces of fresh whole grain bread
1 T Lemon pepper
2 tsp sea salt with iodine
1 T dried or fresh parsley
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 whole grain flour
1 egg beaten or 2 to 3 egg whites
1 lb of fish fillets tilapia, cod, or haddock or ?

For Chicken:(chicken fingers)

3 to 4 T oil (I used grape seed oil)
4 pieces of whole grain bread crumbs
2 tsp salt 
1 T dried mustard
3 tsp dried or fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves minced
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 C whole grain flour
1 to 2 eggs or 3 egg whites beaten
1 1/2 to 2 lbs of chicken tenders or breasts cut in 1" wide strips  

Directions: Heat oven to 400

1. (Same prep. process for both just add different spices) Chop the broken up pieces of bread in a blender or food processor. You want it a medium texture not too fine. Pour oil into the skillet on the stove and heat to medium heat. Pour in the bread crumbs and toast until a nice light golden brown. Then stir in the flour and spices and cook another 2 min. Take off the heat and let it cool in a bowl.

2. Dry off the chicken or fish if it is wet .Beat the egg and leave in a seperate bowl.

3. (I pour out half the crumbs. Then used only what I needed. If it hasn't had the bread or chicken in it. It can be used for something else. Leftovers can be stored in closed container in the fridge.) Dip the chicken or fish in the egg and then into the bread curmbs. Making sure it gets coated on all sides.

4. Place the chicken or fish on a greased wire rack that is over a cookie sheet and cook in the oven till nice golden color and completely cooked. About 10 to 15 min. Watch so it doesn't overcook. Take out of the oven and serve. 

 
   







   

South of the Border Egg Rolls

These egg rolls were fun to make. My son was thrown off when he bit into them, thinking the tortilla would be soft. You could use corn tortillas too. I froze have the filling because we only had 3 of us eating tonight. It will be great to have for a quick dinner when I need it.

Ingredients:
2 T oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts*
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 jalapeno diced
1 sm. can diced green chili's
1 can of white corn drained
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
10-12 flour or corn tortillas (I did homemade)
2 T olive oil
1/2 C cooked grains *optional (You could leave out the chicken)
Guacamole
2 ripe avocados peeled and mashed
2 Roma tomatoes chopped up * optional
juice from 1/2 to 1 lime
1/4 tsp sea salt with iodine
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp chili powder

*You could just dip them in to salsa or taco sauce.

Directions:
1. Heat oil in skillet. Cook chicken breasts in oil. Cutting it up as it cooks. While it is cooking add the spices, salt, peppers, and chili's. Put the lid on and turn down the heat. Cook till the chicken gets tender. Then shred the chicken. (If you have a Bosch it works great to put the chicken into the Bosch with the cookie paddles attached. It shreds up meat perfectly.) Return the chicken to the skillet.

2. Then stir in the corn and beans. Let it heat up all the way. Heat oven to 400.

3. Take mixture off the heat. Lay tortilla out flat and place a couple Tbsp. of filling in the middle and roll up tight. Continue with the rest of tortillas.

4. Place the tortillas on a cookie sheet. Leave space in between them. Brush the tops and sides with oil. Place in a preheated oven.

5. In the meantime mash up the avocados and the other seasonings to your taste preference. Fold in tomatoes if desired.

6. Take the egg rolls out of the oven when slightly golden and firm.

7. Dip them into the guacamole and enjoy!

*I think having brown rice instead of chicken would be wonderful too.

My Cuisinart Pressure Cooker (My Review) and Some Pressure Cooker Recipes

I've been meaning for a while to tell you a little bit about my favorite kitchen gadget--the
Cuisinart Pressure Cooker. I've mentioned it several times, but here's my official soapbox about the thing. And just so you know, I'm not getting paid or reimbursed in any way for this post.

I love my pressure cooker. So much so that I would pay to buy it again every year (even though it usually costs around $100) for all the time and work it saves me. For example, this week I wanted to make dinner for my sister-in-law and her family. Instead of slaving away over a stove, getting multiple pots and pans dirty, etc., I just threw some frozen chicken, brown rice, water, and spices into my pressure cooker. It cooked on high for 40 minutes, and when it was done, I had a complete chicken and rice dish for both my family and theirs. Here's a picture: (see recipe below)


And one of the great things about it is that while most cooking boils away nutrition, this pressure cooker is sealed so tightly that more of the nutrients stay in the food.

I even bought it for two of my kids this Christmas.

A Few Pressure Cooker Recipes
Everyday Brown Rice Mixture
Barley Pilaf
Thai Fried Sweet Brown Rice
Easy Whole Grain Sweet Brown Rice Risotto
Chicken Vegetable Soup
Sweet and Sour Chicken and Brown Rice
Seasoned Cross Rib Roast
Chili Chicken with Brown Rice and Quinoa
It also is great for a lot of other recipes in which you use rice--even if the other ingredients aren't cooked with it.

Simple Chicken and Rice in the Pressure Cooker

Ingredients:
3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
2 1/2 C brown rice
5 C water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp coconut oil

Directions:
Add all ingredients to 6 qt. pressure cooker. Turn on high power for 40 minutes. Let it release on its own. Serve.