Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

From Life as A Lofthouse

Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken breasts
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 cup sugar (or Splenda)
4 tbsp. ketchup
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. garlic salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes and season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken pieces into flour then into egg. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan and cook until browned on all sides. Place chicken into a greased 9x13 glass pan. Whisk together remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake for one hour. Turn the chicken every 15 minutes, tossing with the sauce to coat. Serve with steamed rice and broccoli.

Tip: Invest in a rice steamer to make perfect rice every time! I couldn't live without mine!

Healthy Double Chocolate Muffins

I make these muffins for my husband to take to work for breakfast. He loves them because they're chocolate and I love them because they're healthy. They're only about 140 calories each, but I didn't tell him!

Healthy Double Chocolate Muffins

From Dashing Dish

Ingredients:
1 ¾ cup oats
3 egg whites
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
½ tsp cream of tartar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup hot water
½ cup sugar
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. In a blender, combine all ingredients except chocolate chips. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture into muffin tin. Add half of the chocolate chips to each muffin and stir gently to combine. Bake for 10 minutes. Add remaining chocolate chips to tops of the muffins. Bake an additional 5-8 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Tips: Try Splenda or Stevia instead of sugar for an even lower calorie muffin!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

It's finally starting to feel like Spring is on the way and I'm getting very excited for summer! This sweet and spicy chicken is perfect for a summer barbecue or an easy weeknight dinner. It's really quick and has soo much flavor. Let's be honest...anything wrapped in bacon is pretty much amazing. Serve with some grilled veggies and a salad!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Recipe

From Diary of a Recipe Addict

Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder
Hot chili powder
1 lb. bacon
Brown sugar

 

Fire up your grill! Season chicken strips with spices, to taste. Wrap a piece of bacon around each chicken strip. Roll each bacon wrapped chicken strip in brown sugar, making sure they are well coated. Place chicken on grill and cook until done. 

Tip: If you're not up to grilling, try baking it at 400 degrees for about 35-45 minutes.

Greek Baked Tomatoes

These tomatoes are a great, super easy, healthy dish. Serve the tomatoes with crusty Italian bread as an appetizer or alone as a side.

Greek Baked Tomatoes

Adapted from My Kitchen Affair

Ingredients:
Medium tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
Oregano
Parmesan cheese
Feta cheese
Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut the tomatoes into thick slices (about 1/3 inch thick). Place the tomatoes on baking sheet that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle salt, pepper, oregano and Parmesan cheese over tomatoes, to taste. Add about 1 tsp. feta cheese to top of each tomato and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 5-10 minutes.

Tip: I usually turn the broiler on at the end for a minute or so, until the cheese starts to turn golden brown. You can really play around with the ingredients. Try using fresh Parmesan instead of the feta. Or fresh basil and mozzarella. The possibilities are endless! 

 

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I made this recipe last night for a family Sunday dinner. I prepped the veggies before the family came over which made it so much easier. It was quick to throw together and perfect to feed a crowd. The best part...it's healthy! It makes 8 servings and it's only about 375 calories for each portion. Just add a salad and some Italian bread!

Ingredients:
16 oz. linguine
1 pound chicken, cut into thin strips
1 tsp. Creole seasoning, divided
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, chopped
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 medium tomatoes, diced
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 tbsp. flour
8 oz. light cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, divided
fresh cracked pepper, to taste
2 tsp. salt
3 green onions, chopped

Season chicken with 2 tsp. Creole seasoning, 1 tsp. garlic powder and 1 tsp. salt. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and sauté over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes on each side. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and simmer for 5 minutes with lid on until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil to skillet and reduce to medium heat. Add peppers, onions and garlic and sauté for 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and tomatoes and sauté for 4 minutes. The vegetables should be tender. Season with 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder and pepper. Cook linguine according to package directions. In a blender, combine milk, flour and cream cheese. Blend until smooth. Add chicken broth and cream mixture to skillet and simmer for 2 minutes. Add cooked chicken and 1 tsp. Creole seasoning to skillet and simmer for 5 minutes. Toss with linguine and top with green onions. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Tip: Try adding shrimp instead of chicken. If you like it spicier, add more Creole seasoning!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

The first time I made this soup, I followed the recipe exactly. It was SOOO spicy. My husband and I could barely eat it. We literally had tears streaming down our faces! The underlying flavors were delicious, so we finished our bowls even though we were choking with every bite and laughing at ourselves the entire time. Once I adjusted the spices, it became one of our favorite recipes. It's really quick to throw together and it's perfect for a weeknight meal.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Original recipe from All the Best

Ingredients:
6 whole Roma tomatoes
1/2 cup extra virgin oil oil, divided
1 tsp. salt
pepper, to taste
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 bunch celery, diced
1 pasilla chili pepper, diced
1 small jalapeno pepper, diced
1/4 cup garlic, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp. spicy chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. paprika
1 bay leaf
2 cups shredded chicken
Fresh cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, toss tomatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tsp. salt and a pinch of pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes. In a large pot, heat 1/2 cup olive oil. Saute onion, celery, peppers, and garlic, stirring frequently. Add chicken stock, lime juice, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cumin, paprika and bay leaf. Simmer for 25 minutes. Remove roasted tomatoes from oven and carefully chop into bite size pieces (you could also use the food processor). Add to soup. Add shredded chicken and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Spoon into bowls and top with fresh cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, avocado or any toppings you like.

Tip: Adjust the cayenne pepper and chili powder according to your desired level of spiciness!

Primanti's Famous Sandwiches

 

I was hesitant to tackle this legendary sandwich, but the craving for this Pittsburgh favorite was overpowering. I was pleasantly surprised that this recipe was pretty close to the real thing! The secret to making amazing imitation Primanti's sandwiches is using the freshest ingredients you can find. You really can't replace any component of this sandwich with anything other than homemade or it just doesn't work. This recipe will feed a crowd, but can easily be modified for fewer people. You can really substitute any meat, but turkey and pastrami are a couple of our favorites. Make the coleslaw ahead, but the fries immediately before you assemble your sandwiches. You won't be disappointed!

 

Primanti Bros. Famous Sandwiches

From The Washington Post and The Brown Eyed Baker

 

Hand Cut French Fries

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes
6 cups vegetable oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Scrub the potatoes to remove any dirt and let dry. Cut the sides off to square the potatoes. Cut lengthwise. Heat the oil in a large pot until boiling. Drop fries into the oil and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes, carefully stirring often. The fries should be slightly crispy and golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove fries from the oil and place onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.

Note: When using the fries for sandwiches, I put them into a warm oven while assembling the other ingredients.

 

Oil and Vinegar Coleslaw

Ingredients:
1 medium head green cabbage, shredded (about 6 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. celery seed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
pepper, to taste

Combine cabbage, sugar, salt and celery seed in a colander and toss to coat. Set colander over a large bowl. Place in refrigerator for about 4 hours. Discard the drained liquid from the bowl. Transfer the cabbage to a large bowl. Add the oil and vinegar and toss to coat. Add pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

Sandwiches

Ingredients:
Butter
1 loaf Italian bread, cut unto thick slices
1 lb. sliced deli pastrami
1 lb. sliced deli turkey
1 lb. provolone cheese
Hand Cut French Fries
Oil and Vinegar Coleslaw
Tomatoes, sliced

Heat about a tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Carefully place pastrami (or turkey) into skillet, layering 2 to 3 slices, depending on thickness of the meat. Flip to heat both sides. You will need to add a bit more butter with each batch to prevent the meat from sticking to the pan. To assemble sandwiches, lay 2 slices of bread on a piece of wax paper. Using a spatula, remove meat and place on one slice of bread. add 2 slices of provolone cheese. Next add a large handful of fries followed by a large handful of coleslaw. Top off with 2 slices of tomato then the other slice of bread. Cut sandwich in half and wrap in the wax paper. Serve immediately. Repeat until desired number of sandwiches are made.

Note: No need to try to make these look pretty. These are sloppy to begin with, so don't be afraid to use your hands! The assembly goes pretty quickly, so you might want to enlist a helper.