Yum!  I love Chinese food!  This dish was amazing and even gives my favorite Chinese food restaurant a run for their money.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
2½ Tablespoons Sesame Oil, divided
2 Cloves Garlic (chopped)
¼ teaspoon Dried Red Pepper Flakes
4 Cups Fresh Broccoli Florets
6 Tablespoons Chicken Broth, divided
Salt and Pepper
¼ Cup Hoisin Sauce
3 Tablespoons Oyster Sauce
5 Green Onions, sliced
Sesame Seeds, for garnish

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat.  Pour in 1 1/2 Tablespoons sesame oil.  Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and red pepper flakes, stir frying for about 30 seconds.  Add the broccoli and 4 Tablespoons chicken broth.  Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly until they turn a brighter green.  Reserve the broccoli on a plate.

Heat the remaining sesame oil in the skillet.  Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper.  Stir fry for 3-5 minutes to fully cook the chicken.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining chicken broth, oyster sauce and hoisin sauce.  Pour this mixture into the skillet along with the broccoli and green onions.

Serve over brown rice and garnish with sesame seeds.

Serves: 4

-Recipe from BlogChef.net-

I’ve been watching a lot of America’s Test Kitchen and trying out some of their recipes.  This one looked amazing, so I just had to try it.  It was certainly impressive and something to make for company.  You can enjoy the rest of the bottle of wine with dinner too!

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
4 Chicken Breasts (boneless/skinless)
Salt & Pepper
1 lb Mushrooms, sliced
1 Onion, chopped
1/4 cup White Wine
1 Garlic Clove, finely grated
1 Tablespoon Flour
1 1/2 Cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
1/3 Cup Sour Cream
1 Egg Yolk
2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
2 teaspoons Chopped Tarragon

Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel then season with salt and pepper.  Brown the chicken breasts, about 4 minutes on each side.  Reserve on a plate.

Add the mushrooms, onions, and wine.  Cook for 8-10 minutes to soften.  Stir in the garlic and flour, cooking for 1 minute.  Add the chicken broth and bring to a bubble.  Return the chicken to the skillet along with any juices from the plate, cover and turn heat to medium.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes to fully cook the chicken.  The chicken should be at about 160°F.  Remove the chicken to a plate and cover with foil.

Measure out 1/2 cup of the sauce into a bowl.  Whisk the sour cream and egg yolk into the bowl.  Pour back into the skillet and stir to combine.  Stir in the lemon juice, nutmeg and tarragon.

Serve chicken with the mushroom sauce on top.

Serves: 4

-Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen-

I am utterly amazed by the ease and deliciousness of a simple whole chicken.  This bird cost me about $2.50 and only about an hour to make.  It doesn’t get better than that!  Oh, and Chloe ate a good amount of this chicken without complaint…she even devoured a leg!

Ingredients:
1 Whole Chicken
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Salt
1/2 Tablespoon Black Pepper
Pan sauce:
1 Shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
1 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 teaspoons Sherry Vinegar

Preheat oven and an oven-safe skillet to 450°F.  Just put the skillet in the oven when you turn it on and it will be nice and hot when you are ready for it.

Pat the chicken fry with a paper towel.  Rub the bird down with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  With the chicken breast side up, tie up the legs (as shown in the picture).

Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and place the chicken, breast side up in the skillet (it will sizzle quite a bit).  Place back in oven and roast for about 30 minutes, or until the breast reaches 120°F.

Turn the oven off and leave the chicken in the oven for another 30 minutes, or until the breast reaches about 165°F.

Remove from oven and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

To make the pan sauce:

Pour off all but about 1 Tablespoon of fat from the skillet.  Add the shallot, garlic and thyme.  Sauté over medium high heat until softened.

Add the Dijon mustard and chicken broth.  Bring to a bubble and let it reduce to about 3/4 cup.

Turn off the heat and melt in the butter.  Stir in the vinegar.

*Note: I didn’t use the mustard and I substituted Rice Wine Vinegar for the Sherry Vinegar

Carve the bird and serve with the sauce.

Yield: 1 Whole Chicken

-Recipe by America’s Test Kitchen-

Quinotto is the quinoa equivalent of risotto.  Since risotto is one of my favorite foods, I thought I would give this a try.  It turned out to be delicious and the roasted squash gave this dish a wonderful flavor…it’s a close second, but nothing beats out risotto!

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 lb Butternut Squash, peeled & cubed
Salt & Pepper
1/2 Cup Uncooked Quinoa, rinsed
A Handful of Cilantro, chopped
1 Carrot, grated
5 White Mushrooms, sliced
2 Garlic Cloves, finely grated
1 small onion, shopped
1 1/2 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Stock

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Place the butternut squash on a baking sheet.   Drizzle with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and season with salt & pepper and about 1 Tablespoon cilantro.  Toss to combine.  Roast in oven for 30 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned.

Cook the quinoa.  A rice cooker works well or you can cook it on the stovetop.  Add the quinoa along with 1 cup of water to a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.  For a rice cooker, add the quinoa along with 1 cup water and turn on.

Heat the remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to a sauté pan over medium high heat.  Add the garlic and onion, cooking for a couple minutes to soften the onion.  Add the mushrooms, remaining cilantro and 1/2 cup stock.  Cover and simmer for about 5-7 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed.

Mix the grated carrot into the cooked quinoa.  Stir the quinoa and remaining stock into the veggies in the sauté pan.  Fold in the squash.  Cover and simmer a few more minutes to let the remaining liquid absorb.

Serves: 4 as main dish

-Recipe adapted from FitSugar -

Ingredients:
12 oz Rotini or other short cut pasta
3 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
3/4 lbs Butternut Squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Salt & Pepper
1 Onion, diced
1 lb Hot Italian Sausage, casings removed
Shredded Mozzarella, to sprinkle on top

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Once boiling, add some salt and the pasta.  Cook until al dente.  Reserve 1 cup of the starchy cooking water before draining.

While the water is coming up to a boil.  Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the squash, season it with salt and pepper.  Cook until lightly brown and tender, about 8 minutes.  Reserve the squash on a plate.

To the same skillet, add 1 Tablespoon olive oil and the sausage.  Break up the sausage a bit and sauté until thoroughly cooked and browned.  Return the squash to the skillet.  Add the 1 cup of reserved pasta cooking water.  Simmer for a couple minutes to reduce the liquid.  Fold in the pasta.

Serve with shredded cheese on top.

-Recipe is adapted from KitchenDaily -

Serves: 4

Sloppy Joes are certainly a family favorite.  Throw out your can of sloppy joe sauce and try this great recipe that will not let you down!

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/4 lbs Ground Chicken
1 Red Onion, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Grill Seasoning, such as McCormick Montreal Seasoning
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 15 oz Can Tomato Sauce
2 Tablespoons Hot Sauce (I used Frank’s Red Hot Sauce)
4 Crusty Rolls
3-4 pickles

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the ground chicken, cooking until browned.  Add the onion and bell pepper.  Cook until softened.

Prepare the BBQ sauce by combining the brown sugar, vinegar, grill seasoning, worcestershire, tomato sauce and hot sauce together in a small bowl.

Once the veggies are softened, stir in the BBQ sauce.  Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, reduce heat to low and cook another 5 minutes to thicken the sauce.

Toast the rolls under the broiler.  This only takes a minute, so watch them carefully so they don’t burn.

Serve the Sloppy Joe filling on the bun with a few chopped pickles on top.

-Recipe by Rachael Ray-

Serves: 4

Nothing welcomes the beginning of winter like a big bowl of soup!

Ingredients:

5 lbs Potatoes, peeled and chopped in 2-inch chunks
1 Small Onion, diced
4 Cloves Garlic, finely grated
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
2 Quarts Chicken Broth
2 (8-ounce) Packages Cream Cheese, to add at the end
For Garnish: Crumbled Bacon, Chopped Green onions, and Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Combine the potatoes, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper in a slow cooker.  Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Blend together with an immersion blender until creamy.  Cut the cream cheese into smaller chunks and add to the soup.  Cook for 30 minutes on high, stirring frequently to melt in the cheese.  Blend again with the immersion blender to break up any remaining chunks of cream cheese.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with crumbled bacon, green onions and shredded cheddar cheese on top.

Serves: about 10

-Recipe comes from A Year Of Slow Cooking-

It’s grilling season in Arizona!  Summertime is just too hot here to stand outside in front of a hot grill.  Here is a delicious citrus marinade for chicken.  We also make grilled summer squash – Just toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill alongside the chicken.  They will take less time to cook than the chicken, so wait until the chicken has been on the grill for several minutes.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Orange Juice
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Honey
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
2 Cloves Garlic, finely grated
4 Chicken Breasts

Whisk together the orange juice, soy sauce, honey, pepper and garlic together in a large bowl.  Add the chicken breasts, cover and refrigerate for at least a couple hours, overnight is best.

Cook on an outdoor grill for about 8-10 minutes on each side or until it reaches and internal temperature of 160°F.

*Tip: You can add this marinade to a zip-top bag with chicken breasts and freeze.  Just defrost in the refrigerator overnight and they will be ready to grill by dinnertime!

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
4 Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Thighs
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Large Yellow Onion, cut into 8 wedges
2 Celery Stalks, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 Medium Carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 Bay Leaf
1 Cup Brown Rice

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Place the chicken skin side down in the pot.  Cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.

Add the onion and celery, cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.

Add the carrots, bay leaf, 1 3/4 cups water, rice, salt and pepper.  Bring to a bubble over high heat, reduce heat and simmer covered until the rice is cooked, about 45 minutes.

Serves: 4

-Recipe comes from MarthaStewart.com-

Here is a quick salad for an easy weeknight dinner.

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Chicken Breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 Onion, chopped
1 Cup Frozen Corn
1 Tablespoon Taco Seasoning
1 Can Black Beans, drained rinsed
Romaine Lettuce
1 Avocado, cubed
Salad Dressing of choice

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Once hot, add the chicken, onion and corn.  Cook until chicken is thoroughly cooked.  Season with taco seasoning.

Add the black beans and cook for a couple minutes to heat.

Serve over lettuce with avocado and dressing of choice.

Serves: 2