Crock Pot Chicken Recipe: Shoyu Chicken

So this is a recipe that my co-worker gave me and it is super delicious and easy. I served it over rice and the hubby said it was a keeper.  I think that this would work just fine cooking about 6 hours total on low or maybe 4 hours on high. Depending on the shape of your crock pot (wide vs tall) you may need to increase the amount of soy sauce/sugar/water, just do so in equal proportions. The whole trick is that there should be enough liquid to submerge the chicken. And...if you don't have a crock pot I'm sure this would be equally great simmered on the stove!
Shoyu Chicken
8 bone-in chicken thighs (I used skinless, but I also used some breasts in there too and they were great)
1 1/2 cups soy sauce
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 inches of ginger root, sliced
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
3 green onions, chopped

Mix together all ingredients except chicken in a large crock pot. Place chicken in mixture and bring to a bubble on high heat. Turn crock pot down to low and continue to cook for about 3 hours. Chicken will be easy to pull apart and falling off the bone when done. Remove ginger pieces before serving.

Meals for Every Night: Chicken with Mushroom and Balsamic Cream Sauce and Stuffing-Topped Turkey Casserole

Here are a couple of easy meals that are a quick to put together. They take no time to prepare and using a few convenience items they don't involve a lot of prep work. For instance, with the chicken with mushrooms, using packages of pre-sliced/cleaned mushrooms saves a lot of prep time. For the turkey casserole, you can use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving chopped up OR you can buy some boneless turkey breasts and saute them and chop them up for the casserole. I think this recipe would be equally good with boneless skinless chicken breasts or chopped rotisserie chicken. These both will be crowd pleasers so give them a try!

Chicken with Mushroom and Balsamic Cream Sauce (adapted from Rachael Ray's recipe)

Who needs frozen dinners when you have good leftovers to take for lunch? Yum!













2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt, Pepper
2 tablespoons butter (I used light butter and it worked just fine)
2 packages sliced white mushrooms
1 package sliced baby portobello (cremini) mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons heavy cream or half and half (I used fat free half and half and it also worked fine)
3 tablespoons chopped parsely, if desired

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to hot skillet. Cook the chicken for 5-6 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm. Return the skillet to the heat and add the butter. Once the butter melts, add the onions, garlic, and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally for about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in the stock, balsamic vinegar, and cream. Turn the heat up to high and simmer for about 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice the chicken on an angle and add back to the skillet and cooke 1 minute to heat it back up. Garnish with parsley if desired. Serve on top of orzo pasta or rice. For the most flavorful orzo, cook in chicken broth instead of water.

Stuffing Topped Turkey Casserole

4-5 cups cubed cooked turkey (either leftover or about 4 sauteed turkey breasts)
4-6 slices of smoked Provolone cheese (Use enough to cover the dish)
1/2 cup milk
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
1 package Stove Top Cornbread Stuffing mix, lightly crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons melted butter



Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.  Place chopped turkey in prepared pan, top with cheese slices. In a medium sized bowl and stir together soup, milk, and drained green chilies; spoon evenly over cheese. In a separate bowl, mix together stuffing mix, butter, sage and thyme; sprinkle over top of soup mixture. Bake for about 35 minutes until hot and bubbly and the top is golden brown.

Easy Chicken Dishes: Chicken Piccata Pasta and Chicken Enchiladas

These recipes are easy enough to make any night of the week...even when you are moving into a new house and can't find half of your dishes ;)

Chicken Piccata Pasta (Taken from Pampered Chef Season's Best Cookbook)

1 1/4 lb boneless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon pepper rub

3 cans reduced sodium chicken broth

1/2 onion

12 oz uncooked angel hair pasta
1 lemon

2 oz cream cheese, softened

1 can quartered artichokes hearts in water, drained
1/2 cup capers, drained and rinsed
Chopped fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Combine 1 tablespoon of the oil and rub in mixing bowl and then add chicken, toss to coat. Heat remaining oil in skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add chicken to skillet and cook for 10 minutes or until center is no longer pink. Remove chicken and set aside. Heat broth in a separate pot until boiling. Finely chop onion and add to the skillet. Cook 10-20 seconds until onion is fragrant. Carefully add the broth and pasta to the skillet; cook uncovered 7-8 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Zest lemon to measure 1 tablespoon, juice lemon to measure 2 tablespoons. Add zest, juice, and cream cheese to skillet. Stir until fully incorporated. Add chicken and artichokes to skillet. Cook uncovered 1-2 minutes until heated through. Remove skillet from heat and stir in capers. Garnish with parsley and parmesan cheese if desired and add salt/pepper to taste.

Chicken Enchiladas (From Rachael Ray)

1 (16 oz) jar tomatillo salsa, divided (used roasted winn-dixie salsa verde and it worked really well, not too hot)

1 package frozen corn, defrosted

2 cups shredded roasted chicken (used store bought rotisserie chicken)

8 flour tortillas

2 cups pepperjack cheese, divided

1 cup brown gravy (use prepared store bought brown gravy)

Chili powder (if desired)

Combine chicken, corn, half jar of salsa, and 1/2 cup of cheese. Combine gravy and remaining salsa. Spoon chicken mixture into the tortillas and roll up, then place them seam side down in a greased baking dish. Pour the gravy/salsa mixture over the enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese. Can sprinkle with a little chili powder if desired. Bake a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until warmed through and cheese is browned.

Cream-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes and Lemon Grilled Chicken

Both of the recipes that I used tonight are adapted from one of my favorite food blogs, Laura's Best Recipes.
http://www.laurasbestrecipes.com/

So I suppose that I have started a "thing", baking for Al's co-workers every week. I swear that I can bake things other than cupcakes but I have just found so many good recipes for them lately. This one is cool because it is a filled cupcake and reminds me of a hostess cupcake, but with rich chocolate frosting on top instead of the little white swirl.

Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
8 tablespoons butter, melted
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs beaten with 2 additional egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 tablespoons strong coffee



Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and coffee. Blend until there are only a few small lumps left. Scoop into lined cupcake tins and bake for 20 minutes or until the centers spring back when lightly pressed. Cool for three minutes in the pan before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Filling

2 teaspoons very hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow cream
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla








Dissolve the salt in the hot water and allow to cool. Whip the marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla until it begins to get fluffy. Add the water and whip well. To fill the cupcakes, use a wide star tip (size 21) attached to a coupler on a piping bag. Cut an X in the top of the cupcake and then push the tip into the X and pipe about 1 tablespoon of filling into the cupcake. If you do not have a piping bag, you can remove a small bit of cake from the top of the cupcake then fill the center and replace the cake piece that you cut out.

Dutch Chocolate Frosting
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4-6 tablespoons milk or half and half

Cream the butter and cocoa powder until smooth. Add the vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk. Mix until smooth. If the frosting is too loose, add more powdered sugar by the 1/4 cup until it reaches the desired consistency. Frost cupcakes as desired.


Spicy Lemon Grilled Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or bone in chicken)
Juice 4 lemons (then cut up juiced lemons into slices to add to the marinade)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a ziploc bag and allow to marinate for 4-6 hours. Remove chicken from marinade and grill until juices run clear.

PS...so excited to finally have a Wolfgang Puck grill of my own!! My parents have one and it is 10 million times better than a George Foreman as an indoor grill!!

Perfect Simple Chicken and Potatoes Meal

Wow...that is all I can say for this meal. I got a new cookbook today from one of my favorite Food Network personalities Ina Garten. She is all about simple, clean flavors and bringing out the best in ingredients. I actually only got one of these recipes from her cookbook, but I think they all echo her style. I really loved a good meal with chicken and potatoes (as does my husband), and this meal was simply perfect to me. I think the only thing that would have made it better is a good glass of wine! It is simple and elegant with great flavors!!

Quick Balsamic Chicken (from Rachael Ray's Book of 10)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (I used montreal chicken seasoning)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

In a shallow dish, combine the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and grill seasoning. Coat the chicken breasts in the mixture and set aside to marinate (about 30 minutes would be best, but I only marinated mine about 10 minutes and they still had great flavor). In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook chicken breasts about 5-6 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Put chicken aside on a plate and cover with foil and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving. Note: The chicken will get dark while cooking but it isn't burning, the balsamic vinegar will caramalize on the outside. It can make a lot of smoke, so turn on the exhaust fan!

Garlic-Rosemary Roasted Baby Potatoes (from Our Best Bites http://www.ourbestbites.com/)

1 1/2 lb baby potatoes or fingerling potatoes (I had regular red potatoes, left the skin on and cut them into big chunks and they worked great, but try these others if you can find them at the store)
2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons coarse-grain or dijon mustard
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped, fresh rosemary (I used about a teaspoon and a half of dried rosemary)
4-5 garlic cloves pressed or minced
Coarse ground black pepper
Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place potatoes in a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Boil potatoes for about 10 minutes, or until a fork pierces them easily. In another bowl, combine olive oil, mustard, rosemary, garlic and pepper. Drain the potatoes and return them to their pot and pour olive oil mixture over them, tossing to coat. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread the potatoes out on the pan. Sprinkle the potatoes with kosher salt. Roast in the oven for about 10-15 minutes until skins are sizzling and browned. You can prepare these ahead of time (about 6 hours) and place them on the baking sheet covered in the mustard mixture and cover with plastic wrap, and wait to roast them right before serving.

Roasted Carrots (from Ina Garten's The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook)

12 carrots, peeled (All I had were baby carrots, which are ok, but whole carrots are much sweeter)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley (I had neither of these, but I had fresh green onions and minced them and they were wonderful!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If carrots are thick, cut them in half lengthwise; if not leave them whole. Slice the carrots diagonally into 1 1/2 inch-thick slices (they will shrink when cooking, so make slices big). Toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on a baking sheet in one layer and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Toss the carrots with the minced herb of your choice and then season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

Indian Dinner! Chicken Tikka Masala, Melon Salad with Honey-Lime Yogurt Dressing

This past Christmas, my friend Kelli Hamm Tamvada invited some friends down to the beach for an Indian meal that she likes to cook for her husband Arvind (his family is from India, although he himself has never been he told us). We had chicken tikka masala and lamb curry for our first experience with Indian food and it was spicy and delicious. I was especially pleased when Al liked it so much, since he is not known for his adventurous taste buds. The recipe that I share with you tonight is the recipe for the chicken tikka masala that Kelli made for us that night and so graciously shared with me. The melon salad isn't Indian, but it is a way to 1) use up the left over non-fat yogurt from the first recipe and 2) it will be a cool, refreshing addition to the spicy main dish (sort of like an Indian raita).

Chicken Tikka Masala

Marinade:
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon minced, fresh ginger
1 teaspoon salt
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bit sized pieces
4 long skewers

Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper (seeded), finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream (since we are being healthy, I substituted fat-free half-and-half)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, black pepper, ginger and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in chicken pieces and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat grill to high heat. Lightly oil grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear. Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoon cumin, paprika, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Stir in chicken and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes. Serve over basmati rice and garnish with fresh cilantro. If you don't like it really spicy, cut back on the amount of cayenne and jalapeno.

Melon Salad with Honey-Lime Yogurt Dressing

1/2 cup lowfat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
Splash of vanilla flavoring
Assorted melon (cantelope, honeydew, watermelon) cut into bit sized pieces

Combine yogurt, lime juice, honey, and vanilla and chill. Serve drizzled over melon (or any other assorted fruits that you might have lying around!). This would probably be good with fresh mint in it too, but I didn't have any. Just a thought!

Easy Crockpot Chicken Recipe (per request), Zucchini Parmesan, Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

So my friend Kelli inquired about some crock-pot chicken recipes and I told her I would experiment with a few. The first one I have tried is Dijon Crock-Pot Chicken. It was very easy and tasty and the hubby said it was definantly a do-over!!

Dijon Crock-Pot Chicken

4 to 6 boneless chicken breasts
Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder for seasoning chicken
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 can 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Wash chicken and pat dry. Lightly sprinkle seasonings on each side of chicken breasts; place in slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients and spoon over the chicken. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.

Side Dish: Zucchini Parmesan

2 zucchini, thinly sliced

1 tomato diced or 1 can diced tomato, drained

Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 cloves garlic, finely diced or grated

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 teaspoon olive oil

 

 
 
 

 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a baking dish, place an even layer of zucchini and then top with 1/2 of the chopped tomato. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and 1/2 of thyme and garlic over this layer; then repeat with another layer of zucchini, tomato, and seasonings. Toss together parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and olive oil and then spread evenly over the top of the dish. Bake approximately 30 minutes or until zucchini is soft.
 
Treat for the Day: CUPCAKES
 
My mom asked me to make her something for her church kids for a back to school treat, and I found a recipe for Cookies and Cream Cupcakes and I thought it would be fun. They are delicious!!
 
Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
 

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
14 coarsely crushed oreos
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
Garnish: Mini Oreos
 
 
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners. In a large bowl beat together butter and sugar at medium speed until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Stir in crushed cookies. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks. Spread or pipe cream cheese frosting over cooled cupcakes. Garnish with mini oreos if desired.
 
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespooons heavy cream
 
Beat together cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer; add in vanilla extract. Beat in powdered sugar and then heavy cream and beat on medium-high speed for 4 minutes until light and fluffy.