Nicki's collection of recipes, open for all friends, family, and anyone who wishes to share from his/her own collection!

Tag: chicken (Page 1 of 9)

Slightly sweet leftovers

One of the great things about crockpot recipes is that you can cook a decent amount of food all at once and have plenty of leftovers. Remember that Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken I made? I had about half of that left over and I found myself wondering whether to just freeze them to eat later or use them for something else. I took half of it and added some chili beans and taco seasoning for a sweet chicken burrito filling. I combined that with some sharp cheddar cheese, lettuce, fresh tomato, and sour cream. That covered another two meals and they were fantastic!

The last couple of days I’ve been craving some chili. I thought I’d try using what was left of the sesame chicken to make a slightly sweet chili. Using the Taco Soup recipe as a base, I combined the sesame chicken mix into my crockpot with a large can of diced tomatoes, two cans of chili beans, a can of black beans, about a cup of whole kernel corn (from the freezer), a packet of taco seasoning, a packet of Ranch seasoning, and a mix of the following to taste: Tabasco sauce, ground chili pepper, ground white pepper, ground cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, sea salt.

It was delicious! I do not have any “starting” images, but here’s the end result:

I served a bowl of the chili topped with a mix of white and mild cheddar cheese and sour cream, with cinnamon rolls which were soaked in vanilla bourbon just before baking. They were very sweet and I found complemented the meal nicely. 🙂

Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken

I’ve been experimenting with crockpot recipes, and this one is one that I made last night. Of course dummy me forgot to take pictures!

Recipe Source: Family Fresh Meals

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tablespoons water
Sesame seeds

Directions:

  1. Start by seasoning chicken lightly with salt and pepper and place into crock pot.
  2. In a bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes.
  3. Pour over chicken.
  4. Cook on LOW for 4 hours or on HIGH 2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through.
  5. Remove chicken from crock pot with a slotted spoon, leaving sauce behind.
  6. Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot.
  7. Stir to combine with sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on HIGH for ten more minutes until the sauce has thickened.
  8. Shred chicken with two forks and then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving.
  9. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice, quinoa, noodles or MY favorite, spinach!

I left out the onion and did not have any fresh garlic, so I substituted garlic powder instead (though not enough, LOL). Unfortunately when it came to cooking the sauce after removing the chicken to shred and adding the cornstarch, I didn’t let the sauce cook long enough because it smelled so good and I was starving! (I choose the high for 2 hours route) So the sauce was a bit thin, but was VERY delicious nonetheless.

I served mine over some vermicelli and had plenty of leftovers to last me another meal or so. I may add a touch of Sriracha next time for some added heat, but this is definitely a dish I will make again!

Creamy Cheesy White Chicken Chili

Ok, so I ran across this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, Yammie’s Noshery. Her pictures that accompany the recipes always look soooooo good, and this recipe sounded so tasty I just had to try it!

So here’s the recipe as she posted it:

Creamy Cheesy White Chicken Chili

Recipe Source: yammiesnoshery.com

Ingredients:

1 Rotisserie Chicken, shredded
1/2 of a white onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 of a red bell pepper, chopped
7 oz. can of green chiles
8 oz. frozen corn
2 15.5 oz. cans white kidney beans (cannellini beans)
32 oz. chicken stock
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of pepperjack and monterey jack)
Cilantro and limes for serving

Directions:

In a large pot, saute the onion, garlic, and red bell pepper in a little bit of oil on medium heat until softened. Add the chicken, chiles, corn, beans chicken stock, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and continue cooking until it comes to a simmer (if you prefer a non-creamy soup, it’s great at this point too!). Add the sour cream and cream cheese. Toss together the cornstarch and cheese and add to the pot. Continue cooking and stirring until thickened. Serve with cilantro and lime wedges.

I deviated a bit from the recipe:

  • I had only one can of cannellini beans, so I drained and rinsed a can of black beans too. I figured this would give it a bit more color, and I love them so. 🙂
  • I added 1/2 can of petite diced tomatoes that I had saved in the freezer from the last time I made chili. Doing this made it a bit darker in color, so it wasn’t really a true ‘white’ chili, but I love tomatoes and I was making this for me! 🙂
  • I used not quite all of the 32 oz. container of chicken stock so that the chili will be a bit thicker.
  • I omitted the onion, bell pepper, and chiles. I have weird food issues, this is one of them. 😛
  • I didn’t have any fresh garlic, so I doubled up on the garlic powder — this made it a bit TOO garlicky. I love the taste of garlic, but it was very strong.
  • Lastly, I omitted the cream cheese. It probably would have added to the “creamy factor” but I hate the taste. I may try substituting some velveeta next time.

This was my result:

All in all, this was a very good recipe. Leaving the chiles out left me wanting more kick, so I added some hot sauce when I served my bowl. The flavor was very good, I will try a bit more chili powder and add some white pepper next time to give it a bit more heat.

This was a nice thick chili. In fact, I’ve had its leftovers for breakfast this morning, and over tortilla chips as a snack! I think I may pair it with some refried beans in a chicken burrito for lunch tomorrow. This is definitely a chili I will fix again soon!

Spaghetti Tacos

(Posted earlier to my personal blog)

As I was standing in front of my pantry last night waiting for culinary inspiration to hit me, Jessie made a suggestion for dinner: spaghetti tacos. She had gotten the idea from a recent episode of iCarly. At first I laughed (the show really is cute and I like to watch it with her), but the more I thought about it, the more I thought that it sounded pretty darned tasty! Granted, I cheated and used pre-made items, but it turned out great so I thought I’d share in case anyone else is looking for a new spin on an old family favorite.

You’ll need:

Jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (or make your own)
Your favorite pasta
1 box of your favorite taco shells
Meat of choice, or meatballs
Cheese and/or other toppings of choice.

Steps:

Cook your pasta according to package directions. I made approximately 8 servings, using a mix of “regular” and wheat thin spaghetti noodles. This ensured that I would have made enough for everyone to get their fill, and would have plenty leftover for me to take with me the next morning for lunch! Next time I may use some medium-sized shells or perhaps angel hair.

While your pasta is cooking, cook your meat (or warm it if using pre-packaged) and set to the side. I used Tyson’s fajita chicken strips. These can be warmed in a skillet or in the microwave and are handy when I need to throw together a meal in a hurry. In a large skillet, combine your sauce and meat, and simmer until thoroughly warmed to desired temperature.

Warm your taco shells according to package directions. I used Old El Paso Stand ‘n Stuff shells. These things are handy because I can sit them down on a flat surface and stuff!

Once the shells are warmed, layer pasta, sauce, and desired toppings into your taco shell. We used Parmesan cheese, but I’ll be eating my leftovers today with a mix of Parmesan and sharp cheddar. 😀

The finished product:

I think next time I’ll add some salsa and/or hot sauce to give it some kick! 😀

Thai Style Chicken

This recipe is one of my daughter’s favorites, and is a great (and easy!) way to break up the monotony of every day dishes — not to mention introducing new types of food to your family. 🙂

Ingredients:

1/3 cup peanut butter (shown with creamy, use chunky if desired)
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon chili powder
dash cayenne pepper (optional)
2 cups uncooked pasta
2 boneless chicken breasts

Directions:

Take two cups of your favorite pasta and cook according to package instructions. I made mine with thin spaghetti. While that’s cooking, chop the chicken breasts into bite size pieces and cook until meat is no longer pink in the middle and the juices run clear.

To mix up the sauce, combine the peanut butter, water, soy sauce, lemon juice, honey, garlic, chili powder, and cayenne pepper (optional) in a medium sized bowl. I found it easiest to mix with a small wire whisk to combine the peanut butter and wet ingredients first, then use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl and fold in dry ingredients.

When the chicken is done, toss in with peanut butter mixture until well mixed. Drain pasta, toss in olive oil (if desired).

Serve in a bowl with pasta topped by chicken and peanut butter mixture.

Suggestions:

I think next time I may make this with chunky peanut butter to add a bit of texture to the sauce. My daughter suggested topping with cashews — which I would have done if I had any. 😉

I ran across a similar recipe earlier tonight that added crushed pineapple (drained), so I’ll keep that in mind for future alterations to this recipe! 🙂

Jules’ Homemade Tomato Soup

Recipe Source: Everydaymommy.net

Ingredients:

2 cans (28oz) whole tomatoes or homegrowns
1-2 cans (14oz) beef or chicken broth
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup Half & half
1/2 stick butter
1/2 tsp sugar
House seasoning to taste *

Directions:

In large soup pot saute diced onion in olive oil over medium heat till tender. Season with house seasoning to taste.

Blend the whole tomatoes in a blender until just smooth, only a few seconds. You’ll want a slightly lumpy consistency. Pour tomatoes into soup pot. Add broth to pot to a pleasing consistency. If you prefer a thicker soup add 1 can broth. If a thinner soup add 2 cans broth. Season again with house seasoning to taste. Simmer 10 minutes to allow flavors to combine.

Add half & half, sugar and butter. Stir well as butter melts. Simmer another 20 minutes. Serve with grilled cheddar cheese on rye bread. Yum!

* House seasoning is equal parts kosher salt, black pepper and garlic powder.

Gert’s Summer Chicken

Recipe Source: Gert Meyers, by way of Cookie at The Cook Shack Gab & Grub

Marinated Chicken for grillin’ or BBQin’…

This makes a lovely marinade with a slightly sweet yet tangy flavor, ideal for grilled or barbecued chicken. It’s my own recipe, loosely based on a book-recipe, now long lost…

Marinade:

Mix together using a spoon or blender:

juice of a small lemon
4 tbsp of runny honey
1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil (or equivalent)
3 tbsp of vegetable oil (peanut or sunflower)
3 tbsp of light soy sauce
1 tsp of balsamic vinegar (optional)
a few drops of Tabasco(TM)
some finely, freshly ground black pepper
a small pinch of ground cayenne pepper
a small pinch of fenugreek or ginger powder

Marinating:

It’s often believed that increasing the time of marinating to overnight improves the result but in my view that’s not entirely true. A marinade can only penetrate the meat almost no more than skin-deep and so it’s my experience that a couple of hours (even shorter) works quite well. For an instant marinade, I recommend adding a little cornflower to the marinade, which will make it more clingy: then you can simply brush your meat with the mix, minutes prior to cooking.

Cooking:

Use skinless pieces of chicken: chunks or strips of breast meat for instance, although turkey would also work well. You can be fancy and create skewers with some yellow or orange pepper, some red onion and some cherry tomatoes or even pineapple pieces, for a great presentation and a bit of Wow!-factor…

Alternatively, simply marinate the strips or chunks together with the pepper etc, then cook and serve on a preheated serving dish. Tuck in!

I suggest cooking these on low heat barbecue (make sure it’s cooked through and through) or a ribbed skillet (I usually put a good dollop of salt on my skillet, which acts as an anti-adhesive ).

Happy eating!

Cheeseburger Pasta (2)

Recipe Source: Campbell’s Tasty Tuesday website (tastytuesday.com)

Prep/Cooking Time: about 15-20 minutes total

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 can tomato soup
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups uncooked medium shell pasta

Directions:

Cook beef in skillet until browned. Pour off fat.

Add soups, water and pasta. Heat to a boil. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until done, stirring often.

Nicki’s Variation:

This is an excellent recipe as-is, but we love it with small shells, southwestern pepperjack cheese soup and chicken!

Aztec Chicken Salad

Recipe Source: From the Cookbook, “Cajun Clark’s One Inch from the Top”

Notes:

Like most recipes, the amount of ingredients you need is in direct proportion to the number and size servings you want to wind up with, including any leftovers. This once again being the case, you can estimate how far the following amounts will go. But, do yourself a favor and cook the entire package at one time; you can then make a larger salad or have what you don’t use for another meal the next day. Makes sense to da ol’ mon Caj, especially if you’re cookin’ One Inch From the Top.

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breasts, seasoned to your liking, cooked–broiled, fried, grilled, you name it; it’s your decision–and sliced in 1 inch chunks.
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1 medium to large tomato, chopped
1/2 bottle Catalina dressing
Tabasco: brand Pepper Sauce
Tortilla chips

Directions:

Mix chicken, beans, corn, lettuce, onion and tomato together. Add Catalina dressing and hot sauce to taste. Serve over Tortilla chips. Can’t get much easier than this, no way.

Buffalo Wing Sandwiches

Recipe Source: Bob Sassone / slashfood.com

Ingredients:

1 pkg (9 oz) southwestern chicken strips
1 cup butter, softened and divided
2 tbsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp bbq sauce
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp parsley, minced and fresh
4 cups shredded lettuce
2 tbsp celery, chopped fine
2 tbsp blue cheese dressing (on the side)
salt and pepper
4 hoagie buns

Directions:

In large skillet, combine chicken, 1/2 c butter, hot sauce, bbq sauce and chili powder. Cook uncovered over low heat for five minutes or until heated through.

In a small bowl, combine garlic, parsley and remaining butter. Spread over cut sides of buns. Place on baking sheet and broil 8 inches from the heat for 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned.

Spoon chicken mixture onto bun bottoms; top with lettuce, celery, salt and pepper and dressing. Top with bun tops.

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