Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken Skewers

Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken Skewers

Yields 2 servings. 

Ingredients:

¼ cup soy sauce

2 oz canned pineapple juice

¼ cup light coconut milk

2 tablespoons honey

2 garlic cloves, minced 

1 tablespoon minced ginger

½ teaspoon sesame oil

2 scallions, chopped

1 lb fresh pineapple, cut into bite-sized pieces 

4 raw boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized chunks

Kabob skewers – if using wooden skewers you should soak them in water for about 30 minutes before use.

Instructions:

1. For the marinade, combine the soy sauce, pineapple juice, coconut milk, honey, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and scallions and mix thoroughly. Pour marinade into a gallon Ziploc bag and add chicken. Seal bag and shake to coat chicken in the marinade. 

Place the bag in the refrigerator and marinade for at least 4 hours up to 12 hours.

Pre-heat the grill until hot. Make skewers of chicken and pineapple.

Place the skewers directly on the grill cooking for about 5-6 minutes and then flipping them and continuing to cook until chicken is cooked through.

  

Top the skewers with more chopped scallions. 

 

Nutrition Information per 2 skewers from myfitnesspal.com: 220 calories, 6 g carbs, 4 g fat, 41 g protein, 1 g fiber

Source: adapted from Homebrew Fitness

Creamy Kale Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Roasted Goat Cheese Tomatoes

Serves: 2

Chicken Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, boneless skinless

1/2 package of cream cheese. I used Greek Yogurt cream cheese for the increased protein

2 tablespoons Finely shredded mozzarella cheese

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1-2 large kale leaves, stems removed and diced.

3 tablespoons of grated or shaved Parmesan 

Salt and pepper

Instructions:

Let your cream cheese come up to room temperature, mix in salt, pepper, cayenne, minced garlic and chopped kale.

Using a paring knife make a 3 inch pocket into the thickest part of the breast.

Stuff the filling into the breast, trying to distribute evenly. You may need to stick a few toothpicks in the breast to seal it.

Using a grill pan brown chicken on all sides over high heat,

 then turn down to medium heat and cook about 14 minutes with a lid on the pan until done,

 careful not to burn either side. Juices will run clear and it should be 165 degrees in the meatiest part of the breast.

Roasted Goat Cheese Tomatoes Ingredients:

2 Roma tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons goat cheese

A couple of fresh basil leaves

Salt and pepper

Instructions:

Half your roma tomatoes and spray with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and place under broiler on high for 5-8 minutes until softened.

 Place a teaspoon or so of the goat cheese on top and place under the broiler for another 3-5 minutes until melty and browned.

I served this with some quick broiled asparagus that had some S&P and olive oil on top. Total Calories for this meal were only 360 calories and it was so filling!

Buffalo Chicken Taquitos

Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Serves: 4+

Ingredients:

4 cups of chicken, cooked and shredded
12 soft taco, flour tortillas
2 cups of shredded cheese
1 package of cream cheese - room temperature is best
1/2 cups of Frank’s hot sauce
2 tbsp. of butter
1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles (optional)
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Olive oil Cooking Spray

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Melt butter in the microwave.
Mix all ingredients together until combined completely.

Lay out a tortilla; fill with about 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture.

Tightly roll up tortilla and place on a greased baking sheet; repeat until mixture is gone.

Spray taquitos with cooking spray.

Bake for 15 – 18 minutes--rotate until golden brown on all sides.

Serve with blue Cheese dressing and crisp cold salad.

Southern Chicken and Biscuit Sandwich

Southern Chicken and Biscuit Sandwich



Sometimes you just crave these comfort foods, and southern food being my favorite type of food I had been craving this sandwich for some time. My commitment to cook my own meals and know exactly what I am putting into my food and body makes creating these foods a lot of fun. I researched chicken recipes for a while, and I wanted a chicken that more resembled the chicken at Chic-Fil-A then fried and battered chicken, and I think that I created a recipe that is very close.

If you're going to indulge in baked goods, fried foods and overall indulgent comfort food then I think the only way to do it is to make it from scratch, then you won't feel quite so guilty!

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
2 cups flour
3 TBL powdered sugar
2 TBL Paprika
1 TSP Cayenne Pepper
1 TBL Garlic Powder
1 TBL Onion Powder
Salt and Pepper
2 Cups Pickle Juice
3 eggs
Oil for frying
For Sandwich:
Biscuits (Best Ever Biscuits)
Pickle Slices
Honey Mustard

Instructions:

Cut chicken breasts into chunks, and pound until even thickness

Place in bowl or ziplock bag and pour in pickle juice. Let marinate 1-4 hours. This is a very strong vinegar mixture so I wouldn't let it sit much longer. In fact I used store bought pickles instead of my homemade canned pickles for this very reason, the brine is much stronger than mine.

Mix up dry spices.
Pour off most of the pickle juice and add 3 beaten eggs

Heat up frying oil to 375 degrees.

Take chicken pieces and dredge into flour mixture, then place in your oil. Let brown on both sides cooking for 4-5 minutes per side. You can keep your pieces in a 200 degree oven until they are all finished frying.

To Assemble:

Take your warm biscuit and split in half, then put the honey mustard on one half and a few pickle slices on the other. Place chicken and close up your sandwich. Delicious!

Crock Pot Homemade Chicken Broth

Crock Pot Homemade Chicken Broth

Chicken broth, especially the organic variety, can be quite expensive at anywhere between $2.00 to $4.00 a quart. I find this kind of amazing considering how watered down and weak the store bought varieties are, and how unbelievably easy it is to make. I usually put an entire raw chicken in a stockpot and cook on low with veggies for several hours, but recently found a crockpot version that uses bones and scraps instead, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Now, don't think I'm a freak or anything but I am a saver. When I make wings at home, I've always cut the tips off and kept them in a freezer bag in the freezer. 

I'm not crazy, I'm smart, and I don't think that wasting chicken bones is a smart thing to do. 

This recipe goes a step further, using the bones and carcass of a rotisserie chicken you get from the super market. This idea is fabulous because the chicken is already well seasoned and will add a lot of flavor and depth to your broth! You could even go a step further and keep all your chicken bones from your home cooking in the freezer until your ready to make broth.

Ingredients:

• a mixing bowl of chicken bones and cartilage (preferably from a pastured chicken)
• coarsely chopped carrots, celery and onion
• 3-4 whole garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves (optional)
• 2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
• Filtered Water
• handful of whole peppercorns

Method:

• Add vegetables and bones to crockpot
• Add bay leaves if using
• Fill with filtered water
• Add 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Cook on low for at least 24 hours
• Add salt to taste
• Strain and store

Put the vegetables and bones in a crockpot.  Fill with filtered water.   I add a bay leaf or two and a handful of whole peppercorns.

Add a couple tablespoons of an acidic liquid (I use raw apple cider vinegar).  This helps draw the minerals out of the bones. 

Cover and cook on low for 24 hours.  Strain and you have delicious, nourishing chicken bone broth! You can store this broth in bags or jars in the freezer, or it will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.

1 whole chicken carcass with a few wing tips made over 4 quarts of broth, which would normally cost between $15 and $20, but I would estimate I spent about $7!

El Salvadorian Food - Pupusas

One dish that happens to be Josh's favorite, and national dish of his homeland, is the Pupusa. It is similar to what a Mexican would call a gordita, it is a thick corn tortilla stuffed with fillings and then seared on a skillet.

If you ever find yourself near a restaruant that serves El Salvadorian Pupusas then you must stop in and give them a try. They are delicious, and because they are homemade you know you are eating the best El Salvador has to offer. Josh and I often introduce friends and family to this cuisine, as we have found a few hidden gem restaurants around town that offer a delicious pupusa. 

The types of fillings we often find are a quesillo cheese pupusa stuffed with a native edible flowering plant known as loroco. It is amazing, and I would describe it as a cross between artichoke and asparagus. The other is a bean and pork mixture they refer to as chicharron. 

Pupusas are almost always accompanied with two staples, one is a light tomato sauce, and the other is a slightly fermented cabbage and carrot slaw known as Curtido.  I've made both from scratch before, they are easy as pie, and the curtido is a super healthy fermented food that aids with digestion and boosts the immune system. 

The way I've been taught to eat a pupusa is to pile it with both the curtido and the tomato sauce and then eat the whole thing together, it offers a variation of textures, flavors and temperatures that are pleasing and satisfying. 

Another common dish that we often order to accompany our pupusa is the El Salvadorian Tamale. It is wrapped in a banana leaf rather than a corn husk, which results in the smoothest, softest and most moist tamale you ever dreamed was possible. If I ever make my own tamales from scratch banana leaves are truely the ONLY way to go. I can't describe how amazing it is, you just need to have one for yourself.

Typically we order two different types of tamales, one is filled with shredded chicken and potatoes, which is my favorite, and they also have a tamale that is slightly sweetened and contains just the corn masa, no interior filling, which is also delicious, but very filling. They are always served with Crema, a latin style sour cream that is richer and tangier than american style sour creams, closer to a Creme Fraiche. I've adopted this sour cream to the only one I keep in my house.

Maybe one day I will make this glorious meal from scratch, but I have a hard time believing it would be cost or time effective for me, considering these babies go for under $2 a piece at most restaurants, and are far to convenient to just pick up on the way home... But nonetheless I felt the need to share this delicious meal with you all in hopes that you will try it!

Arroz Con Pollo (Chicken and Rice)

Arroz Con Pollo (Chicken and Rice)
Serves: 4

My fiance Josh often misses the motherland (El Salvador), he also misses his Mother, and her great cooking. There is a difference between the kinds of Mexican foods we cook at home, and the kinds of dishes that Josh grew up eating in El Salvador and Florida, so I know that he craves different dishes I don't cook often. Tonight he was missing a latin staple, Arroz Con Pollo. 

This dish is one of those staples that every latin family makes, and they each have their own recipe and technique. You can add whatever ingredients you have on hand, but in our case, we added ingredients Josh remembers his Mom adding. 

Its one of those one pot dishes, which makes for easy clean-up, easy serving and easy to store left overs! I wish that I could take the credit for this one, but I acted as photographer and occasional pot-stirrer for this one, Josh made this dish on this own!

• Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

1/2 cup of flour for dredging (omit if going gluten free)

Salt and pepper

2 bay leaves

Paprika

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup of long-grain white rice

2 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons tomato paste

One diced roma tomato

1/2 a roasted red pepper - chopped

1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano

10 small green pimento stuffed olives

Fresh Cilantro or Pico De Gallo to serve with

Instructions:

Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in a large oven safe skillet or dutch oven, that has a cover, on medium high heat. 

Put the flour in a bowl, mix in a generous sprinkling of salt, pepper, and paprika. Also season chicken pieces directly with salt, pepper and paprika. 

Dredge the chicken pieces lightly in the flour mixture and put in the pan to brown. 

Cook a few minutes on each side, just enough so that the chicken has browned. 

Use tongs to remove from pan and set aside.

Add the rice to the pan to brown. Add a little more olive oil if necessary. Stir first to coat the rice with the olive oil in the pan.  Let it brown slightly. 

Then add the onion, bell pepper, tomato, bay leaves, and garlic. Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened, about 4 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix together the stock, tomato, salt, and oregano. Pour the stock mixture over the rice and add the olives.

Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, then Place the chicken pieces, skin-side up, on top of the rice and cover.

Let cook for 20 minutes, then add peas. 

Cook for another 10-15 minutes depending on the doneness of the rice and fluff the rice with a fork. 

Serve with chopped fresh cilantro as a garnish, or top with fresh pico de gallo.