breaded feta stuffed chicken

We recently decided to buy a block of feta cheese at Costco because it is significantly cheaper than buying it in a small container at the grocery store. Since we have such a large block of feta, it's been a fun challenge to come up with ways to use it. I loved this recipe!

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 slice bread
• 1 tablespoon herb seasoning
  
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. In a blender, grind up bread and herb seasoning to make breadcrumbs. Set aside.
2. Flatten chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness.
3. Place feta cheese on each breast and roll up. Secure with toothpicks.
4. Place rolled chicken breasts on a greased 9x13 dish.
5. Top breast with breadcrumbs and remaining feta cheese.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
7. Combine balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl. Drizzle over baked chicken.

green enchiladas

My friend served leftovers of these to me months ago and I LOVED them! I made sure to get the recipe. I acquired the specific ingredients and... didn't make them. I used the ingredients for other meals. I acquired the ingredients again, and didn't make them. After several months of wanting to make them, having them on my menu, and purchasing the ingredients, I finally made them last week. I loved them. The hubby loved them. Our little man loved them. I guess it was worth the wait! Personally though, I recommend you not wait months and months to try this recipe.

Ingredients

• 3 chicken breasts
• 1 16 oz jar mild salsa verde
• 2 cups fresh cilantro
• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 3 cups pepper jack cheese, grated
• salt and pepper
• 10 whole wheat tortillas

Directions

1. Boil the chicken until cooked through. Shred chicken and set it aside.
2. In blender, puree salsa, sour cream, and cilantro (save a little for the top of the enchiladas) until smooth.
3. Spread a little of the sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 dish.
   
4. Place sauce, chicken, corn, cheese, and cilantro on a tortilla. Roll the filled tortilla and place in dish. Continue with all tortillas or until dish is full.
   
5. Top with remaining sauce, cheese, corn, and cilantro.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Garlic Chicken

Garlic Chicken

4 skinless chicken Breasts

1/4 cup olive oil

2 minced garlic cloves

2 cups crushed rice crispies (Cornflakes or bread crumbs)

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Warm oil and garlic cloves on the stove top to infuse flavors

2. In a shallow pan combine crushed rice crispies and 1/4 Parmesan cheese.

3. Dip Chicken in oil and then coat in cereal mixture.

4. Pour remaining oil on chicken and pat with remaining crumbs

5. Bake 425 degrees for 35-45 minutes until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Easy!!! I love garlic so I think I used 5-6 cloves and wow, was it good!!! This is one of the best baked chicken recipes I think I have ever made. I served with Mashed potatoes and a green salad. Thank you for being patient with me as I have been a contributor since the beginning of this blog but never contributed. Hopefully this will be the beginning of lots of sharing of recipes. Bon Appetit!!!

Chicken-N-Dumplins'

Chicken -N- Dumplins'

2 chicken breasts
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced onion
1 cup sliced carrots
salt and pepper to taste

Boil chicken and onion until chicken is done remove chicken and dice. (You can also use any left over chicken you have and just boil it with the veggies.) place diced chicken back in pot and add celery and carrots. Boil on low and once veggies are tender drop dumpling by the spoonful on top of broth. Cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through.

Dumplings
2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp cooking oil

This is one of the first recipes I asked my Grandma to share with me. I don't actually remember her ever cooking Chicken and Dumplings for us but it was something that I had had at a restaurant and really liked it and I asked her if she knew how to make it and if she could show me. I always felt very close to my Grandma and miss her very often. This is one way she lives on in my family.

finemealwoman recommends

I recently made Rebecca's brownies and added mint extract to them. They were AMAZINGLY good! I totally agree with Rebecca that these are the best brownies! They were so good we made them again with Reese's Pieces on top. Yum!

Tonight I made Danica's white BBQ chicken. It was yummy and quick. I liked that it had a different flavor from my usual chicken recipes.

Thanks for sharing these great recipes ladies!

lemon chicken orzo

This has to be one of the BEST meals I've ever made. The picture doesn't do it justice. It was delicious, quick, and refreshing. I've never had or cooked orzo before, but I really liked it and will be trying more recipes like this one. I didn't have all of the ingredients on hand and omitted a few things, but it was still amazing! I'm pretty sure I saw this recipe on a blog, but I have not been able to find it again to give proper credit. So if it was your blog, thank you!

Ingredients

• 3/4 C uncooked orzo pasta
• 1/4 tsp grated lemon rind
• 3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp honey
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 C cooked shredded or diced boneless, skinless chicken
• 1/2 C diced cucumber
• 1/2 C diced red bell pepper
• 1/3 C sliced green onions
• 1 Tbs chopped fresh dill, or 1 tsp dried dill
  
• 1/2 C crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until pasta feels cool to the touch. Drain and place in a large salad bowl.
2. While orzo cooks, combine lemon rind, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, garlic, honey, and black pepper. Whisk to combine.
3. Add chicken, cucumber, bell pepper, green onions, and dill to pasta. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine. Divide onto 4 plates and sprinkle with feta.

Bow Tie Pasta with Rosemary Grilled Chicken and Spinach

Bow-tie pasta with rosemary grilled chicken and feta cheese and spinach

8 oz bow-tie (or other kind--I used whole wheat spirals) pasta, cooked al dente
4 oz crumbled feta cheese (optional)
1 bunch green onion, minced
fresh baby spinach
tomato wedges for garnish

For chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cleaned and pounded thin
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp chopped fresh garlic
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Combine ingredients and marinate for at least 30 minutes. Grill or broil until just done.

Dressing: Lemon vinaigrette

1 shallot, minced
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup good quality fruity olive oil
1 tsp sugar
Combine shallot, mustard and lemon juice, slowly whisk in oil. Add sugar.

To serve:
Toss pasta with feta cheese, green onions, baby spinach and dressing. Slice the chicken and place on top.

enjoy!

parmesan chicken

This is one of my favorite chicken recipes! It's tasty, quick, and satisfying. In the past, I have used butter, but most recently I switched to olive oil and it tasted better than ever. This feeds our family of 3, but you can simply adjust it to feed a larger family.

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• pepper to taste
  

Directions

1. Mix bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a medium size bowl
2. Cut chicken breasts into strips
3. Dip chicken in olive oil and then into bread crumb mixture
4. Place chicken in a 9x13 glass dish
5. Top with pepper
   
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until chicken in cooked through

alfredo sauce

We recently had some friends over for dinner and Chef Jeff made a delicious chicken alfredo pasta dish. My friend asked for the recipe for the alfredo sauce. It is NOT a low fat sauce, but it is delicious!

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound butter
• 1 cup cream
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• salt
• pepper

Directions

1. Melt butter in saucepan
2. Add cream
3. Add cheese
4. Add salt and pepper to taste
5. Stir until smooth

It's delicious over pasta (for a meatless dish) or with cubed chicken!

chicken salad sandwiches

This is a super simple dinner that is really tasty and refreshing on a hot summer day. Use as much or as little of the ingredients as suits your fancy. Personally, I like a lot of curry, but maybe you won't. Feel free to be creative!

Ingredients

• 1 can of chicken (I like the ones from Costco)
• Red pepper
• Green onion
• Curry powder
• Black pepper
• Mayo
• Craisins
• Bread
  

Directions

1. Mix everything together in a bowl according to desired amounts (it's best if it has time to chill)
2. Grill bread on George Foreman Grill
3. Place salad mixture between bread slices and enjoy!

orange chicken

I've been missing the tasty food of Hawaii recently and decided to give this recipe a try. It comes from the cookbook finemealwoman contributor Stephanie compiled called Tried and True Recipes. This recipe comes from Taylor Bebee. I know I didn't do it quite right, but it still turned out AMAZING! Give it a try!

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 1 ½ C Water
• 2T Orange Juice
• 1C Dark Brown Sugar
• ½ C Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2 ½ T Soy Sauce
• ¼ C + 1T Lemon Juice
• ¼ tsp. Minced Garlic
• ¼ tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

To Thicken Sauce:

• 5 tsp. Cornstarch
• 2 tsp. Arrowroot (Can substitute same amount of cornstarch-using arrowroot makes a glossier more transparent sauce, but neither will affect the taste of the sauce)
• 3 T Water

Breading Option #1:

• 1C Ice Water
• 1 Egg
• ¼ tsp. Baking Soda
• ¼ tsp. Salt
• 1 ½ C Unsifted Cake Flour

Breading Option #2

• 3-4 Egg Whites
• Cornstarch

Directions

1. Bring mixture to a boil
2. Take 1C cooled marinade to marinate 2 lbs. chopped chicken.
3. Combine cornstarch (arrowroot) and water until dissolved.
4. Add to cooled sauce and slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
5. Sauce will thicken once it begins to boil.
6. Once it reaches your desired consistency, remove from heat.

Breading Option #1:

1. Combine ice water and egg.
2. Add baking soda and salt.
3. Then mix in ¾ C flour with mixture.
4. Top with ¼ C flour and stir lightly.
5. Dip chicken pieces in remaining flour and then in the batter mixture.
6. Fry in oil heated to 375 degrees until golden brown.

Breading Option #2:
Taylor uses this as an alternative to Breading Option #1 because it is much less messy and makes a much crispier coating. I also used Breading Option #2.

1. Whip 3-4 egg whites until frothy.
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Dip chicken in egg whites, and then coat in corn starch.
4. Fry in oil heated to 375 degrees until golden brown.
5. Pour prepared sauce over fried chicken and enjoy!

Chicken and mushroom tortellini bake

First of all, I need to thank you ladies for providing my family with food and desserts. This blog is always my first online recipe resource, and you never fail me! In fact, as we speak, I'm making my husband's birthday cake with this recipe. So thanks!

And now for the recipe. I made the "Chicken Tortellini Casserole" from Stephanie's awesome gift that keeps on giving, the Tried and True Recipe book (page 51) for the first time last night. Of course I made some adjustments, which is why I'm posting the recipe here, but it was surprisingly tastier than I had even hoped.

This recipe serves 2 with 2 leftovers-servings (which to me are smaller than normal servings--is that crazy?).

Cook and cut about 2 chicken breasts into small pieces. (One breast if it's big enough will do.)
Cook about a 1/2 lb. of tortellini pasta according to the package directions. (Mine was frozen and boiled for about 7 minutes.)
Place chicken, tortellini and a 4oz can of mushrooms in a bowl . Reserve about half of the mushroom juice, but you don't need the rest.
Make a white sauce: Melt 2 Tb butter in a saucepan. Add 2 Tb flour and whisk until blended. Remove from heat and add about 3/4 cup milk plus the reserved mushroom juice. Whisk until smooth. Continue to stir over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens slightly.
Add to the sauce:
a couple of chopped green onions
1/2 cup sour cream
2-4 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese
1-2 Tbs melted butter (Probably totally unnecessary...)
Spread some sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. Add the chicken, pasta and mushrooms. Add the rest of the sauce and more cheese if you'd like.
Bake @ 350 for about 25 minutes, or until thoroughly heated.

(Next time I want to add some chopped spinach or maybe broccoli.)

crock pot honey mustard chicken

Oh, how I love a good crock pot recipe and this one is a keeper! With the heat of summer well on it's way, I've been looking for ways to "cook" without having to heat up my house with the oven. Chef Jeff and I both loved this!

Ingredients

• 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup gray poupoun mustard
  
• 1/3 cup onions, diced (highly recommended!!!)
  
• 1 teaspoon curry
• 1/4 cup water

Directions

1. Place frozen chicken breast in crock pot
2. Add honey, mustard, onions, curry, and water
3. Cook on a high setting for approximately 3 hours

Citrus-Tarragon Chicken (for kabobs)

Ingredients:
1. 1 orange, zested, then juiced, remainder discarded
2. 1 lemon, zested, then juiced, remainder discarded
3. 1 lime, zested, then juiced, remainder discarded
4. 4 cloves garlic, minced
5. 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves
6. 1/4 cup soy sauce
7. 1/4 cup canola oil (or olive oil … I normally use olive oil)
8. 1/2 teaspoon salt
9. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10. 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

Directions:
Add all the ingredients to a large (gallon sized) zip lock bag. Toss/massage chicken pieces into marinade and refrigerate for 2 hours to 24 hours (depending on the level of flavor you desire).  Either put chicken on skewers to barbeque or put in a sauté pan to sauté.

*My family prefers to leave the chicken to marinate for 24 hours, as the flavors intensify.

*Also this makes a ton of marinade, so you could easily do up to 2 pounds of chicken for this recipe and have plenty enough marinade for all the chicken.

*This recipe was taken from foodnetwork.com and is from Bob Blumer.

chicken fajitas with homemade whole wheat tortillas

My friend Heidi has a recipe blog that I love called Food of Good Report. She has great ideas and works really hard to feed her family good food. I really admire her. She recently posted a recipe for chicken fajitas that sounded so good I just had to try it! I didn't have all of the ingredients, but I used what I did have and improvised here and there. The fajitas turned out to be incredible! I will be making these a regular around our house!

Also, ever since finemealwoman contributor Echo posted her homemade tortilla recipe (with a recipe for green chili stew), I've been wanting to make my own tortillas. I used all whole wheat flour for mine and they were delicious. I love how they didn't fall apart like store bought tortillas. They were inexpensive, easy to make, and had a whole lot more flavor. Plus, I always have the ingredients on hand... water, flour, baking powder, and salt. The only trick was keeping my son from poking holes in them while I rolled them out.

Thank you Heidi and Echo for your fabulous recipes! Chef Jeff is also very appreciative! I owe ya ladies!

Spicy Mac and Cheese with Broccoli and Chicken

Spicy Mac and Cheese with Broccoli and Chicken

I have a difficult time finding recipes that all my family likes. Three of my four kids like this one which is a big deal. I sometimes omit the chicken if I'm in a hurry and that works too for a meatless dinner.

2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 small onion-chopped
1 lb macaroni--I usually use corkscrew brown rice pasta
2 1/2 c. raw broccoli florets
3 T. butter
3 T. flour
1/2 cayenne pepper (I usually use 1/4 t. so it's not quite so spicy for my kids although it still gives it quite a "kick")
1 t. paprika
2 c. milk
1 c. chicken stock
2 c. sharp cheddar cheese
1 t. dijon mustard (opt.)

Cook pasta 5 minutes, then add broccoli and cook 3 more minutes or until al dente and the broccoli is tender.

While pasta cooks, heat medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter and melt, then add flour, cayenne pepper and paprika. Whisk until bubbly and then 1 more minute being careful not to burn. Whisk in milk and stock and raise heat to bring sauce to a quick boil. Simmer until thick about 5 minutes. (If it doesn't get really thick, it's fine.)

Drain pasta and add to pot with chicken.

Add cheese to milk sauce and melt. Stir in mustard if desired and season with salt and pepper.


I made this last night and meant to take pictures but it was all gobbled up before I had a chance to. I was tempted to take a picture of the little baby after eating it! He even loved it.

harissa chicken pizza

I've made my fair share of pizzas, but this one was my absolute favorite! It uses harissa, which is a North African hot sauce that is common in Europe. My husband discovered it in France. It comes in jars or tubes and varies greatly.

Pizza Dough

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons yeast
• 1 ¼ cups warm water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 cups of whole wheat flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl
3. Proof yeast
4. Add olive oil
5. In a separate bowl, mix 3 cups of flour (saving 1 cup) and salt
6. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture
7. Add additional flour as needed
8. Knead dough
9. Let rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour
10. Beat down the dough and shape on a pizza pan
11. Add desired sauce and toppings
12. 
    

Harissa Chicken Sauce


Ingredients

• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
• Fill the can with water twice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons harissa
• 1 can of chicken (or use freshly cooked chicken)
  

Directions

1. Place tomato paste in a medium mixing bowl
2. Add water until it is a good saucy consistency
3. Add sugar and harissa
4. Mix well
5. Mix in canned chicken
6. Spread on pizza dough
7. Add toppings such as pepper jack cheese, peppers, onion, cilantro, and cumin
8. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes depending on desired toppings and crust preference

balsamic chicken over rice with grilled zucchini and carrots

What to do with leftover chicken? I used a leftover chicken breast for this tasty recipe.

Ingredients

• Boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• Ground pepper
• 1 scallion, chopped
• Brown rice

Directions

1. Shred already cooked chicken breast
2. Place chicken in an oven safe dish
3. Add balsamic vinegar and ground pepper to your liking
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
5. Add the tomato and scallion during the last 5 minutes
6. Serve over brown rice

As a side dish I served grilled zucchini and carrots

Ingredients

• 2 carrots
• 1 zucchini

Directions

1. Slice carrots and zucchini into thin 3 inch strips
2. Place in a skillet with a bit of olive oil and ground pepper
3. Grill until the veggies are tender

curry chicken salad

I made this up for dinner the other night and we really liked it. It works well as an appetizer or party food too.

Ingredients

• 1 can of chicken (great for food storage)
  
• 1 tablespoon mayo
• 1 tablespoon curry (or however much you want)
• 1 yellow pepper, diced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 green onion/scallion, diced
• Black pepper
• Crackers or bread

Directions

1. Mix chicken, mayo, and curry in a bowl
2. Put on crackers or bread
3. Add yellow pepper, tomato, and green onion/scallions
4. Top with black pepper

Chicken with Morels

I made the best food I've ever eaten on Sunday night. Seriously. Best. Food. Ever. I didn't take a photo because we were seriously too busy saying, "Are you kidding me?!" But there is a beautiful photo of it here. This is where I got the idea to make the recipe.

A few notes: I only used 1/2 ounce of morels. They are craaaaaazy expensive. I could only find them at Whole Foods and they were $15 for a 1/2 ounce. But if you think ahead you can order them on Amazon for half the price. But because I was only using 1/2 ounce I decided to follow the directions on the back of the package, simmer them in water, and strain the broth through a coffee filter (I did it twice) and use some of it for the wine. Apparently you can buy non-alcoholic wine, but I used used 3/4 cup of white grape juice and 1/4 cup morel broth in place of the wine and it tasted perfect. Also, I made my own creme fraiche (recipe follows). I did NOT however, clarify butter to brown the chicken. I used olive oil, because it was easier. I realize this sounds like a crazy amount of work, but seriously IT WAS THE BEST FOOD I'VE EVER EATEN. And I've eaten some good food. And the recipe is actually very easy if you plan ahead a little. I hope you'll try it for a special occasion. I served it with roasted potatoes and roasted acorn squash and it was the perfect meal to celebrate my parents arrival.

Anyway I'll just link to the recipe because then you can just print it out all nicely and such. Here it is!

Creme Fraiche

1 cup heavy cream
1 TBS buttermilk

Mix cream and buttermilk together in a glass container. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for 24 hours, stirring 2 or 3 times. The mixture should be very similar to a loose sour cream when it's ready. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours before using. Keeps up to 2 weeks in the fridge.