Marinades

 8 Easy Healthy Chicken Marinade Recipes (Whole30 Paleo Keto) • Tastythin

Healthy Steak Marinades (5 Recipes) • Tastythin

13 Easy Tasty Fish Marinades (ultimateperformance.com)

5 Easy Pork Marinades - Gimme Some Oven

Pork Chop Marinades - Six Easy Homemade Flavors (andianne.com)

Sheet Chicken and Vegetables

 This recipe comes from wellplated.com and is absolutely delicious. I am done struggling with stir fry, this is my new go-to. The seasoning is perfect. I did not use sweet potatoes (if you do, you are supposed to start them first, see original recipe).

boneless chicken (I used three breasts)

veggies of your choice, I used:

small head of broccoli, cut up

2 peppers, cut in chunks

1 large zucchini, cut in chunks

sliced carrots, about 1.5-2 cups

place in a bowl and mix with

3 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)

2.5t Italian seasoning

1 t salt

1 t garlic powder

1 t onion powder

.5 t pepper

stir well and roast in 400 degree oven, stirring once in between

It took about 45 minutes with the amount of food I had on the tray. If you use less and the items are spaced out a bit, it will be a lot less time, just keep an eye on it.

Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts With Gravy

 Usually I will try a new recipe two or three times before permanently posting it here, but I found a couple of recipes last week that were so good, they are getting posted after one time. This recipe comes from Dinner At the Zoo.

• 2 T olive oil, divided
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used four but they were large)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 t Italian seasoning
• 1 C chicken broth
• .25 C soy sauce
• 2 T balsamic vinegar
• 2 T brown sugar
• 2 t minced garlic
• 2 T corn starch
• 1 T butter
• 2 T chopped parsley
• carrots, optional

1. season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning
2. brown in 1 T oil on medium high heat, about 5-7 minutes per side
3. place chicken in slow cooker (I sliced some carrots and put them in the bottom, then chicken on top)
4. mix together remaining oil, broth, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and garlic, pour over chicken
5. cook on low 4-5 hours, or high 2-3 hours (I cooked it for 4-5 hours on high, worried because the pieces were really big, but they were cooked longer than necessary.)
6. take out chicken and pour liquid in a pot, bring to a simmer
7. mix cornstarch with .25 C water and stir into broth, bring to boil and cook one minute
8. stir in butter (I forgot to do this and it was still really good), pour gravy over chicken (sliced), sprinkle with parsley

Peach Barbecue Chicken

I won't be winning any awards for my photography. I got this recipe from Six Sisters Stuff. The only thing I am tweaking is the amount of ginger. Their recipe called for a tablespoon, but I am going to cut that in half. It tasted fine on the chicken, but the sauce by itself was too gingery for me. I marinated it for almost 24 hours. They suggested oiling the grill and I forgot, but it didn't stick at all.

These amounts are for the marinade. I made another half of a batch for basting while grilling.

• 1/2 cup peach preserves (3/4)
• 1 Tablespoon vinegar (1.5)
• 1 Tablespoon ground ginger (1.5)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (3/4)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper (3/4)
• 3/4 cup barbecue sauce (+ 1/3)
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Mix marinade ingredients in a microwave proof dish. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and another 30 seconds, stir. Marinade chicken for up to 24 hours (the longer the better).

Grill, turning every four minutes until done, basting with fresh marinade.

Tracey's Fajita Chicken

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken cut into pieces or strips
2-3 peppers, cut in thick slices
sliced onions

sauce:

2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 T lime juice
2 T olive oil

marinate chicken and veggies in sauce
stir fry

Lemon Herb Chicken

2-3 large or 6 small boneless skinless chicken breasts

marinade (cut in half for four chicken breasts)

1/4 C vegetable oil
1/4 C lemon juice
3/4 t seasoned salt
3/4 t paprika
3/4 t basil
3/4 t thyme

mix and marinate chicken for an hour or two 

grill or bake on sheet pan in 400 degree oven.

(if using small chicken breasts, bake for 10 minutes per side)

Tarragon Chicken

heat oven to 450 degrees

place skinless, boneless chicken breasts in baking pan

mix and pour over chicken:
1 T lemon juice
1 T onion flakes
3/4 t salt
1/2 t tarragon leaves crumbled
1/2 t white pepper

bake at 450 uncovered 15 minutes
cover with foil and bake at 350 until done...

Roasted Chicken

3-3 1/2 lb chicken
1 head garlic
1 lemon, cut into 1 inch pieces
small bunch fresh rosemary or thyme
2 T olive oil (or less)
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

cut garlic in half, separate into cloves
stuff chicken cavity with garlic, lemon, and herbs
tie legs and tuck wings
coat skin with oil
sprinkle with salt and pepper
put in roasting pan in oven
roast 1.25 hours or until meat thermometer reads 160 in breast
let sit 10 minutes
carve

Cilantro, Chicken, and Black Bean Salad

from the I Don't Cook Cookbook

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 red pepper, cut in thin strips or chopped or whatever
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/4 C sliced black olives
1 1/2 C cooked chicken
4 C torn lettuce

1/3 C olive oil
2 T lime juice
2 T chopped cilantro
1 1/2 t sugar
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t pepper

combine all salad ingredients but lettuce
combine all dressing ingredients
mix dressing into salad
serve salad on lettuce

Marinades

From the free measuring cup that came with a bottle of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce

Tangy Beef Marinade:

1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C red wine vinegar
1/2 C Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
fresh ground pepper

Chicken Marinade:

1/3 C olive oil
1/3 C lemon juice
1/3 C Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 t ground ginger

Vinaigrette Dressing

1/6 C Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
1/6 C vinegar
2/3 C olive oil
1 t dijon mustard
salt & pepper

Creamy Chicken Soup

I make chicken soup a lot. As a matter of fact, it is probably my most used recipe (other than pasta with a jar of Ragu, ahem). But every once in awhile, I change it up and make this recipe. And every time I make it, I wonder why I don't make it more often! Everyone liked it, woot!

This comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, Remedies For The "I Don't Cook" Syndrome by Janet Peterson. The only change I made was cutting back on the pepper and garlic powder. The amounts I list here are the amounts that I used.

Hearty Cream of Chicken Soup

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used thighs because that is what I had on hand)

3 celery stalks, chopped

4 carrots, sliced

1 small onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 tsp marjoram

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp basil

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp sage

1 tsp rosemary

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp salt

2 cans cream of mushroom soup (I used cream of chicken)

2 C cooked noodles (I used a whole 12 oz. package)

Place chicken, celery, carrots, onion, herbs, and seasonings in a large soup pot. 

Cover with about 2 quarts water, bring to a boil, then cook over medium-low heat until chicken is tender (1-2 hours). My chicken was frozen so it cooked for 2 hours. I cooked the chicken alone for the first hour, then added the other ingredients so the vegetables wouldn't be too mushy.

Remove chicken and dice, then add back to the pot.

Stir in cream soup, stir until smooth.

Add cooked noodles.

It says it serves 10-12, but it fed the five of us with no leftovers, so I would cut that number in half.

Tomato Baked Chicken from Mostly Homemade Mom

Here is the link:

http://www.mostlyhomemademom.com/2013/01/easy-tomato-baked-chicken.html

Easy Tomato Baked Chicken
1 lb chicken pieces, I used thighs 3/4 cup zesty Italian dressing, divided 2 (14oz) cans diced tomatoes with garlic, basil, and oregano, drained 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/4 cup parmesan cheese white rice (if desired)
Pour 1/4 cup dressing over chicken and place in refrigerator to marinade for at least 30 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade and place in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish (discard used marinade). In a separate bowl, combine both cans of drained tomatoes, 1/2 cup dressing, and garlic powder. Pour tomatoes over chicken. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 425 for about 40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Serve chicken alongside rice topped with tomatoes. If using a crockpot, arrange chicken and tomato mixture the same as above and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
This was a big hit with my family, but next time I will use boneless & skinless chicken. Other than that, perfection! (We had it with pasta.)

Chicken and Rice - Super Easy but Partially Processed Version

Chicken and rice should be easy. But let me tell you a little story. It was several years ago. We had gotten a dog from the local animal shelter that day. My husband was flying out of state the following morning. The dog was skittish and kept going to the bathroom in the house. I was completely clueless about training dogs (still am) and kept taking him outside to go to the bathroom, leaving my 2 year old in the house unattended. The dog would grab onto the leash with his mouth and play tug-of-war.

It was not a good night. 

I made chicken and rice in the oven.

The rice didn't cook properly.

My husband was sick on the airplane the next day.

I did not attempt chicken and rice again.

Until last Friday when I was asked to make a dish for my women's group. I was given the recipe. I followed it precisely. It took twice as long to cook as the directions claimed.

Why would I attempt chicken and rice again?  I don't know.

But I did last night.

Now do not make fun of me for waffling, as I am known to do. This dish has one can of cream of chicken soup in it. And a packet of onion soup mix I know, I know. I am still trying to wean off processed foods, but if you have read my Happy Homemaker Monday posts then you know that I am a little busy. So, instead of trying the from scratch version I referenced above, I went to this version from AllRecipes.com:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-and-delicious-chicken-and-rice-casserole/

It was delicious.

The chicken was sooooo moist. And everything was tasty. Yum.

So here it is for my future reference and yours:

Easy Chicken and Rice

1 C uncooked rice

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 7/8 C water

1 package onion soup mix

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

spread rice on bottom of 9x13 baking pan

place chicken breast on top of rice

mix cream soup and water, pour over chicken

sprinkle with onion soup mix

cover with foil

bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours

remove from oven and serve

*We returned the dog to the shelter the next day and got a kitten instead.

Perfect Crockpot Chicken

DON'T LAUGH AT ME.

Because you figured this out a long time ago. I'm a slow learner.

I finally found the magic formula for making chicken in a slow cooker. Well, at least boneless, skinless chicken breasts. And at least in my slow cooker.

Start with frozen chicken breasts.

One quart water (for 4 -8 chicken breast halves)

4 bouillon cubes (yea, I know they are salty - I do not keep the broth, although the frugal homemakers who DO NOT HAVE A WATER RETENTION PROBLEM would want to strain it and freeze it for future use)

Cook on high for 4 hours. (Just until the liquid starts to bubble in the cooker)

Remove chicken, cut up, shred, or leave whole (although pieces will fall apart if you are not careful)

Add favorite topping such as barbeque sauce, salsa, gravy, whatever.

Last night I shredded the meat, drained the liquid from the pot, threw the shredded chicken back in the pot, added salsa (heated first in the microwave) and shredded cheese.  I kept it in there for just a few minutes until everything was gooey and it was ready for tortillas. My family ate it up. And the chicken stayed tender.

I know you are not supposed to be able to ruin meat cooked in a slow cooker, but I find that if it is in there too long, it immediately dries up when you remove it from the pot. At first it will look nice and juicy, but then, EVAPORATION, and poof, you have dry, stringy meat.

So I am thinking the key is the AS SOON AS THE LIQUID STARTS TO BUBBLE part.

Will try a pot roast soon to see if my theory is correct.

Honey Grilled Chicken Breasts

photo source

This recipe comes from Spark People and was pretty tasty.

Marinade:

1/4 C orange juice (this called for fresh, I used Florida's Natural that comes in a carton)

3 T honey

2 T fresh lemon juice (I did use fresh this time)

2 T soy sauce (I used low sodium because of my water retention issues)

1 T peeled and minced fresh ginger (I used 1/8 t ground ginger)

1 T minced garlic

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (threw in some ground pepper only)

stir above ingredients together and marinate 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Grill until done

What I liked:

I am not going to lie, it is an adjustment to get used to the lack of salt, but this recipe was tasty even without it.  Of course there was some sodium provided by the soy sauce; as I posted earlier, even low sodium soy sauce is loaded with sodium.

Because there is no oil in this marinade, there was no flare up on the grill, and the chicken browned nicely.

Enough juice came off the chicken that it helped flavor the rice that I served with it.

About the rice and getting used to low/no sodium:

I thought I would beat salt at it's own game. I sauteed a mixture of brown and white rice in a teaspoon of olive oil with some very finely chopped onion (to fool my kid). Then I poured in the water and shredded a carrot and threw that in, covered and cooked for 35 minutes.  Blah, it was tasteless.  But then I got used to it, and kind of mixed my zucchini in with it. And it was passable.

See here is the thing. I have two more weeks on my diuretic, and then I have to see if I can control the water retention on my own with diet. Now I do not think that I took in a ridiculous amount of sodium before, at least not compared to everyone I know. So I suspect that my body is a bit inefficient at filtering the sodium. And I suspect that I will have to be pretty strict to be able to stay off medication. So I would rather not add sodium to foods and learn to live without it and let my taste buds adjust.

I am also a simple kind of gal. A very busy simple kind of gal. There is so much swimming around in my head at any given moment that I don't need any more crammed in there kind of gal. I bought one DASH diet cookbook, but I need SIMPLE EASY NO MORE THAN 5 INGREDIENTS kind of recipes. So, if I can learn to enjoy a plain rice, perhaps cooked with a vegetable or two thrown in, I will be very happy.

So I am not dismissing my rice recipe. Perhaps it is me that needs to be adjusted.

Light the Grill...Meal #1

Our forecast says it will be sunny with occasional thunderstorms (which always happen when it is time to make dinner...), so I have been pulling out my cookbooks for the grilling recipes.  At my warehouse store I bought a large package of boneless chicken breasts which is good for two meals, a salmon filet, and a package of three ham steaks.  We will see how far that gets me.  I am hoping for a leftover night, but we will see.

Yesterday I grilled corn on the cob (without husks) which became our appetizer.  Then I mixed 1/2 C ranch dressing with 2 T french dressing and basted the chicken with it as it grilled.  (This idea came from Betty Crocker's Good and Easy Cookbook).  Everyone loved it and the chicken stayed moist and tender; and I am happy because I have two large bottles of ranch dressing to use up over the summer.  This recipe is a keeper.

And We Have a Winner!

Yesterday I moved my cookbooks from one cabinet to another. One good thing about reorganizing is that you get a renewed interest in the things you are organizing and sometimes rediscover something you forgot you had. I came across a slim cookbook "Campbell's Weeknight Cooking". I think I bought it from a school fundraiser. Well, I never even used it....until tonight. I planned this week's menus with a few of its recipes. Tonight was the first one, and everybody liked it. This one will go into my permanent recipe box.

Chicken Broccoli Divan

4 cups fresh or frozen broccoli flowerets (I used fresh) 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1 can Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup 1/2 Cup milk 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 2 Tablespoons dry bread crumbs 1 Tablespoon butter, melted Heat oven to 350 degrees Arrange broccoli and chicken in a long baking dish Stir soup and milk together and pour over chicken and broccoli Sprinkle cheese over soup mixture Mix bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle over the cheese Bake for 30-60 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the bread crumbs are browned. The cheese was just enough to give it a nice flavor without being too cheesy. The kids didn't care for the broccoli like that (they like it plain, no cheese sauce even, what is wrong with them anyway?), but the husband and I like it. Quick, easy, yummy, everyone will eat it. That's 5 stars in this house.

Four Out of Five Ain't Bad

(Photo courtesy of Google)

Last night I made chicken soup by winging it. I don't wing it too often. Now, this blog is not supposed to show off what a great cook/homemaker I am, it is to share what I've learned, and to help me remember what I've done that works and what doesn't. So, I'm going to tell you the good and the bad. Here is how to make it in three levels of detail:

Christy's Easy 4 Out of 5 Chicken Soup

Chicken Chicken broth Carrots Celery Onion Rice

Simmer the chicken in chicken broth until done...you can use frozen chicken, just simmer longer. Skim frothy junk off top. Take out chicken. Strain broth and put back in pot. Chop carrots, celery, and onion fine, or better yet, use an electric chopper to make your life easier. Throw the super chopped vegetables into the chicken broth. Add uncooked rice. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, chop up chicken into small pieces (use that electric chopper already!) When timer goes off after 15 minutes, add chicken to pot, heat through and voila, you are done. Now, I like chunky soup, but on a whim I chopped everything up fine to appeal to my picky eaters and it worked. Something about everything being small made it easier to handle eating stuff-all-put-together-and-not-separated-or-even-touching. Okay, here are the specifics, if you are like me and have to know EXACTLY what I did: First, I buy large packages of Purdue boneless, skinless chicken at my wholesale club (I go to BJ'S). This chicken comes in individual 1/2 (or thereabout) pound packages. I love them because I throw them all in the freezer and then easily take out as much as I want. They are sealed in a heavy plastic which makes it very easy to get the chicken out of the packaging while still frozen. Just run it under hot water for 5 seconds, cut off the end and slide out. I had both boneless thighs and tenderloins so I took out some of each. I used three packages. Now this is where it gets costly. I buy the cartons of chicken broth (much better than canned IMO). You could use water and bouillon cubes but I've done this before and it is more oily, blah. You could also start with a whole chicken, make your own broth, etc, but then you can forget about the quick and easy part. Pour in enough broth to cover chicken. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer (near low) for 30 minutes (because they were frozen solid). Another advantage to chopping the chicken up fine is if you overcooked it no one will notice if it's tough. Or, if you undercooked it it will easily finish cooking when you put it back in the soup. I used 4 medium carrots, about 5 small celery stalks, and a medium onion. The advantage to chopping the onion really small is that picky eaters may not see it. I used 2 cups of rice (I had about 8 cups of broth). This was too much. We wound up with chicken and rice. No soup. It was still good though. You could cook the rice separate but then it wouldn't get the advantage of the chicken broth and it would make more work. My youngest reminded me AFTER I put in the rice that I promised I would use the pasta stars I have in the pantry the next time I made soup. So, you could use small pasta too. I have no idea how much you would want to put in. When I do make it I'll probably cook it separately, or follow a recipe. This made tons of food. And four out of 5 in my family not only ATE it, but actually LIKED it.