Recipe Swap:: Coq Au Vin

The latest swap was a chicken dish.  I submitted my favorite Cheesy Chicken Shells recipe!

I was given Coq Au Vin from Melissa's I Was Born to Cook.  Melissa has a fantastic cooking blog with many, many recipes.  This recipe was quite delicious.  It definitely required a bit more work than I like in weeknight recipes, however, we weren't able to make this dish over the weekend.  I omitted the cognac as we didn't have any on hand and Wegmans was wiped out of carrots (unless I wanted some awfully sad, whimpy carrots) when I went food shopping yesterday so those had to be left out as well.  Overall, this dish was good - definitey a great Sunday night or special occasion dish.  This also made me remember how much I love pearl onions and that we don't use them enough.  

Coq Au Vin
adapted from Ina Garten (she says the recipe serves 3, but it definitely could serve 5-6)

4 oz. bacon, cut into chunks
5 chicken leg quarters
4 chicken legs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb. carrots, cut into chunks
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup Cognac
1 cup red wine
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
10 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons AP flour
1/2 pound frozen pearl onions
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Meanwhile, lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside.

Add the carrots, onions, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac and put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collected on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just not pink. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.

Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. In a medium saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot.

Oven Fried Chicken Nuggies & Parmesan Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

This recipe for Oven Fried Chicken Nuggets I got from my friend Lauren who has her own awesome cooking blog and who has been an inspiration to me in the kitchen.  I made these quite some time ago and they were a huge hit. I made these before my oldest daughter (now 2 1/2 yrs old) was eating table food so this time the true test was if she would eat them.  Well, the verdict is in and she cleared her plate.

The only modifications I made was that I used panko breadcrumbs & agave nectar instead of honey since that is what we had in the pantry.  

With these delicious chicken nuggets, I was hankering for some delicious mashed potatoes!  The recipe that I used was from Cooking Light.  The potatoes were moist and very tasty.  Rather than microwaving the potatoes (because our microwave is quite possibly the first microwave ever made), I boiled them and then continued with the recipe.  

Oven Fried Chicken Nuggets

• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar -- I used balsamic
• 1 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs -- again, I used panko bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (I used cooking spray)
• 6 (4 to 6-ounce) fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halves

Preheat oven to 375°F.In shallow bowl, whisk together agave and vinegar. Pour bread crumbs into separated bowl. Set bowls aside. Spread oil over foil-lined baking pan large enough to hold all chicken pieces in one layer. Roll chicken pieces in agave/vinegar mixture, then in bread crumbs; place in pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly.

Buttermilk-Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

• 1 1/3  pounds  baking potatoes
• 1/2  cup  fat-free milk
• 2  tablespoons  butter
• 1/3  cup  buttermilk
• 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch pieces and place in pot with enough water to cover the top of the potatoes.  Boil until potatoes are tender.  Drain potatoes, return to pot and mash with a potato masher.  Set aside.

Combine milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at HIGH 2 minutes or until butter melts. Add milk mixture to potatoes; mash with a potato masher to desired consistency. Stir in buttermilk and remaining ingredients.

Greek Tzatziki Sauce & Chicken Gyros

Chicken gyro night is everyone's favorite night!  No matter what kind of day you had at work, knowing that those delicious ingredients for the tzatziki sauce were melding together in the fridge.  Dinners that don't require much effort, but are healthy & delicious are very much welcomed in our house.  And this dinner is just that.


Greek Tzatziki Sauce
32 oz. plain yogurt
1/2 english cucumber, grated
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. EVOO
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. black pepper

Combine yogurt, cukes, garlic, lemon juice & EVOO in a bowl and stir.  Add salt & pepper.  Mix well until all ingredients are blended.  Cover tightly for at least 6 hours in refrigerator.

Grilled Chicken Marinade for Gyros
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. EVOO
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. thyme
salt & pepper to taste

Combine ingredients & pour over chicken breasts.  Let marinate for at least 1 hour.  Bake in oven for 25 minutes at 350ºF or until juices run clear.

Assemble gyros on a pita with grilled chicken & tzatziki sauce.  Other garnishes to add are red onion, hot sauce, balsamic vinegar, and feta cheese.  However the sauce is so extraordinarily delicious that it doesn't need any other garnish to add flavor.

Serve with couscous.  Couscous doesn't have much flavor.  Tonight I started with water and added a dash of salt, pepper, thyme & paprika and a splash of lemon juice to tie in all of the flavors of this greek-inspired dish.  No longer was that couscous bland.

Skinnytaste's Asian Glazed Drumsticks

Oh.my.delicious!  What a simple, but absolutely tasty recipe with just a few simple ingredients.  The chicken was so incredibly tender.  I made steamed broccoli with a splash of s&p and garlic powder.  This glaze would even be delicious on wings or as a dipping sauce for an asian inspired app.  This recipe reminded me of one of my favorite Chinese food dishes, General Tso's Chicken, but a much healthier option.  Next time (because we already announced that this made it's way into our recipe rotation) we make this, I will definitely make a brown rice as a side dish in addition to steamed veggies.  


The house still has the delicious aroma wafting throughout the house and now, a few hours after dinner, it's making me hungry & my mouth water for lunch tomorrow.


Asian Glazed Drumsticks
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes 
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 2 drumsticks • Points: 5 ww pts
Calories: 213 • Fat: 4.7 g • Protein: 27.5 g • Carb: 12.7 g • Fiber: 0.4 g  

• 8 medium chicken drumsticks, skin removed
• Pam spray oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (more or less to taste)
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4 tsp agave nectar (or sugar)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp chives or scallions, chopped
• 1 tsp sesame seeds

In a heavy large saucepan, brown chicken on high for 3-4 minutes with a little spray oil. Add water, balsamic, soy sauce, agave, garlic, ginger, hot sauce and cook on high until liquid comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes. Remove cover and bring heat to high, allowing sauce to reduce down, about 8-10 minutes, until it becomes a thick glaze, turning chicken occasionally. (Keep an eye on glaze, you don't want it to burn when it start becoming thick) Transfer chicken to a platter and pour glaze on top. Top with chives and sesame seeds and serve.

Naked Chicken!

All glazed up!

Grilled Balsamic Chicken Wraps

Usually our grilled balsamic chicken is served with a veg & couscous, but this week we decided to change it up a little.  We decided to add some bleu cheese & a balsamic tomato basil salad to a wrap to be a little different.  

Balsamic Marinade

• Equal parts Balsamic vinegar & EVOO 
• Splash of agave syrup
• Two gloves fresh garlic, finely chopped or minced
• Dried oregano
• Salt & pepper

Place chicken (I used three chicken breasts) in the marinade for at least 1 hour prior to baking/grilling, but can be up to 4 hours.  Bake in oven at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly.  Dice chicken into bite size pieces.

Tomato-Basil Salad

• 3 grape tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• salt & pepper
• drizzle of EVOO
• 2-3 tbsp. (or more for taste) balsamic vinegar

Assemble wraps with chicken, salad & bleu cheese and enjoy!

Balsamic Marinade

Chicken Wraps ready to be devoured!

Chicken Ropa Vieja

The first time I had Ropa Vieja was at one of our favorite restaurants, Cuban Pete's in Montclair.  When I found the recipe below, I was very excited to try this as I tried a few others, but nothing was quite as tasty.  

Very easy to make and absolutely delicious, this recipe will surely make it into our regular rotation.  The only modification that I made was the amount of cumin... I loaded up on the cumin.  

Chicken Ropa Vieja

From Skinnytaste.

• 3 chicken breast halves
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 tomato, quartered
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• reserved broth
• 1 tsp cumin, or more to taste (I like a lot)
• garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Place chicken, onion, tomato, carrot, and 2 cloves of garlic into crock pot. Add water to cover, and set to high for 4 hours until the chicken is tender. If cooking on the stove,cook on medium-low, and simmer until the chicken is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Placethe chicken into a bowl and shred it into strips using a fork; set aside. Reserve the liquid.

In a large deep skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions, green peppers, and red peppers. Cook about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in chicken, tomato sauce, white wine, and about 3/4 cup of the reserved broth to create a nice sauce. Seasonwith cumin, garlic powder salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer on low for about 10 minutes more adding more broth and seasoning if needed. Makes 4 cups.

Served over basmasti rice & topped with shredded cheddar! 

Recipe Swap :: Artichoke Chicken

One of the message boards that I am on had a recipe swap organized by one of our members.  We all had to submit a recipe and then randomly received one back.  This swap's rules were that it had to be a crockpot meal OR prepped and prepared within 30 minutes.

I submitted a recipe from Rachael Ray's No Recipe Zone for Chicken Pot Pie that Dave and I loved!  

The recipe that I received was Artichoke Chicken.  I was really excited to get a recipe that was not something that we would have normally chosen to cook.  It was also a very quick and easy dinner to prepare and toss in the oven.  Those are our favorite kind of dinners.  Artichokes are one ingredient that you will rarely find in our kitchen.  I am very intimidated by them, but when they are prepared for me I absolutely love them.  

ARTICHOKE CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS

1 (15 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 pinch garlic pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, mix together the artichoke hearts, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, and garlic pepper. Place chicken in a greased baking dish, and cover evenly with artichoke mixture.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink in the center and juices run clear.

I forgot to take a picture of the dish!  I have to keep my camera in the kitchen so I can take a quick pic but usually the fragrance of our dinner is making our mouths water and we dig in and then it's too late!

We really enjoyed this dish.  The only modification that I would make next time is to bread the chicken in panko or other breadcrumbs just to give it a little crunch!  Overall, we really enjoyed this dish especially because it was something different for us.

Cheesy Chicken Shells

Who says you can't have stuffed shells and still lose weight?  This recipe has been in our repertoire for almost six years as I received this recipe from a Weight Watchers at Work mtg back in 2006.  And we've been enjoying this since...

We have been using large shells instead of manicotti shells, as I made that mistake and didn't catch it until a few years later when I finally noticed that it called for manicotti shells. We tried them recently in manicotti shells and I wasn't a huge fan even though it was the same exact ingredients just changed the type of pasta.

Cheesy Chicken Shells
©Weight Watchers

12 jumbo uncooked manicotti shells
1 1/2 c. favorite tomato sauce
2 medium egg whites
4 oz. chicken breast, cooked & diced
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 3/4 c. ricotta (recipe calls for fat free, but I used part skim)
1 tbsp. oregano
3/4 c. shredded mozzerella (again, it calls for fat free, but I used part skim)

Preheat oven to 350°

Cook manicotti shells in boiling water according to package directions.  Drain and rinse in cold water.  Set aside.  Coat a 9x13 pan with spray.  Spread 1/2 cup of sauce evenly over the bottom.

For filling:
In a large bowl, stir together egg whites, ricotta, chicken, garlic powder & seasoning.  Stir in 1/4 cup each of mozzerella & parmesan cheeses.

Spoon mixture into shells.  Place in dish.  Spread remaining sauce on top.  Sprinkle with remaining cheeses.  Bake 30 minutes.

3 shells per serving.  9 pts per serving (old WW).