Chicken with Lemon

This is a wonderful dish to make for any event. Shabbos, Christmas - whatever you celebrate, it will meet your needs!


Chicken with Lemon

4 boneless chicken breast
2 tbsp. of olive oil
1 tbsp. cilantro
4 cloves of garlic
1 lemon
1 tbsp. honey


1. clean chicken breast
2. mix olive oil with cilantro and garlic and the juice of half of the lemon- then use the zest from the skin of the half you took the juice from to mix in (just a little zest, you've got to feel it with how much)
3. mix it well and then brush it on the chicken breast
4. in a non stick pan - cook on the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side
5. then brush with honey
6. slice the lemon and garnish it with the chicken so people can squeeze a little more for flavor

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

Eating outside is fun and this a fun dish you can easily make outside as well as eat outside with your family. It is super healthy and super tasty. I promise you that everyone in the family will devour it!

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs
2 - 4 large boneless chicken breast
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of crushed garlic
1/4 tsp. dried ginger

1 pineapple cut up
2 green peppers
1 large red onion

1. In a bowl marinate the chicken in soy sauce, oil, ginger and garlic for 2 hours or overnight. The longer the better
2. preheat the grill and then put the chicken on the grill - for about 7 or 8 minutes on each side
3. the cut the pepper, pineapple and onions and throw in on the grill for about 5 minutes - or until lightly browned.
4. allow all food to cool long enough for you to be able to touch it.
5. then place then on the skewers alternating between each food.


Preheat oven to 350

place skewers in oven for 5 minutes to reheat. The serve! Delicious! 

Pastrami Stuffed Chicken Breast

So this is what I call my "Wedding Recipe" because I picture it being served at a wedding. It's a fairly simple recipe, although it does take prepping time and marination time. If you're hosting a dinner party or a wedding I highly recommending serving it.

Pastrami Stuffed Chicken Breast
6 slices of chicken breast - you'll want to pound and pat it to make sure it's flat and thin
12 slices of pastrami from the deli
Zesty Italian Dressing
seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs (what I normally do is get whole wheat crumbs and then add spices myself- onion powder, dried parsley, paprika, garlic salt, pepper, cumin etc.)



1. marinate the chicken breast in salad dressing over night
Preheat oven to 350
2. lay out each chicken breast flat and then top each one with 2 slices of pastrami
3. roll it tight and then roll the chicken/pastrami roll in your bread crumbs. The crumbs will stick because of the wet dressing - it replaces the egg.
4. place down on a baking sheet or pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes

That's it! I suggest serving it with marinated sweetened sweet potatoes or rice. For rice - just cook according to directions on box. For sweet potatoes, wash the potatoes, dice them and coat them in brown sugar, canola oil and cinnamon for a couple hours. Then spread evenly on baking sheet and pour marination over it. Bake at 450 for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally
.

Alabama Chicken Casserole

Here's to good old southern food! If it aint fried then it aint good, but if it is fried then it aint good for you. Here is a good alternative to good southern food.

Fried Chicken Casserole
2 tbsp. of whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 eggs
2 chicken breast
1/2 bag of frozen corn or 15 oz
1 small tomato
2 green onions
2 tbsp. chili sauce
1/2 pound of whole wheat pasta

1. pat the chicken flat
2. pat in in flour
3. soak it in egg
4. then take 2 tbsp. flour, paprika, salt, garlic powder and pepper and mix it together
5. coat the chicken in the mixture
6. fry in olive oil for about 8 minutes on each side
7. cook the pasta al denta - drain it
8. mix the frozen corn, pasta and chili sauce and chopped tomatoes and green onions together
9. bake it at 350 for 50 minutes

Serve w/ the fried chicken! Delicious! 

Apricot Baked Chicken

So I don't really remember the first time I made this but I remember one of the times I made it for a special dinner with some of dad's soccer friends. They raved about it for a while - even 3 years later they still talk about "Loni's apricot chicken"

Simple and Yummy - I promise!!

Apricot Baked Chicken
8 chicken thighs
1 cup of apricot jelly
3/4 cup of Russian dressing
1/4 tsp. onion powder

Mix all ingredients together. Pour over chicken and bake it at 350 for 1 hour and 25 minutes.

That's it!! 

Chicken Pasta Ala King

So this is an excellent recipe that is derived from the blog sixsisterstuff.com They have great recipes. Some are healthy, some are not but either way I highly recommend the site. This dish is really good for you and is packed with so many nutrients. It's good for the whole family - kids, parents, grandparents! I promise you it will leave every single person is your family asking for seconds and thirds!

Chicken Pasta Ala King
2 cups of frozen peas
1 cup shredded carrots
1 15 oz. can of mushrooms
1 onion chopped
28 oz. chicken broth
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. margarine
8 oz (2 large pieces) of baked white chicken breast - shredded
1/2 c. nondairy creamer mixed with 1/2 cup of water
1 box of pasta


1. melt the butter - add the onions and cook them for 5 minutes until translucent
2. add in the peas, carrots and mushrooms and cook them in the butter for 5 minutes
3. add in the broth and flower and cook the vegetables for additional 5 minutes
4. add in the chicken and creamer and water and spices and bake in the oven covered with aluminum foil for 30 minutes
5. about 15 minutes in - boil water, add in the pasta and cook for 10 minutes. drain well
6. pour the pasta into each bowl and serve the chicken and veggie mixture on top of the pasta

Serves 8 - Yummy! 

White Bean Chicken Chili

If you haven't yet tried my traditional chili you're missing out. It is a huge hit at my house. Everyone loves it! It's super healthy and super easy to make.

Here's a link to my Summer Chili http://thehealthiefoodie.blogspot.com/2012/09/summer-chili.html

Therefore after having so much success with the first one I decided to create a white bean chili with chicken instead of soy. And well it was incredible. I promise you that you'll love it. Again very easy to make. Not too many ingredients and very healthy. I approve this recipe.

White Bean Chili

1 3 lbs. package of white chicken breast

15 oz. can of red kidney beans

15 oz white beans

8 oz. canned corn

1 celery stalk

1 carrot 

1 green onion

1 cup of vegetable broth

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. fresh cilantro

1. clean the chicken and pack try

2. cook in oven at 350 for 25 minutes - allow it to cool enough to handle (20 minutes is fine)

3. chop the celery and carrots

3. bring the vegetable broth to a simmer and add in the celery and carrots - until they soften

4. slice/shred the chicken into thin strips 

5. add in chicken, beans and corn and stir 

6. then add in spices and cilantro. continue to mix in until it has a nice thick consistency

7. add in the salt and stir again and bring to simmer

It is best served with crackers :)

Serve Up!

Hawaii Tropical Chicken

This recipe is always (and I stress ALWAYS) a hit in my home. The first I made it was a summer day in July and we were having company over. So of course I made extra because no one ever wants to take the last piece but often times people want seconds or even thirds. Well someone took the last piece, yes it was that good!! So I then made it again and again it was a huge hit! This recipe you may have heard of before but my version is healthy not like many of the others. My recipe won't leave you feeling guilty even if you have 2 (or even 3) pieces. Promise!

 Hawaii Tropical Chicken
8 piece of chicken thigh or 8 boneless white chicken breast
20oz of canned pineapple in juice (NOT SYRUP)
3/4 cup of no high fructose corn syrup ketchup
3/4 cup of low sodium soy sauce
3/4 cup of packed light brown sugar
1 tbsp. of fresh ginger OR 1/4 tsp. of powdered ginger
1/2 tsp garlic 


1. drain the pineapple juice into a bowl
2. put the pineapple slices/chunks aside
3. add in the no high fructose corn syrup, light brown sugar, low sodium soy sauce with the pineapple juice and mix
4. add in the ginger and garlic and mix and set aside
5. clean the chicken well and place into a large freezer bag
6. pour the pineapple juice mixture into the bag and make sure the juice gets everywhere- under the skins and just everywhere.
7. Place the freezer bag into a bowl- add in 1/2 the can of the pineapple chunks and allow to marinate for 3-4 hours.
8. Preheat oven to 350 and pour the chicken into a baking dish and then pour the left over mixture juice on top- If you used dark chicken thighs- bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes if you used to boneless chicken breast bake for 30 minutes
9. Before you serve garnish the serving plate with the rest of the pineapple chunks that have not yet been cooked.

(This chicken is great the next day and excellent served cold!)

Eat up!!

Healthy Chicken Fingers (4th of July Post 2)

Normally when you think chicken fingers you think calories, fat, unhealthy, heart disease and "I really shouldn't be having this" and well you know what - you're right. Traditional chicken fingers are the devil and so bad for you- why you ask? Well because they drench it in bread crumbs that normally are not whole grain, white flour and lots of oil and served with some high fattening zero nutritional value dip (ranch, BBQ sauce)...However I believe that chicken fingers can be made healthy and enjoyed without any guilt and still keeping the taste. I mean seriously who wants to feel like they're eating diet food ever, especially on the 4th of July? These chicken fingers is a recipe I developed when trying to come up with a healthy alternative. As always it has been tried and tested and was received well...well it was received with an "Amazing, I love this!!"

Healthy Chicken Fingers
1 pound of boneless white chicken breast (cleaned and cut into slices)
1/2 cup of 100% whole wheat flour
1 extra large egg
2 cups of crushed Terra chip veggie chips
oregnao
Sabra's Hummus/Tahini
olive oil for frying













Heat the oil on a large skillet - takes about 2 minutes

1. coat the chicken in the flour
2. then dip it in the egg
3. coat the chicken strips in the crushed veggie chips
4. place the chicken on the large skillet (that was preheated with oil) 
5. cook on each side of about 6 minutes on low-medium frame, turning over 1-2 times
 6. serve with Sabra's Hummus/Tahini - garnish with oregano (I placed on a plate with spinach to make it look even healthier, but there is no need to do that)

Happy 4th!

Mushroom Chicken with Mashed Potatoes

This dish was actually inspired by a dish I saw at a Bar Mitzvah. They had this chicken with a creamy mushroom sauce and normally I don't eat mushrooms- I just don't like them very much, but this was tremendously good- I went up for seconds and then thirds! I sort of made up my own recipe since I didn't have the one they used but I promise you mine came out just as good!!! My entire family raved about it and said the worst part was that it had to end....So here you go!

Mushroom Chicken with Mashed Potatoes
6oz of boneless chicken legs or chicken breasts (both work fine) 
1 cup of heavy cream or non dairy creamer
4 tbsp. of unsalted butter or margarine
salt
pepper
olive oil
oregano
1/4 tsp. of onion powder
garlic clove
2 large russet potatoes
8oz can (or more if you like) of mushrooms 

1. boil water
2. clean the chicken
3. peel the potatoes and place into water once it boils  
4. put about a tbsp of live oil onto a large skillet and heat
5. place the chicken down and sprinkle with salt and pepper - cook each side for about 8-10 minutes turning over frequently until the chicken is fully cooked- Remove from heat
6. melt 3 tbsp. of butter/margarine then add some oregano, 1 clove of garlic (crushed) 1/4 tsp. onion powder and cream- stir until it is somewhat thick (about 7 minute)-
7. Add in the mushrooms (if you like more you can add 2 cans)
8. cut the chicken up and pour into cream and stir well- Reheat
9. by now the potatoes should be done- you want to remove them from the water and then mash them- add 1 tbsp. of unsalted butter or margarine and a a dash of salt
10. pour the creamy mushroom chicken blend on top of the potatoes and serve!

Delicious!

Flowery Basil Baked Chicken

Okay so this is a big hit over at my house. I wanted to make something from my Fabulicious cookbook (Real Housewife of New Jersey's Teresa Giudice's)  I found this recipe called Butterfly Basil Chicken with zucchinis- I am not a huge fan of zucchini so I decided to alter the recipe a little. Here is my version is different and very, very good. Here it is:

Flowery Basil Baked Chicken
6 chicken leg quarters (with the skin)
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
handfull of FRESH basil- it must be fresh basil: I suggest buy it in the store and use the whole thing. Just 1 container of it should be fine.
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 heaping tsp. salt
1 heaping tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1. clean the chicken and pat dry
2. cut the basil finely, however not too finely
3. mix the olive oil with balsamic vinegar, salt pepper and go
4. let marinate for about 1-2 hours
5. Preheat oven 350*
6. cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes

Chicken Mango Raisin Salad

So as I am sure you know by blog I love cooking, baking and coming up with new and interesting recipes. My mom, like me, is a healthy eater. She's always saying that she wants more protein. So I wanted to think of a creative and new way to get in more protein other than just eating an egg or slice of cheese. So here is a salad recipe that is so good you won't even realize how delicious it is.

1 cup salad (any kind of lettuce: romaine, butter lettuce, ice burg etc.)
1/4 cup of fresh mango cut into bit size pieces
4 tbsp. raisins
chicken thigh (we use dark meat because that's what my mom likes but white meat is fine too)
When we bake the chicken it is normally over the weekend since Friday nights we always eat chicken.
We wash the chicken, leave the skin on and sprinkle it with Season All Salt and bake it for 1 hour and 20 minutes in the oven at 350*.

1. put the salad in a bowl
2. add the chicken at room temp. (cut into pieces)
3. then add the raisins
4. then add the mango pieces
5. dressing: Thousand Island, Honey Mustard or Russian is ideal

Enjoy!!