Herbed Lime Chicken

What a delicious, light meal!

This post will be short tonight because, hey, it's Friday night! But, this chicken was very delicious! The recipe calls for it to marinate in the refrigerator for about 8 hours, so I just put it together this morning and let it marinate while I was working all day. There are few ingredients to this meal, but each one is delicious and really shines through in the chicken! This chicken was full of flavor! You can pretty much pick out each flavor with each bite of chicken, but at the same time they all blend together really well. Delicious! The cookbook states that if you are unable to grill the chicken, then simply broil the chicken 4-6 inches from the heat for the same amount of time directed in the recipe. (Or I'm sure you could use your George Foreman or bake it in the oven and it would turn out great!)

Now, go enjoy your Friday night! I know I am! :-)

Herbed Lime Chicken
Taste of Home: Everyday Light Meals
Published by Reiman Media Group, LLC. in 2010.

Prep time: 5 minutes + marinating  Grill time: 10 minutes  Yield: 4 servings

1 bottle (16 ounces) fat-free Italian salad dressing
1/2 cup lime juice
1 lime, halved and sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 pound)

1. In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Remove 1/2 cup for basting; cover and refrigerate. Pour remaining marinade into a large resealable plastic bag; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8-10 hours.
2. Drain and discard marinade. Grill chicken, uncovered, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn chicken; baste with reserved marinade. Grill 5-7 minutes longer or until juices run clear, basting occasionally.

Lemon Chicken Breasts

As you can probably see from the picture, I got chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. I looked allll over the place for "boneless chicken breasts, skin on". I'm not so sure that they even sell that. Or, every place in town was sold out when I went grocery shopping. So, I got bone in, skin on chicken thighs and ohhhhh boy were they good!!!

This recipe is going to become one of those quick go-to recipes when I need something delicious but don't have much time to put a lot of effort into the meal. It was so good! The lemon really came through in the chicken - what a fantastic flavor! I could have stood for the skin to be a little more crispy, but that could have been fixed by putting the chicken under the broiler for a few minutes. I'll have to try that next time.

I decided to fix a fresh fruit salad as a healthy little side to the chicken. Not that the chicken was a "heavy" meal, but I thought that a light side would go well with it, and I thought some fruit would pair well with the lemon flavor in the chicken. I was right! I fixed us a little banana, apple and peach fruit salad and it was perfect with the chicken.

As I said, this is going to become a staple go-to recipe for me from now on. Little went into it and it was so delicious! You're missing out if you don't try this one!

Lemon Chicken Breasts
Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?
Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers in 2010.

Total time: about 45 minutes  Yield: 4 servings

1/4 cup good olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6-8 ounces each)
1 lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don't allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 x 12-inch baking dish.
3. Pat the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn't browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.

Chicken Enchiladas

Before I get into my story, I just have to say that I think the name of this recipe should be changed to "OHMYGODTHESEAREAMAZING Chicken Enchiladas".

Have you all heard of Pinterest before? If not, you need to stop what you're doing (finish reading my blog first) and check out this website! It is the best website ever! I have just recently been introduced to it and am completely addicted to it now. It is basically an image-based website where people share ideas and things that interest them. You have different "boards" and you "pin" your images with a description, etc. There are a lot of neat craft ideas and DIY projects on there, but there is also SOOOOOO many amazing recipe ideas!!! Holy cow! I could spend hours just browsing through all of the amazing food posts. One really cool thing about this website is that it has led me to other people's food blogs, which is where I got this recipe. Some random person that I don't even know pinned a picture of these chicken enchiladas with a fantastic review and a link to the food blog where they got it from. I'm so happy I found this!

These chicken enchiladas are phenomenal. I am by NO means anything that even closely resembles an expert chef and I don't like to brag, but you can't find in a restaurant what I made last night! These things were amazing!

It is a very involved recipe. Very involved. But TOTALLY worth it! Make sure you give yourself plenty of time. I think I got started about 5:20pm and it was about 6:45pm by the time the enchiladas were ready to go in the oven to bake. But it was fun! Luckily we had the yummy 5-Layer Mexican Dip to snack on. :-)

The recipe is very descriptive, so as long as you follow it carefully then there isn't too much explaining to do. One thing I did different was cook the chicken separate first and then let it sit in the sauce for about 10 minutes so that all the flavors and juices could mix together. I have a bad paranoia about chicken not being cooked all the way, and I just didn't trust that the chicken would fully cook simply by sitting in the simmering sauce for 12-20 minutes. I'm sure it would have been fine, but I decided to do that part a little different.

Also, the mixture is supposed to produce enough to fill 12 (6-inch) tortillas with 1/3 cup of the mixture, but I only got 8 tortillas out of that. That ended up being just fine because I only needed 8 anyways, but I'm not sure if I just didn't have enough chicken or what. Also, I didn't realize how much chili powder the recipe called for before I started cooking, so I ended up not having enough. :-( So sad. Obviously, the dish still turned out great, but it was missing about 2 tbsp of chili powder. Lesson learned - check your spices before you go grocery shopping and start cooking!!

Again, just give yourself enough time and follow the recipe carefully and you will produce the best chicken enchiladas you have ever had! Also make sure to check out Pinterest! You have to have an invite to join, so if you're interested then just let me know and I can email you an invitation. :-)

Chicken Enchiladas
Pink Parsley Food Blog

1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine
1 teaspoon canola oil
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons sugar
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded and chopped
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)
1 cup extra sharp white cheddar, shredded
1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas
cooking spray
salt and ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and oil in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.
3. Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through (the thickest part reaches 160°F), about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool.
4. Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the onions to a large bowl and set aside. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.
5. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onion mixture, and add 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup cheese, and the cilantro. Toss to combine.
6. Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap; microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
7. Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 7 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown slightly (skip this step if you don't like the crunch).
8. Reduce heat to 400°F. Remove enchiladas and pour sauce evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until heated through.
9. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
10. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, etc.

Chicken & Broccoli Ring

My husband said that his mom used to make this all the time, but this was my first attempt at it. I thought it turned out pretty good! It took me some time to put it together (probably because it was my first time making it), but it was definitely worth the effort!

I like having the whole dinner all bundled up in this one dish. It was really good! I thought the dill added a lot of flavor and paired really well with the chicken. The only thing I had trouble with was tucking the points under the dough at the center of the ring. I tried a couple different ways to get the points tucked, but I had some trouble! Everything turned out fine, but I have yet to figure out the best way to do that part. That was the only tricky part to the recipe though - everything else was really easy to put together. The recipe says to bake for 25-30 minutes, but I ended up only baking mine for 20 minutes. The dough was fully cooked and golden brown after only 20 minutes and I didn't want to burn it, so just keep an eye on it while it bakes!

A few notes from the cookbook - 1) Dill weed is an herb with a fresh, distinctive flavor and has been used in cooking for thousands of years. Use it in salad dressings, breads, sauces and vegetables, 2) Dried dill weed can be substituted for the All-Purpose Dill Mix, if desired, and 3) The Small Round Stone is the perfect size to prepare personal pizzas and smaller quantities of food for smaller families.

Chicken & Broccoli Ring
Pampered Chef Stoneware Inspirations
Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2005.

Prep time: 20 minutes  Bake time: 25-30 minutes  Yield: 4 servings

1 package (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup coarsely chopped cooked chicken
3/4 cup coarsely chopped broccoli
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp Pantry All-Purpose Dill Mix
1 small garlic clove, pressed
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tbsp slivered almonds

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Unroll crescent rolls; separate into eight triangles. Arrange triangles, slightly overlapping, in a circle on Small Round Stone with wide ends 3 inches from edge of baking stone (points will extend off the edge of the baking stone). Roll wide ends of dough toward center to create a 3-inch opening.
2. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine chicken, broccoli, cheese, bell pepper, mayonnaise, seasoning mix, garlic pressed with Garlic Press and salt; mix well.
3. Using Large Scoop, scoop filling evenly over dough in a continuous circle. Bring points of triangles up over filling and tuck under dough at center to form a ring. (Filling will show.) Lightly brush dough with egg white using Pastry Brush; sprinkle with almonds. Bake 25-30 minutes or until deep golden brown.

Autumn Wild Rice Salad with Chicken

This post will probably be short because I'm tired! haha :-) I did a recipe similar to this a few months ago. You can view it by clicking here. I liked this one better! I thought this meal had a lot more flavor to it. I think the dressing had a lot to do with it. Mixing that dressing, grapes and pears in with the rice was delicious! The pears were also a very nice touch. They paired exceptionally well with the chicken! I never thought to put chicken and pear together, but I will surely have to do that again! Overall, this meal was very easy to put together and VERY delicious and full of flavor!

A few notes from the cookbook: 1) Packaged wild rice blend consists of a variety of wild rice and whole grain brown rice and can be found with other rice varieties in most grocery stores, and 2) To toast hazelnuts, place whole hazelnuts in Small Micro-Cooker; microwave, covered, on high 2-4 minutes or until toasted, stirring every 30 seconds.

Autumn Wild Rice Salad with Chicken
Pampered Chef Make it Fresh, Make it Healthy
Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2011.

Prep time: 15 minutes  Total time: 1 hour  Yield: 6 servings

Dressing
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Salad & Chicken
1 1/4 cups uncooked wild rice blend
1 medium pear
2 green onions with tops
1 cup seedless red grapes
1/3 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts, toasted
18 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 tsp each salt and coarsely ground black pepper
12 green leaf lettuce leaves
2 oz blue cheese, crumbled

1. For dressing, whisk together ingredients in [1-cup] Easy Read Measuring Cup; set aside.
2. For salad, prepare rice blend according to package directions, omitting salt and oil. Place cooked rice in Stainless [4-qt.] Mixing Bowl; set aside to cool. Meanwhile, thinly slice pear and onions. Cut pear slices and grapes in half. Add pear, onions, grapes and hazelnuts to mixing bowl. Pour dressing over rice mixture; mix gently with Mix 'N Scraper until well coated.
3. Spray [12-in.] Skillet with canola oil using Kitchen Spritzer; heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Flatten chicken to an even thickness using Meat Tenderizer; season with salt and black pepper. Cook chicken 3-4 minutes on each side or until centers are no longer pink. Remove chicken from Skillet to Cutting Board; set aside to cool. Thinly slice chicken.
4. To serve, divide lettuce leaves among serving plates; top with rice mixture, chicken and cheese.

Provençal Chicken with Brown Rice

This meal had a lot more flavor to it than I was expecting!

The rice was really good after being cooked in chicken broth. Really added a lot of flavor to it, especially since we're used to cooking rice with water. However, I am terrible at cooking rice. Terrible! I can never get it right! Maybe once in my cooking career have I made good rice. My husband rocks at it though. Even if I screw it up, he can come in and fix it! He says that the reason my rice never comes out right is because I always lift the lid off the pot and stir the rice, which makes all the steam get out... I'm sure he is right, but I just can't help but stir the rice! I'm always worried it will stick to the bottom of the pot! Maybe one of these days...

The sauce was delicious! The olives add a very unique taste to everything. The cookbook says that "caramelizing the tomato paste gives this sauce a slow-cooked flavor." Also, completely cleaning out the inside of the tomato makes sure the sauce won't become watered down. Everything was really easy to put together and didn't take too much time. And as I said, the sauce was very delicious!  Enjoy!


Provençal Chicken with Brown Rice
Pampered Chef 29 Minutes to Dinner
Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2007.

Total time: 25 minutes  Yield: 2 servings

Rice
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup uncooked instant brown rice
1 cup chicken broth

Chicken
1 tbsp olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4-6 oz. each)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 coarsely ground black pepper

Sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
3/4 cup water
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/4 cup pitted green olives
2 plum tomatoes

1. For rice, add oil to (1.5 qt.) Saucepan; heat over medium heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Add rice; stir until well coated with oil. Add broth; bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Meanwhile, for chicken, add oil to (10-in.) Saute Pan; heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Season chicken with salt and black pepper. Cook chicken 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. Turn chicken over; cook 3-5 minutes or until center of chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from pan to a plate; tent with aluminum foil.
3. For sauce, reduce heat to medium; add tomato paste to same Saute Pan and cook over medium heat 2 minutes or until tomato paste is caramelized, whisking constantly with Silicone Flat Whisk. Add water and pressed garlic; simmer 2-3 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken, whisking to loosen browned bits from bottom of pan.
4. As sauce simmer, cut olives lengthwise into quarters. Peel tomatoes using Serrated Peeler. Remove cores and seeds using Core & More. Slice tomatoes lengthwise into thin strips. Add chicken, olives and tomatoes to sauce; simmer until heated through.
5. To serve, divide rice between serving plates; top with chicken.

Lemon-Chicken Scallopine with Gremolata Orzo

It felt like a lot that went into this dish, but it was all worth it! If you like lemon, you will love this recipe!

The lemon flavor really came through, but it wasn't too overbearing. I didn't have any orzo, so I used brown rice instead. The gremolata (lemon/orange zest, parsley, and garlic) added a very nice touch to the rice. It was very refreshing! The chicken also turned out really good. The recipe calls for you dredge the chicken in a mixture of flour and paprika. I have fixed many recipes that had the chicken be dredged in flour, but I have never thought to mix a spice in with the flour before! What a great idea! It definitely set the chicken apart adding the paprika. Never again will I dredge my chicken in just plain ol' flour! (Dredge is such a fun word to say.)

I definitely recommend getting everything together before you start cooking. I recommend that for any recipe, but definitely make sure you do that with this one. I had everything done and was down to making the sauce when I realized I still hadn't sliced the shallots! Luckily my husband came to the rescue. It does take some time to fix from beginning to end, so make sure you aren't pressed for time or anything when you decide to make this! And make sure to give this one a try! It was full of flavor and worth the effort!

Lemon-Chicken Scallopine with Gremolata Orzo
Pampered Chef Make it Fresh, Make it Healthy
Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2011.

Prep time: 30 minutes  Total time: 40 minutes  Yield: 4 servings

Orzo & Gremolata
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 orange
1 lemon, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/8 tsp salt

Chicken & Sauce
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts [3 oz each]
1/2 tsp each salt and coarsely ground black pepper, divided
2 tsp olive oil, divided
2 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
1 tsp paprika
1/4 cup water
3 medium shallots, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock
1/3 cup dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice [from lemon used in gremolata]
2 tbsp unsalted butter

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and oil; drain and place in Small Batter Bowl. Meanwhile, for gremolata, zest orange and lemon to measure 1 tsp zest each. Juice lemon to measure 2 tbsp; set aside for later use in sauce. Combine zests, parsley, oil, pressed garlic and salt in [2-cup] Prep Bowl; stir until combined. Add gremolata to orzo; toss to coat and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, for chicken, flatten chicken to an even thickness with Meat Tenderizer; season with 1/4 tsp each of the salt and black pepper. Heat 1 1/2 tsp of the oil in Executive [12-in.] Skillet (do not use stainless cookware) over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Combine 1 1/2 tbsp of the flour and paprika in Coating Tray. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, coating evenly. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until centers are no longer pink. Remove chicken from Skillet; set aside and keep warm.
3. For sauce, whisk together remaining 1/2 tbsp flour and water until well blended in [1-cup] Easy Read Measuring Cup. Add remaining 1/2 tsp oil, shallots and pressed garlic to Skillet. Cook 30-60 seconds or until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Add stock and wine; bring to a simmer. Add reserved 2 tbsp lemon juice and flour mixture, stirring constantly. Remove Skillet from heat; stir in butter and remaining 1/4 tsp each salt and black pepper. Serve chicken with orzo; drizzle with sauce.

Adobo-Glazed Barbecue Chicken

Yeah right, I wish my food looked that good! This is the picture of this dish out of the cookbook. I'm not gonna lie to y'all, I haven't actually made this dish yet. I was going to make it tonight, but after a really bad day, I just didn't feel like cooking. We ended up doing steaks on the grill that were so incredibly delicious and full of flavor (my husband is quite the grill master). I am going to do this chicken recipe tomorrow (Friday) night, but I knew that I wouldn't get around to updating the blog on a Friday night and didn't want to get behind again like I did this week, so I'm going to go ahead and give you the recipe!

It looks very simple and very yummy. The cookbook states that "Adobo sauce is a thick, spicy sauce that is often used to pack chipotle peppers and adds kick to this recipe's sweet and smoky glaze." The cookbook also suggests making charred corn as a side. Here is how it says to prepare that: "Make charred, glazed corn to accompany this recipe. Remove husks and silk from 4 ears of corn; discard outer husks and silk, reserving light colored inner husks. Trim ears of corn. Line bottom of Deep Covered Baker with half of the reserved husks. Add corn; top with remaining husks and 1/4 cup water. Cover and microwave on high 8-10 minutes or until corn is cooked through. Remove corn from baker; grill corn 4-5 minutes or until grill marks appear, brushing with some of the reserved adobo glaze.

Enjoy!

Adobo-Glazed Barbecue Chicken

Pampered Chef Grill it Quick!

Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2008.

Prep time: 15 minutes  Total time: 25 minutes  Yield: 4 servings

Chicken

2 tbsp Smoky Barbecue Rub

2 tsp vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, pressed

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 3 oz each)

Adobo Glaze and Garnish

1-2 tbs seeded and finely chopped canned chipotle peppers(about 3-4 peppers)

1 tbsp adobo sauce from chipotle peppers

1/2 cup honey

1 tbsp Smoky Barbecue Rub

1 tbsp cider vinegar

1 medium green onion with top (about 1/4 cup sliced)

1. Prepare grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. For chicken, combine rub, oil and garlic pressed with Garlic Press in Stainless (4-qt.) Mixing Bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat; cover and refrigerate until ready to grill.

2. For glaze, remove and discard seeds from chipotle peppers with Quikut Paring Knife; finely chop peppers with Food Chopper. Whisk chipotle peppers. adobo sauce, honey, rub and vinegar in Small Batter Bowl. Reserve half of the glaze for serving.

3. Grill chicken, covered, 4 minutes or until grill marks appear. Turn with BBQ Tongs and grill 4-6 minutes or until Pocket Thermometer inserted into thickest part of thighs registers 180°F and juices run clear. Brush both sides of chicken with glaze using BBQ Basting Brush during last 2 minutes of cooking. 

4. To serve, spoon reserved glaze over chicken; top with sliced green onion.

Chiles Rellenos Chicken

A quick post tonight, although there isn't really a whole lot to post about this recipe! It was very delicious, and I will definitely make it again. The chip crust gave it a nice little crunch, while the green chiles provided a lot of flavor! We also had it with some salsa, which was really good. It was very tasty, and the recipe was very easy to follow and prepare. We needed a quick meal tonight, so this was perfect. Easy, full of flavor, and didn't take much time to put together! Enjoy!

Chiles Rellenos Chicken
Pampered Chef Stoneware Inspirations
Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2005.

Prep time: 15 minutes  Bake Time: 22-25 minutes  Yield: 2 servings

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (4-6 ounces each)
1 lime, cut in half crosswise
1 egg white
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 cup finely crushed nacho cheese flavored tortilla chips (about 1 1/2 cups chips)
1/2 can (4 ounces) whole green chiles, drained and cut into strips
2 tbsp shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 tsp snipped fresh cilantro
Prepared salsa (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray Small Bar Pan with nonstick cooking spray. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Place one chicken breast half in resealable plastic food storage bag; seal bad. Lightly flatten chicken to even thickness using flat side of Meat Tenderizer. Repeat with remaining chicken breast half. Discard plastic bag.
2. Juice lime halves into Small Batter Bowl using Citrus Press. Add egg white and garlic pressed with Garlic Press; whisk until frothy using Stainless Whisk.
3. Place tortilla chips in another resealable plastic food storage bag and finely crush using flat side of Meat Tenderizer. Place crushed chips in shallow dish. Dip chicken breasts into egg mixture and then into chips, coating completely. Discard any remaining crushed chips. Place chicken on pan.
4. Bake 20-22 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Arrange chile strips over chicken; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 2-3 minutes or just until cheese melts. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with salsa, if desired.

Florentine Stuffed Chicken Breasts

In all honesty, I was scared going into this recipe. I tried a recipe in the past that required me to roll up strips of chicken and it was a huge fail. Going into this recipe, I was hoping that I had grown as a cook since that last experience. The prep work went really well! I actually had fun doing all of the prep work. I don't know what it feels like to be a professional chef, but I sure felt like one in the kitchen tonight! haha! I took a picture of the end result right before I put it in the oven to bake just in case something happened and it all fell apart in the oven. Here is what it looked like:

I also called my husband into the kitchen at this point so that he could see it before it went into the oven in case something happened and they fell apart. He said that he was IMPRESSED!! My husband rocks :-)

And now here is what it looked like after coming out of the oven:

I also got a picture after cutting the chicken in half so that you could see the center. Unfortunately, this picture doesn't do it justice (in my opinion). When I rolled the chicken up, I think a lot of the stuffing went out to either side which made less stuffing appear in the dead center. BUT, once you cut it all up and got into it, there was plenty of stuffing for all the chicken.

Now, time to go through the recipe... It was a bit of a detailed recipe and a little more technical than what I've done before, but it was fun! There was a lot of chopping in the beginning, but once you got that out of the way, things started moving more quickly. It did not take long to saute the first few ingredients, then mix that in with the cream cheese until it is nice and smooth. Next, comes the chicken...

It is so important to get the chicken flattened as thinly as possible. It will make your life so much easier when it comes time to roll the chicken up. I just so happened to have just purchased a Meat Tenderizer through Pampered Chef, but you can get creative with flattening chicken if you don't have a meat tenderizer! A note from the cookbook - "To flatten chicken breasts, place one chicken breast half in resealable plastic food storage bag and add 1 teaspoon of water (the water will prevent the chicken from tearing and sticking to the bag). Seal bag; flatten chicken as thinly as possible without tearing using flat side of Meat Tenderizer. Repeat with remaining breast half. Discard plastic bag."

After you spread the stuffing on the chicken and roll the chicken up, the recipe says to tuck the sides in to seal. That was the only part that I couldn't quite get. I'm not sure if I didn't flatten the chicken enough or what. The chicken rolled up really easily, but some of the stuffing was sticking out of the sides and I had trouble tucking the sides in to seal the roll. But, it all worked out fine without being able to get that part!

The end result = AMAZING!!! It was soooo worth all of the effort that went into putting it all together. It took me an hour and a half from beginning to end, but I would go through all of it again in a heartbeat! The creamy spinach mixture paired with the Parmesan and bread crumb coating on the outside of the chicken was incredibly delicious. If you ever want to impress your friends, go with this recipe! It can easily be doubled (or even tripled) if you had a dinner party and really wanted to "wow!" your guests!! I know that I'm anxious make it again and have some company over - who's ready?? :-)

Florentine Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Pampered Chef Stoneware Inspirations
Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2005.

Prep time: 30 minutes  Cook time: 5-7 minutes  Bake time: 25-30 minutes  Yield: 2 servings

Filling
1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms (about 3 medium mushrooms)
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
1 small garlic clove, pressed
1 1/2 cups packed fresh baby spinach leaves, stems removed, coarsely chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dash of ground black pepper
1/4 cup chive and onion cream cheese spread
1 1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour

Chicken and Coating
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6-8 ounces each), flattened
2 slices firm white sandwich bread, grated (1/2 cup crumbs)
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1 egg white, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. For filling, spray Small (8-in.) Saute Pan with nonstick cooking spray; heat over medium heat until hot. Add mushrooms, bell pepper and garlic pressed with Garlic Press; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until tender. Stir in spinach, salt and black pepper; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until spinach is completely wilted. Remove spinach mixture from pan to plate lined with paper towel; cool slightly. In Small Batter Bowl, combine cream cheese spread, flour and spinach mixture; mix well and set aside.
2. For chicken, rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Flatten chicken as thinly as possible without tearing. For coating, using Deluxe Cheese Grater fitted with coarse grating drum, grate bread. Fit grater with fine grating drum and grate Parmesan cheese. Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in shallow bowl. Add butter and mix until bread crumbs are completely coated; set aside.
3. To assemble, divide spinach mixture evenly onto center of each chicken breast using Large Scoop. Roll up chicken around filling, tucking in sides to seal. Generously brush chicken bundle with egg white using Pastry Brush. Place one chicken bundle into coating mixture; carefully pat mixture around bundle to coat completely. Place seam side down on Small Bar Pan. Repeat with remaining chicken bundle. Bake 25-30 minutes or until coating is deep golden brown and juices run clear.

Chicken with Wild Rice and Grapes

Tonight we had Chicken with Dijon Vin Blanc Sauce, which I have blogged about twice now. It is just so good! So since I made a repeat tonight, I decided to blog about a recipe that I did last week that I hadn't gotten around to posting yet. This Chicken with Wild Rice and Grapes recipe came out of the latest issue of Real Simple (fantastic magazine!). As I mentioned last week, I'm going to still do some Pampered Chef recipes but also check out recipes from other sources as well! This one was definitely worth it!

This recipe was so tasty! All of the flavors paired together perfectly. I didn't check the nutritional information for this recipe until after I had bought all of the ingredients, and I was a little surprised at how may calories was in one serving. Definitely more that what we normally have at dinner. BUT, one serving size was so much food!! A serving size included two chicken thighs (plus the rice, grapes and green beans), but we were both full after only one chicken thigh each. The fact that it used thighs probably made the calories add up also. You could cut some calories out by taking the skin off the chicken thigh, or even by substituting the thighs with some boneless, skinless chicken breasts. It would still be just as delicious! The wild rice also had a lot of sodium in it, but you could definitely get by without adding the whole packet of seasoning that came with the box of wild rice. Or just use brown rice instead!

Everything was really easy to put together! I didn't run into any major disasters and as I said already, there was a lot of flavor in the dish! I thought that the grapes added a nice touch. So, not the most healthy dish, but a yummy treat when you want to splurge a little!

Chicken with Wild Rice and Grapes

Real Simple 

Published by Real Simple, Oct 2011 issue

Hands-on time: 20 minutes  Total time: 40 minutes  Yield: 4 servings

1 cup wild rice blend

2 tsp olive oil

8 chicken thighs (about 3 lbs)

Kosher salt and black pepper

2 cups red seedless grapes

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1 lb green beans, trimmed

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Cook the rice according to the package directions.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. In 2 batches, cook the chicken, skin-side down, until golden, 5 to 6 minutes, then transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Place skin-side up and roast until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. Add the grapes and thyme to the drippings in the skillet and cook, tossing occasionally, until the grapes begin to burst, 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, fill a large pot with 1 inch of water and fit with a steamer basket; bring the water to a boil. Place the green beans in the basket, cover, and steam until tender, 5 to 7 minutes; toss with the butter. Serve with the chicken, rice, and grapes.

Chicken Mole Pizza

I know what you're thinking. "Hey, that's neither chicken nor pizza!" You're right! This is actually what we had for dinner tonight - salmon stuffed with crab meat with a side of brown rice. I wish I could take credit for this, but Food Lion had this crab-stuffed salmon already nicely packaged up for me so that all I had to do was stick it in the oven! Quite delicious!

Here is the Chicken Mole Pizza:

I had my first Pampered Chef party this past Sunday! That was so much fun! We had a great turn out, and Stephanie (www.pamperedchef.biz/sbissette) made the Chicken Mole Pizza. This recipe features the new Pampered Chef Mole Rub, which is made up of coffee, cocoa and citrus - smells great and adds a nice, unique kick to whatever you use it with! 

As Stephanie demonstrated at the show, this recipe is really easy to make, and everyone agreed that it had a great flavor to it and turned out really tasty! We cooked two chicken breasts in the microwave and baked the pizza crust beforehand. I couldn't find the 11oz package of thin crust pizza crust, so I got a 13.8oz package of refrigerated pizza crust and it worked out just fine!

After a few chops and dices, just mix everything together, spread it on top of the pizza and you're good to go! One thing I liked about this recipe is that it has you mix the tomato sauce in with all of the other ingredients, rather than spread it on top of the dough first and then add the toppings. I think mixing it in with everything else gives a nice distribution of the sauce. We only put avocados on half of the pizza and let everyone sprinkle their own cilantro on their slices if they wanted it, since those are two ingredients that not everyone is crazy about. 

The pizza was a hit! A great idea of something to have if you have a group over at your house. I'll definitely be making it again!

Chicken Mole Pizza

Yield: 12 servings

2 cups corn chips

1 pkg (11 oz) refrigerated thin crust pizza crust

1 small onion

1-2 limes

1 can (8 oz) unsalted tomato sauce

3 tbsp Mole Rub

2 cups diced cooked chicken breasts

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 avocado

2 plum tomatoes (optional) 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Place corn chips into large resealable plastic bag; press to crush chips. Lightly brush Large Bar Pan with vegetable oil using Chef's Silicone Basting Brush. Unroll dough onto bottom of pan, gently stretching and pressing dough to cover bottom. Sprinkle crushed chips evenly over dough; press to adhere. Bake 8–10 minutes or until crust is light golden brown.

2. Meanwhile, coarsely chop onion using Food Chopper. Juice limes to measure 1 tbsp (15 mL). In Classic Batter Bowl, combine lime juice, tomato sauce and rub using Small Mix ‘N Scraper®. Add onion and chicken; mix well.

3. Remove pan from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack. Top crust evenly with chicken mixture and cheese. Bake 8–10 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown and cheese is melted. Remove pan from oven to cooling rack.

4.  Meanwhile, dice avocado using Utility Knife. Seed and dice tomatoes; chop cilantro, if using. Top pizza evenly with avocado. Sprinkle tomatoes and cilantro over pizza, if desired. Cut pizza into 24 pieces with Pizza Cutter; serve using Mini-Serving Spatula.

BBQ Roasted Chicken with Parmesan Potatoes

I have decided to change my blog a little bit! Although I absolutely LOVE Pampered Chef and all of their recipes I have tried so far, I'm not going to limit myself only to Pampered Chef now. I am still going to do at least one Pampered Chef recipe each week, but if I see a recipe somewhere else that looks good, then I'm going to check it out!

I got this recipe from the Kraft website, and it was very yummy! It was really easy to make and had a lot of flavor to it. There isn't much prep work to do, but the bake time is a little lengthy, so make sure you have enough time to spare when you do this recipe. 

I cooked everything for the exact amount of time that the recipe called for, and the chicken turned out SO juicy and tender! I think the potatoes could have stayed in the oven just a little bit longer, but they still turned out tasty! Definitely try this one out!

BBQ Roasted Chicken with Parmesan Potatoes

Prep time: 10 minutes  Total time: 55 minutes  Yield: 4 servings

1 lb. small red potatoes (about 8), quartered

1/4 Kraft Italian Vinaigrette Dressing made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1-1/2 tsp. chili powder, divided

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

1/4 cup Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce

2 tbsp. Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Toss potatoes with dressing in 13x9-inch nonstick pan; sprinkle with 1/2 tsp chili powder. Bake 25 minutes.

3. Stir potatoes; push to sides of pan. Place chicken in single layer in center of pan; sprinkle with remaining chili powder. Drizzle with barbecue sauce.

4. Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is done (165°F) and potatoes are tender. Transfer chicken to platter. Stir potatoes to evenly coat with pan drippings. Spoon around chicken on platter; top with Parmesan.

Glazed Chicken with Apple Salad

Dear Readers,

I am so sorry that I have been MIA for the past week and a half! Things have been very busy and unfortunately I ended up slacking on the blog. :-( I should be back into my routine now though!

Tonight's recipe was so delicious! Here is a picture of my pretty julienne apple strips:

The cookbook describes how to julienne an apple: cut apple into quarters; set cut side down and cut out core at an angle. Thinly slice apple lengthwise; cut slices into thin strips.

This recipe had a great flavor to it! It was also very light - I felt satisfied afterward but I didn't feel stuffed. The combination of the cider vinegar, apply jelly and mayonnaise was delicious! It paired very well with the apple jelly, mustard and brown sugar glaze that went on the chicken. The cookbook also says that you can substitute the apply jelly with apricot jam if you'd like, which I imagine would be quite tasty as well. You can also substitute the stone-ground mustard with Dijon mustard. 

I forgot to get watercress at the store, but I had some baby spinach leaves in the fridge, so I used that instead. The spinach worked great! Everything paired together very well and was full of flavor!

If you do not have a Grill Pan, then you can cook the chicken however you'd like, in my opinion. I don't have a Grill Pan, so I cooked our chicken on our George Foreman Grill. I'm sure any cooking method would work for the chicken, as long as you brush the chicken with the glaze during the last minute of cooking. 

It says that this recipe only takes 26 minutes from beginning to end, but I'm going to go ahead and tell you that unless you as a master chef, then it will take you a little bit longer. Definitely worth it though! 

Glazed Chicken with Apple Salad

Pampered Chef 29 Minutes to Dinner

Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2007.

Total time: 26 minutes  Yield: 4 servings

Dressing and Apple Salad

2 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp apple jelly

1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1 Granny Smith apple

1 red apple such as Jonathan, McIntosh or Gala

1/2 cup lightly packed watercress plus additional for serving

Chicken and Glaze

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4-6 oz each)

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

2 tbsp apple jelly

1 tsp prepared stone-ground mustard

1 tbsp brown sugar

1. For dressing, mix together vinegar, jelly and mayonnaise in Measure, Mix & Pour; set aside. For salad, slice apples into julienne strips. Remove leaves from watercress stems (discard stems); coarsely chop watercress leaves. Combine apples and watercress in Classic Batter Bowl; set aside.

2. For chicken, heat Grill Pan over medium-high heat 5 minutes. Meanwhile, flatten chicken to an even thickness using Meat Tenderizer. Brush with oil and season with salt and black pepper. Cook chicken 4-6 minutes or until grill marks appear. Turn chicken over; cook 4-6 minutes or until center of chicken is no longer pink.

3. While chicken is cooking, prepare glaze. Combine jelly, mustard and brown sugar in Prep Bowl. Brush chicken with glaze during last minute of cooking.

4. To serve, arrange additional watercress on serving plates, if desired. Pour dressing over salad just before serving; toss to coat. Top watercress with salad and chicken.

Cranberry Chicken

Mmm Mmm Mmm!!!

Do you like delicious food? Do you like to not spend much money? Do you like having little to do to get ready for dinner? Then you will love this recipe!

There is so much flavor in this dish! I am not crazy about cranberries, but the flavor combination of the cranberries mixed with the cream of mushroom soup and onion soup mix was fabulous! It says to bake in the oven for an hour and a half, but I assume that if you were to use a regular casserole dish instead of the suggested deep covered baker, then it would not take as long.

I know I have said this before about other recipes, but this one is way too good not to try!!

Cranberry Chicken

Recipes for Your Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker

Prep time: 5 minutes  Cook time: 1 hours 30 minutes  Yield: 4 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4-6 oz. each)

1 can whole berry cranberries

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 packet onion soup mix

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix one can of whole berry cranberries with can of cream of mushroom soup and one packet of onion soup mix. Pour over top of chicken in Deep Covered Baker. Cover with lid, place in oven; bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Thai Chicken & Vegetable Skillet

If you like Thai food and peanut butter, then you will love this recipe!

I was a little skeptical going into this one. I have never been a big fan of stir-fry type dishes and I do not like soy sauce. I'm starting to think that this was just a childhood thing and I just haven't given those types of dishes a chance since then. I'm warming up to stir-fry type skillet dishes, but I still don't like soy sauce. :-) 

This dish turned out really good! I was even a little hesitant leading up to the first bite. But, once I tasted it, I was pleasantly surprised! I have had Thai food only a few times before, and did enjoy those few times. The peanut butter flavor really comes through in this dish, which to me is quite delicious. The dish as a whole has a different, unique taste to it. Much better than I was expecting! 

If you do not have the Pampered Chef Thai Red Curry Rub, then you can substitute that with 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste, which I found in the Asian section in Food Lion. If you use the paste instead of the rub, then prepare the recipe as directed, using 2 tsp of the curry paste in the sauce and combining remaining 1 tsp curry paste with chicken mixture.

Thai Chicken & Vegetable Skillet

Pampered Chef More Weekday Dinners - Done!

Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2010.

Total time: 30 minutes  Yield: 6 servings

3 limes, divided

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cup chicken broth

3 tbsp Thai Red Curry Rub, divided

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 medium onion, cut lengthwise into quarters

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

2 medium carrots, peeled

6 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, divided

2 cups uncooked instant white rice

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup frozen cut green beans, thawed

1. Juice two limes to measure 3 tbsp. Cut remaining lime into six wedges; set aside. In Small Batter Bowl, combine juice, peanut butter, broth, 2 tbsp of the rub, soy sauce and pressed garlic; whisk until smooth and set aside. Cut onion quarters crosswise into 1/2-in. strips using (5-in.) Santoku Knife. Cut bell pepper strips in half crosswise. Cut carrots into julienne strips using Julienne Peeler; cut strips into 2-in. pieces. Combine carrots and 2 tbsp of the cilantro in (2-cup) Prep Bowl; set aside.

2. Cook rice according to package directions. Cut chicken crosswise on a bias into 1/2-in. slices. Combine chicken, remaining rub and salt in Classic Batter Bowl. Heat oil in (12-in.) Skillet over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Cook chicken 5-7 minutes or until chicken is browned and centers are no longer pink, stirring occasionally.

3. Add onion, bell pepper and beans to Skillet. Cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove Skillet from heat. Add peanut butter mixture and remaining cilantro to Skillet; mix well. To serve, divide rice among plates; top with chicken and carrot mixtures. Serve with lime wedges.

Quick Chicken Cacciatore

My fifth post within one week! I'm trying to assist in my husband and I leading a healthier life style by cooking more and eating out less. We have only eaten out once in the past seven days! However, I do wish that this recipe was more enjoyable. I have to say, this one wasn't my favorite.

I love all of the ingredients... chicken, mushrooms, bell pepper, tomatoes...  but this recipe just didn't do it for me! The meal as a whole tasted bland to me. The recipe calls for frozen breaded chicken breast patties, which I was not excited about. I would have much rather cooked some boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You just can't compare frozen, breaded chicken breast patties with fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I am actually surprised that Pampered Chef would recommend using the frozen chicken breast patties. They just didn't taste good!

The Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes that I got didn't have much flavor to it, and the fact that it covered everything else added to the overall bland flavor of the meal, I'm sure. It is a great recipe if you need something quick, but don't expect much flavor. As my husband said, this recipe didn't seem to be on the same level as the other Pampered Chef recipes I have done so far. But, as I said, good for if you need something quick, low-fat and low-calorie!

Quick Chicken Cacciatore

Pampered Chef Main Dishes

Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2000.

Prep and cook time: 30 minutes  Yield: 4 servings

1 package (10.5 ounces) frozen fat-free breaded chicken breast patties, partially thawed

1 medium green bell pepper

4 ounces mushrooms, sliced (about 1 cup)

1 small onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)

8 ounces uncooked linguine

2 cans (14.5 ounces each) Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes, undrained

1 garlic clove, pressed

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. To partially thaw chicken patties, follow package microwave heating directions except microwave on high 1 minutes only. Cut chicken patties into 3/4-inch strips and bell pepper into thin strips using Chef's Knife. Slice mushrooms with Egg Slicer Plus. Chop onion using Food Chopper.

2. Cook linguine according to package directions in 4-qt. Casserole. Drain and keep warm.

3. Meanwhile, heat Family Skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Lightly spray with olive oil using Kitchen Spritzer. Add chicken patty strips; cook 5 minutes, turning frequently with Nylon Turner.

4. Add tomatoes, bell pepper, mushrooms, onion and garlic pressed with Garlic Press. Bring to a boil; cover. Reduce heat; simmer 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve over hot linguine. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Mojito Chicken Salad

This is the perfect light summery meal! Everything paired so nicely together. The meal as a whole was quite refreshing. This was my first time cooking with fresh mint leaves, and it sure did make my kitchen smell good! 

The meal was really easy to prepare. I always get excited when a recipe calls to use the grill. The smell of a charcoal grill burning is one of my favorite smells... Right up there next to fresh cut grass, vanilla, frozen bread (childhood memory), and my husband's cologne. Of course, if you did not have access to an outside grill, the chicken could be prepared on a George Foreman grill or something like that.

As I already said, the flavor combination was exceptional! Everything paired perfectly together and brought out the flavors of the other ingredients. Another healthy meal that left you feeling satisfied but not stuffed! 

Mojito Chicken Salad

Pampered Chef Grill it Quick!

Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2008.

Prep time: 20 minutes  Total time: 30 minutes  Yield: 4 servings

Dressing

1 can (15 oz) mandarin oranges in light syrup, undrained

3 tbsp sugar

2 limes

3 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves

1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

Chicken and Salad

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4-6 oz each)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

4 cups baby spring mix salad blend

1. Prepare grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. For dressing, drain syrup from mandarin oranges into Small Batter Bowl; stir in sugar (set aside oranges for salad). Microwave on high 10-12 minutes or until syrup is thickened and reduced by half (about 6 tbsp). Zest limes to measure 2 tsp zest; juice limes into batter bowl. Add lime, zest, chopped mint, cayenne pepper and oil. Reserve 1/4 cup of the dressing in Prep Bowl for brushing over chicken. Refrigerate remaining dressing for salad.

2. For chicken, season chicken with salt and black pepper. Grill chicken, covered, 5 minutes or until grill marks appear. Turn chicken over; brush with reserved dressing and grill 5-7 minutes or until Pocket Thermometer registers 170°F in thickest part of breast and juices run clear. (Discard any remaining dressing used for brushing on chicken.) Transfer chicken from grill to Large Grooved Cutting Board; let stand 5 minutes.

3. For salad, toss salad blend with 2 tbsp of the dressing; divide evenly among serving plates. Cut chicken into thin slices; arrange over salad. Top with reserved mandarin oranges. Drizzle with remaining dressing.

Chicken Sausage & Herb Wheat Pizza

What a healthy and delicious alternative to ordering out from your local pizza joint! I was surprised that the recipe didn't call for any type of pizza sauce, but it sure didn't "knead" it! (ha ha lame joke, I crack myself up!) :-)

I couldn't find any chicken sausage when I went to the store, so I got turkey sausage instead. Which, according to what I found online, Johnsonville turkey sausage has fewer calories than their chicken sausage, so I guess I got the better deal! I've always thought turkey has more flavor than chicken anyways.

The whole process does take some time, so it wouldn't be ideal for a night when you are crunched for time, but it is SO worth it to try some time! Don't be scared off by the fact that you make your own dough - it's really easy! Working with the dough is what takes the most time, but it really is very simple and the recipe walks you right through what you have to do.

The dough by itself is really tasty! Mixing in the rosemary and honey with the rest of the dough ingredients makes a big difference in the flavor compared to regular pizza dough. And as I said before, the sausage, tomato, herbs and spices produces enough flavor that you don't even need any type of pizza sauce! Quite tasty! I'd rather have this over Domino's or Pizza Hut. Plus it is healthier! One serving is 1/4 of the pizza with only 320 calories, then shave some of those calories off by using turkey sausage instead of chicken sausage. One serving was plenty for both me and my husband. Filled us up just right without feeling stuffed!

Also, this recipe comes from one of my favorite Pampered Chef cookbooks - Make it Fresh, Make it Healthy. I think I have mentioned before how much I love this cookbook. It is filled with with so many delicious healthy recipes that are easy to make! Make sure to try this pizza some time!


Chicken Sausage & Herb Wheat Pizza
Pampered Chef Make it Fresh, Make it Healthy
Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2011.

Prep time: 30 minutes  Total time: 45 minutes  Yield: 4 servings

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped, divided
1 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup warm water (110-120°F)
2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp honey
6 oz cooked Italian chicken sausage links (2 links)
2 plum tomatoes, seeded
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tbsp yellow cornmeal
1 3/4 oz Provolone cheese
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

1. Preheat over to 450°F. Combine flours, 1 tbsp of the rosemary, yeast and salt in Stainless (4-qt) Mixing Bowl. Using Stainless Mini Whisk, whisk together water, 1 tsp of the oil and honey in (2-cup) Easy Read Measuring Cup. Add water mixture to flour mixture; mix just until dough begins to come together using Small Mix 'N Scraper. Turn dough out onto lightly-floured Pasty Mat. Knead dough 4-5 minutes or until smooth and elastic, but not sticky. Shape dough into a ball and return to mixing bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm place about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, dice sausage and tomatoes, set aside. Combine remaining 1/2 tbsp rosemary, remaining 1 tsp oil and pressed garlic in (1-cup) Prep Bowl. Sprinkle cornmeal over Large Round Stone with Handles. Place dough onto center of baking stone. Using Baker's Roller, roll dough to within 1/2 in. of edge. Brush oil mixture over dough with Chef's Silicone Basting Brush. Bake 8-10 minutes or until crust is light golden brown.
3. Remove baking stone from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack. Top crust with sausage and tomatoes. Using Rotary Grater, grate cheese over pizza. Bake 4-6 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown and cheese is melted. Remove from oven; sprinkle with black pepper and basil.