Italian Soft Tacos

Cook’s notes: An easy weeknight meal. I served these with leftover Zucchini Corn Mix. Corn tortillas are rather soft, and they will tear if you try to roll them into fat burritos. Just fold in half to make a soft taco instead.

Serves 6 (about enough filling for 13 tacos)

1 package (1.25 lbs) ground chicken or turkey
1 Tablespoon red bell pepper flakes, 3/8″ cut (Penzey’s brand)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup mushroom marinara sauce
Soft corn tortilla, 12 each
1/4 cup (0.5 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

Coat a large skillet lightly with cooking spray and heat over the skillet over medium heat. Add the ground chicken, red bell pepper flakes, and garlic powder to the hot pan. Saute the chicken, breaking the meat up with a spoon, until it is cooked through and no longer pink. Drain off fat; return seasoned chicken to pan.

Pour marinara sauce and Parmesan over the chicken and stir well until the mixture is heated through.

Warm the tortillas briefly in the microwave. Serve immediately: Place 1/4 cup mixture on each tortilla, and fold in half.

Menu suggestion:
2 Italian soft tacos, 1 cup Zucchini Corn Mix, and a side salad.

Estimated nutritional values per 2 tortillas and 1/2 cup chicken mixture:
3.1 g fiber; dietary exchanges of 0.9 carbs, 0.3 produce, 0.1 dairy, and 3.6 oz protein.

Barbecued Chicken Burritos

Cook’s notes: Adapted from EatingWell:  February/March 2005. These burritos include tangy barbecue sauce, some roast chicken (or rotisserie chicken) and vegetables, all wrapped up in tortillas. For the best taste, look for a barbecue sauce without added corn syrup. Start with cooked chicken and dinner can be ready in just 15 minutes. Add a side salad to round out the meal.

4 cups of cooked, shredded chicken meat (from a 2-pound roasted chicken: skin discarded, and meat removed from bones)
1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup canned corn, drained
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
4 10-inch whole-wheat tortillas (use a brand that is marked high-fiber, 100 calories each)

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, barbecue sauce, beans, and corn; stir to combine. Cook until hot, 4 to 5 minutes.

Assemble the wraps by placing a scoop of chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla and top with sour cream. Fold the sides in, roll up from bottom to top. Slice in half diagonally and serve warm.

Best Recipe: Whole Chicken in the Slow Cooker

Whole chicken in slow cooker

Cook’s notes: I was shocked to find out how much sodium and “chemical enhancement” methods can be packed into carryout rotisserie chickens. (Read the list of nutritional negatives on the livestrong site.) Luckily, I found this recipe by Lisa Leake, who called it “The Best Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot.” I totally agree. Lisa also notes that “after you pick off the good chicken meat, you can leave the bones in the crock pot to make some stock.” See her original post for these stock instructions.

This recipe is a winner — It’s so easy, it only has three ingredients (spice mix, onion, and chicken), it doesn’t heat up the house, and you don’t need to add any extra liquid or butter. Any spice rub combination will work as well. The chicken is just delicious. I’d like to try putting the chicken on a bed of cut-up yams or Yukon gold potatoes, instead of onions. (Lisa notes that if you use carrots, add them during the last hour. Otherwise, they are too mushy.) This recipe is already in heavy rotation at our house; we make it about every two weeks. It’s a great dish for the weekend or to bring to a potluck.

 

Ingredients

1 sweet onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 large chicken
6 teaspoons Dry Rub for Chicken

Directions

Lightly coat the slow cooker with cooking spray. Place onion pieces in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Remove any giblets or string from the chicken, and then rub the spice mixture all over. You can even put some of the spices inside the cavity.

Put prepared chicken on top of the onions in the slow cooker, cover it, and turn it on to High. There is no need to add any liquid.

Cook for 4 to 5 hours (for a 3 or 4 pound chicken) or until the chicken is falling off the bone.

Easy to shred

(Note: we cooked it for 4.5 hours, and made sure the chicken was cooked to a USDA specs: a “safe minimum internal temperature of 165 F/75 C as measured using a food thermometer.” At 5 hours, you can shred the meat with a spoon, the onions are melted, and you have to be very careful with removing the bones.)

Be careful when you take the chicken from the slow cooker: It did indeed fall off the bones and easily pull into many small pieces. You won’t remove it in one piece.

Source: Adapted from Lisa Leake’s blog, 100 days of real food

Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken

Cook’s notes: We had a family-size package of fresh boneless skinless chicken breast halves that needed cooking.

This recipe was inspired by fat-free salad dressing recipes that use broth instead of oil and balsamic vinegar. It uses a broth-based sauce instead of spaghetti sauce. Because the herbed chicken is low in fat and doesn’t have tomatoes, it should not aggravate heartburn. Prep time is about 5 minutes. The chicken is ready in just 3.5 hours, which is very quick for a slow cooker.

8 fresh boneless chicken breast halves, without skin (3.25 lbs)
1 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
4 Tablespoons (2 oz) balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Spray the inside of a 4-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Turn the cooker to HIGH.

Make the sauce: In a medium size bowl, whisk together the broth and remaining 5 ingredients (balsamic vinegar to black pepper) until smooth.

Place half the chicken in the slow cooker. Cover with half the sauce. Place remaining chicken and sauce in the slow cooker.

Cook covered on HIGH for 3.5 hours. Do not remove the lid. Do not stir the ingredients while they cook. Shred the cooked chicken with two forks, and serve the chicken with brown rice.

Alternate method: Cook covered on LOW for 6 hours.

Adapted from the cdkitchen.com (Chicken Italiano II recipe)

Tried and Liked: Basic Sauteed Chicken

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pinch kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chicken broth (or 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup dry white wine)

Follow the excellent instructions in the tutorial by Catherine Newman.

Chicken Broccoli Cheese Casserole (Gluten Free)

12/24/2011 update: Another great combination is chicken, brown rice, 2 bags (10 to 12 oz each) of mixed vegetables (carrot, peas, and corn), and parmesan cheese in the sauce, instead of cheddar. We particularly like the Safeway brand mixed vegetable, 12 oz: Steams In the Bag Blend of Sugar Snap Peas, Whole Baby Carrots, and Whole Baby Cob Corn.

Cook’s notes: Sometimes you need to make comfort food that won’t hurt someone who has food sensitivities. The original recipe noted, “You will seldom find this recipe without condensed soups, but it is very simple to make it gluten-free.” Poaching chicken is also very easy. Use any type of vegetable in this all-in-one dinner. The homemade cheese sauce would be amazing on macaroni or any type of pasta, whether gluten-free or regular.

Before baking

1 large boneless skinless chicken breast (2 halves)
2 cups cooked brown rice (pre-cooked and frozen)
2 bags (10 oz) each of organic broccoli

Cheese sauce:
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1.5 cups (12 oz) 1% milk
1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese (6 oz package)

Topping:
1/2 cup gluten-free bread crumbs
1/4 cup slivered almonds (1 large handful)

Poach the chicken breasts: Place the chicken in a large skillet with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 12 to 14 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees). Drain well. Shred chicken.

While the chicken cooks, microwave the rice. Cook the broccoli in a saucepan with water according to its directions. Do not overcook the broccoli.

Make the cheese sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until bubbly and foamy. Slowly whisk in the milk, and cook until thickened. Stir in the shredded cheese.

Place the brown rice, chicken, and broccoli in a casserole dish. Gently pour the cheese sauce over the top. Spread the breadcrumbs and slivered almonds over the top.

[make ahead tip: I stopped here, let it cool down, and stored it in a covered pan in the refrigerator overnight.]

When ready to eat, heat oven to 350F. Bake casserole uncovered for about 30 minutes.

Adapted from glutenfreemommy, a great site that appears to be offline (not updated) since 2008

Vegetable, Chicken, and Rice Casserole

Cook’s notes: I wanted an easy dinner casserole that wasn’t loaded with sour cream, cheese, or condensed soups. One of the recipes that inspired me called for a full cup of cheese, which is too much fat. Another one called for 16 oz sour cream plus two condensed soups. No thank you!

This version has just enough cheese to add flavor. It is light, quick to assemble, and delicious. Because all ingredients are cooked before assembly, it only takes a few minutes in the oven to finish. To make this a vegetarian supper, replace the chicken with 2 cups of cooked beans, rinsed and drained.

Makes 6 servings, each with an estimated 3.5 g fiber.

One-bowl dinner

Long grain and wild rice mix, 4.9 oz box (any flavor)
12 oz bag frozen broccoli (“steam in bag” type)
12 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables (“steam in bag” type): sugar snap pea pods, baby corn cobs, and baby carrots
2 cups cooked chicken (from a deli rotisserie chicken)
1 oz shredded cheese, Italian 4-cheese blend

Heat the oven to 350F. Lightly coat a rectangular glass pan with cooking spray.

Prepare the rice mix according to package directions (takes about 20 minutes).

While the rice cooks, steam the vegetables in the microwave according to package directions (takes about 5 minutes per bag).

Remove the skin and bones from the chicken. Dice the meat.

In a large bowl, combine the vegetables, chicken, and rice. Stir to combine well. Place the mixture in the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and casserole is heated through.

Best Recipe: Zesty Slow Cooker Barbeque Chicken

Update 10/1/2011: Watching your sugar intake? Here’s a variation: Omit the brown sugar. Instead of 12 oz BBQ sauce, combine 8 oz tomato sauce, 6 oz tomato paste, 2 Tbsp water, and 1 TBsp mustard.

Cook’s notes: I used a 3.3 lb “family size” package of chicken breasts for this recipe. This recipe is my new favorite way to prepare barbecue chicken in the slow cooker.
Prep time, about 30 minutes total, including the shredding. Cooking time: 5.5 hours

Best BBQ chicken

About 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (fresh)
1.5 cups (12 oz) bottled molasses-based barbeque sauce
5 oz bottled Italian salad dressing
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Spray the inside of a 4-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.

In a bowl (or glass 2-cup measure), mix the barbecue sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk together well.

Place half the chicken in the slow cooker. Cover with half the sauce. Place remaining chicken in the slow cooker; pour the remaining sauce over the chicken.

Put the lid on, and cook covered on HIGH for one hour. Turn heat to LOW and cook for another 4 hours. Do not remove the lid during cooking. Do not stir the ingredients while they cook.

Shred the cooked chicken with two forks. Return the meat and sauce to the slow cooker; heat on LOW for another 30 minutes.

Adapted from allrecipes

Easy Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits

Cook’s notes: Easy…but very tasty. Melissa Zabel (link) has created an amazing weeknight dish, and I will definitely be making it again. It’s the best of all worlds: canned biscuits and pre-cooked chicken are very convenient. The homemade gravy is easy to make in just a few minutes, and really adds to the flavor of the pot pie. Also, making your own gravy means you don’t have to use nasty canned cream-of soup with extra sodium and chemicals (such soup is banned from our pantry).

Comfor food at its finest

Zabel notes, “This pot pie is also a great way to use leftover turkey.” Noted for Thanksgiving!

Modifications: Omitted the milk from the gravy; it wasn’t needed. Reduced salt to 1/2 tsp. Used 2 cups of deli (rotisserie) chicken, and increased the amount of vegetables from 8 to 10 oz. The chicken I purchased was freshly roasted and very juicy. In fact, there was 3/4 cup of juices in the tray. I combined this with 1-1/4 cup broth to get a total of 2 cups broth. Using a whisk to stir the gravy gets rid of the lumps.

Yield: 8 servings. Leftovers are delicious the next day.

1/4 cup butter (4 Tbsp)
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 cup flour
2 cups fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
2 cups diced cooked chicken, skin and bones removed
10-oz bag frozen mixed vegetables
8-count can jumbo biscuits

Heat the oven to 350F and lightly coat an 8×11-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Make the gravy: Melt the butter in a large saucepan, and sautee the onion. When the onion is softened, whisk in the salt, pepper, and flour. Whisk the mixture until the flour is thoroughly moistened by the melted butter and has thickened. Add the chicken broth. Stir it carefully to mostly dissolve the flour mixture in the broth.

Cook the gravy, whisking it almost constantly to avoid lumps, until it thickens. Then add the chicken and vegetables. Continue cooking it for a few more minutes to make sure your chicken pot pie gravy will be nice and thick.

Remove the chicken and gravy mixture from the heat and pour it into the prepared glass baking dish.

Flatten and stretch out the canned biscuits, tiling them over the top of the chicken pot pie, covering as much of the filling as possible.

Bake the chicken pot pie for about 25 minutes: check it at 20 minutes. You want the biscuits to be fully cooked and golden  brown but not over-browned: our oven took 23 minutes total.

Island Soyaki Chicken

Cook’s notes: This is simply a variation on the Slow Cooker Chicken with Pineapple, but made even easier with the use of bottled teriyaki sauce and other products from Trader Joe’s.

15 oz can pineapple chunks in juice
3/4 cup bottled teriyaki sauce, such as Trader Joe’s Island Soyaki sauce
1.5 lb package boneless, skinless chicken breasts
ginger powder

Drain the pineapple chunks, saving the juice in a glass measuring cup (I got about 3/4 cup). Add the teriyaki sauce to the pineapple juice and stir to combine.

Coat the slow cooker crock with vegetable cooking spray. Layer the chicken and pineapple pieces in the slow cooker. Sprinkle chicken liberally with ginger powder. Pour sauce over chicken.

Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Serve with hot rice and a tossed salad.