Saucy Peach-Balsamic Chicken

My younger daughter recently brought us a jar of peach preserves she got at her local farmer's market.  North Louisiana is famous for its peaches so I knew they'd be good.  That same week I ran across this recipe from my June/July 2011 issue of Simple & Delicious.  We tried it when she came to visit the other day and it was quite yummy!


Saucy Peach-Balsamic Chicken
contributed by Trisha Kruse of Eagle, ID


4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz. each)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup sherry or additional reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup peach preserves
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tsp. minced fresh tarragon
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  In a large skillet, brown chicken on both sides in butter.  Remove from the skillet and keep warm.

Add broth and sherry to the skillet, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan.  Stir in the preserves, garlic and tarragon.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in vinegar.  Return chicken to the skillet; cover and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170F.

 

Rosemary Caper Chicken

I had every intention of taking a picture of this dish as soon as it came out of the oven... even had the camera sitting on the kitchen table.  We were hungry, though, and everything smelled so good that I got distracted and forgot until it was too late. 

Rather than use olive oil I sprayed the pan and the chicken with olive oil cooking spray.  Worked out fine.  I'll definitely make this again.


Rosemary Caper Chicken contributed to Angels on Earth magazine by
Stephanie Thompson of Edmond, OK

1/4 cup olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
lemon pepper seasoning
3 fresh sprigs rosemary
1-1/2 tablespoons capers

Pour olive oil into a small casserole dish.  Place chicken in dish and turn so that both sides are coated with oil.  Sprinkle seasoning on both sides as well.  Add sprigs of rosemary on either side of the chicken and one on the middle.  Cover and bake at 400F for 15 minutes.  Add capers and bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until done.

Corny Chicken Bake

Here's another chicken recipe we tested out recently.  I don't think it was quite as good as the applesauce recipe, but it was good enough that we didn't mind having the leftovers the next day.  It's another recipe from Simple & Delicious magazine, this time contributed by Barbara Ramstack of Fond du Lac, WI.   


Corny Chicken Bake

3 cups corn bread stuffing mix
1 can (14-3/4 ounces) cream-style corn
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 celery rib, diced
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 tablepoons spicy brown or horseradish mustard

In a large bowl, combine the stuffing mix, corn, onion and celery.  Spoon into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.  Top with chicken.  Combine the brown sugar, butter and mustard; drizzle over chicken.  Bake, uncovered, at 400F for 25-30 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. 

Applesauce Barbecue Chicken

This recipe was contributed to Simple & Delicious magazine by Darla Andrews of Farmers Branch, TX. I used chicken tenders which made this a quick and easy dish to prepare. Better yet, it was delicious!


Applesauce Barbecue Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6-oz. each)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2/3 cup chunky applesauce
2/3 cup spicy barbecue sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. chili powder

Sprinkle chicken with pepper. In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil on both sides. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; pour over chicken. Cover and cook 7-10 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 170F.

Chicken-and-Sausage Creole

I'm pretty sure I found this recipe in Southern Living magazine...the December issue, I think. We had it last night and it was delicious. Of course I tweaked it just a bit.

Chicken-and Sausage Creole

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
2 (14-oz.) cans low-sodium fat-free chicken broth, divided
1/2 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 cup chopped celery
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (14 1/2-oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 bay leaves


Preparation

1. Prepare rice according to package directions, substituting 2 cups broth for water.

2. Sauté sausage and next 4 ingredients in a lightly greased Dutch oven over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in chicken, next 5 ingredients, and remaining broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves, and serve over hot cooked rice.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I love cheese! Every so often I like to try a variety that's out of the ordinary for me. Most recently I brought home some Fontina cheese, the Danish version. Although I had an idea of what I wanted to do with it I didn't have a recipe, so I just experimented. It turned out to be delicious! I wish I'd taken a photo.


Stuffed Chicken Breasts

3 or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 or 4 shaved slices of smoked ham
sliced Fontina cheese
1 egg
seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400F.
Make a slit in the thickest part of each chicken breast. Stuff first with cheese then a slice of ham. Secure with a wooden toothpick. Lightly beat the egg into a small bowl and pour some breadcrumbs into another bowl. Dip each stuffed chicken breast into the egg before rolling in the bread crumbs. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and lightly brown chicken breasts on both sides. Place into a glass baking dish sprayed with cooking spray and bake, uncovered, approximately 30 minutes or until done.
Be careful not to eat the toothpick!

One of those days

Ever have one of those days? You know the kind... anything that can go wrong will and as the day progresses, it only gets worse.

Yesterday was one of those days for me. Usually I can draw myself out of my funk by stopping and thinking about how good my life is. Seriously, I am SO blessed! I try to make a conscious effort to thank God for this on a regular basis. Still.... my pity party continued throughout most of the day.

Pictured here is something that I don't think I've ever seen in our house before. That certainly provided an interesting temporary diversion! Also, I tried another new dish for supper last night (see recipe below) and it ended up being really good - another positive for the day.


Things, of course, look brighter today. God doesn't promise that life will be easy, but He does promise that He will always be there for us. A comforting thought.


Grilled Caesar Chicken Breasts

taken from Simple & Delicious

(Marcia Wallenfeldt ~ Kent, OH)

1/2 cup creamy Caesar salad dressing
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 oz. each)*

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the dressing, oil, mustard and garlic. Add the chicken; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Drain and discard marinade. Grill chicken, covered over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 170F.

*I used a 20 oz. package of chicken breast tenders and cut back the broiling time.

Crispy Roasted Chicken Breasts with Orange and Cardamom

Back during the winter I confessed to you my obsession with The Food Network.

This summer, Quid and I sat in front of our respective TVs each Sunday evening, texting back and forth as the Next Food Network Star was decided. We both were pleased with the results and agreed to watch Aarti Sequeira's new show "Aarti Party" and to try some of her recipes. You can click here to find Quid's first review, for "Sloppy Bombay Joes".

Tonight I tried the "I Ain't Chicken Chicken: Crispy Roasted Chicken Breasts with Orange and Cardamom". While searching the Food Network site for the recipe, I was surprised to find a slightly different version of the recipe as well as the one linked above. If you are interested, you can compare the two before deciding which to try.

The things I liked about the recipe were the way the skin crisped up, how moist the chicken was, and the delicious flavor.

What I didn't like was the high temperature at which the recipe cooked causing the oven to smoke.

Will I make this again? Probably not, but it was certainly enjoyable this one time.

Chicken-and-Wild Rice Salad

We had this earlier in the week and it was very good. I didn't have any watercress so I served it on a bed of spinach and red butter lettuce. The recipe came from the July 2010 issue of Southern Living and can be found here.

A trio of recipes

Here are the recipes we tried over the weekend. Sorry I don't have photos of the first two.

Balsamic-Garlic Chicken Breasts
(Southern Living, July 2010)

4 (6-oz.) skinned and boned chicken breasts
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1-1/2 tsp. honey

1. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

2. Melt butter with oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken, and cook 6 to 7 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken, and keep warm.

3. Add chicken broth and next 4 ingredients to skillet, and cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Serve chicken with sauce.


Creamy Spinach Noodle Toss
(Simple & Delicious - Josie Smith, Winamac, IN)

1-1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles
2 bacon strips, diced
2 tsp. finely chopped onion
6-1/2 tsp. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt-free seasoning blend
1/8 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
1-1/4 cups 2% milk
1 pkg. (9 oz.) fresh baby spinach
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon and onion over medium heat until bacon is crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels to drain.

Stir the flour, seasoning blend, salt and pepper into drippings until blended; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add spinach, cook and stir until spinach is wilted.

Drain noodles; transfer to a serving bowl. Add spinach mixture and cheese; toss to combine. Sprinkle with bacon mixture.


Sour Cream Raisin Empanadas

One refrigerated pie crust

2 Tbsp. sour cream
2 Tbsp. golden raisins
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. sugar
melted butter

extra sugar

Cut pie crust into circles using a 3-in. cookie cutter and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. (approx. 13 to 14 circles) In a small bowl, combine sour cream, raisins, vanilla and sugar. Place a small amount of mixture into center of each pastry round. Gently fold over and seal with a fork.

Brush tops with melted butter then sprinkle with extra sugar. Bake at 425F for about 10 minutes.

A pretty good dinner

It's been a busy week, but not too busy to try a few new recipes (although some of them aren't worth mentioning here). Tonight's were pretty good. Both were adapted from recipes I clipped out of Simple & Delicious magazine. The entire meal was ready within half an hour. Great for when you don't have much time!

Potatoes with Feta Cheese

1 pound small red potatoes, halved
1 cup (4 oz.) crumbled feta cheese
1 teaspoon dill weed
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until tender, approximately 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a serving bowl. Drain potatoes and add to serving bowl. Toss gently to coat.


Ranch Chicken

1 box (8-1/2 oz.) Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1 envelope buttermilk recipe ranch salad dressing mix
milk
boneless, skinless chicken tenders

vegetable oil

Combine corn muffin mix and ranch dressing mix in a resealable plastic bag. Pour milk into a shallow bowl. Dip chicken tenders in milk, drop into plastic bag, then shake to coat.

In a large skillet pour a thin coating of vegetable oil (approx. 2 Tbs.). Cook chicken tenders, uncovered, over medium heat, turning several times until juices run clear. (approx. 15 minutes)

Cornish Hens with Rice Stuffing

Much the same way I have a TBR (to be read) stack of books on the shelf in my living room, I also have a folder filled with recipes I've clipped over the years waiting to be tested. Some are "keepers" and end up in my permanent recipe file. Others don't pass the test and get tossed. Then there are those that are good, but probably won't be made again for one reason or another. The following recipe falls into the last category. It was printed on a piece of paper with no source listed so I don't know where it originally came from.


Cornish Hens with Rice Stuffing

1 package (6 ounces) long grain and wild rice mix
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1-1/3 cups orange juice
1 cup water
1/4 cup raisins
2 Cornish game hens (1 to 1-1/2 pounds each)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Set the seasoning packet from rice mix aside. In a saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add rice and pecans; saute over low heat for 10 minutes or until rice is golden brown. Stir in orange juice, water, raisins and contents of seasoning packet; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Spoon about 1/2 cup rice mixture into each hen*; refrigerate remaining rice mixture. Tie legs of each hen together; turn wings tips under backs. Place on a greased rack in a roasting pan. Melt remaining butter; brush over hens. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 350F for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until meat juices run clear and a meat thermometer inserted into stuffing reads 165F. Baste occasionally with pan drippings. Heat reserved rice mixture; serve with hens.

*I decided this was enough to stuff four hens and still have some to serve on the side.

Tarragon Chicken Salad

If you don't enjoy food posts, I apologize. We've been on a cooking kick at our house lately and I like sharing what we've tried. So....here's another recipe! Since I can't remember where I found it, it will have to go uncredited. The only change I made was to omit the celery.

Tarragon Chicken Salad

1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped yellow squash
1/3 cup chopped carrot
1/3 cup chopped celery with leaves
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried with 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 package (5 oz.) spring salad mix
Bread toasts, optional

Whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper in small bowl until smooth.

Combine chicken, red onion, squash, carrot, celery and tarragon in large bowl. Add mayonnaise mixture; stir until blended. Divide salad mix and chicken salad among 4 serving plates. Serve with toasts, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Soup for a Winter day

It's the right time of year for a warm, comforting bowl of soup so I thought I'd rehash a couple of recipes from my old blog. Both are quick, easy, and delicious.

Easy Tortilla Soup

2 (10.5 oz.) cans condensed chicken and rice soup
1 (10.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chili peppers
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
8 ounces tortilla chips
4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine the soup, tomatoes & chilies and tomato sauce. Bring just to a boil and remove from heat. Place some tortilla chips in the bottom of an individual bowl and sprinkle cheese over the chips. Pour soup over the chips and cheese. Yield: 2 servings.

This recipe is easy to double or quadruple for more people. It's also easy to tweak with different varieties of cheese, chips, canned tomatoes, or the addition of meat.

Refried Bean Soup

Darlene Brenden of Salem, OR in Simple & Delicious

1 can (16 oz.) spicy fat-free refried beans
1 can (15-1/4 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) chicken broth
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) stewed tomatoes, cut up
1/2 cup water
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
1/4 cup salsa
Tortilla chips

In a large sauce pan, combine the first eight ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until heated through. Serve with tortilla chips. Yield: 8 servings (2 quarts).

Again, this is an easy recipe to change to fit the tastes of your family. It's on the menu at our house tonight. Yum!

Dijon Chicken Salad (& a rehash)

My church Circle group had their annual Christmas salad luncheon today. In addition to the marinated carrots* I always take, I tried a recipe for chicken salad that I found at Allrecipes.com. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, so it will be a keeper.

Dijon Chicken Salad

2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken

1 cup sliced celery

1 cup halved seedless green grapes

1 cup halved seedless red grapes

1/4 cup dried cranberries

2 teaspoons dried chives

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mix together the chicken, celery, green grapes, red grapes, cranberries, and chives in a bowl. Whisk together the honey, mustard, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl. Add the mustard mixture to the chicken mixture, stir to coat.

*I thought I'd already "rehashed" this recipe. I couldn't find it, so here it is again. This is for you, Barbara.

Marinated Carrots

1 cup sugar

1 cup vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick cinnamon

1 bay leaf

18 whole cloves

18 whole allspice

2 cans baby carrots, drained

Combine first seven ingredients, bring to a slow boil and simmer five minutes. Pour over carrots. When cool, cover and place in refrigerator for 24 hours before serving. Keep refrigerated.

Easy Party Chicken

Once upon a time many years ago there was a recipe that my aunt called "Easy Party Chicken". Everyone in my family loved it and we referred to it as "Bacon Wrapped Chicken". In February of 2001 I decided I wanted to become a vegetarian. Selfishly, I said if I couldn't have Bacon Wrapped Chicken then no one could have Bacon Wrapped Chicken. Shame on me. Time passed and we all forgot about the dish.

Last Spring I decided I had been a vegetarian for long enough. I've had my first taste of new recipes my family has enjoyed over the past eight years as well as pulling out many old favorites. A few weeks ago my son mentioned Bacon Wrapped Chicken. It hadn't been spoken of in years and I'd totally forgotten about it! I haven't been able to get it off my brain since then.

Last night I had everyone here for supper. Speckled butter beans, rice and.... Bacon Wrapped Chicken!! Mmmmmmm. It was everything I remembered!

Easy Party Chicken

4-6 boneless chicken breasts
dried beef - 1 jar
1 carton sour cream
1 can cream of celery/or chicken/or mushroom soup
1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. instant chicken bouillion
butter

Butter casserole dish and line bottom with dried beef. Wrap chicken breasts in bacon slices and place on the dried beef. Sprinkle with chopped onion.

Mix soup, sour cream worcestershire sauce and instant bouillion. Pour over chicken and spot with butter.

Cook uncovered at 275 degrees for 3 hours or shorter time with higher heat. It will be lightly browned on top. This can be frozen ahead of time and then cooked.

Cheese-topped Lemon Chicken Breasts

I got inspired this week and decided to try another new recipe. Once again from Simple & Delicious, this one was submitted by Renee Mitchell of McChord AFB, WA. My husband seemed to like it well enough and I loved it! I will definitely make it again. I used chicken tenders rather than breast halves, “lite” butter & soy sauce and substituted 2% “Fiesta Blend” cheese (from WalMart).

Cheese-topped Lemon Chicken Breasts

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz. each)
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. butter
¼ cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
¾ cup shredded Colby cheese

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown chicken in butter on both sides over medium heat. Sitr in lemon juice and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 4-5 minutes or until meat juices run clear.

Remove from the heat. Sprinkle each chicken breast with cheese. Cover and let stand for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Yield: 4 servings.

Recipe Rehash - Chicken Bundles

This recipe, contributed to Quick Cooking (now Simple & Delicious) by Jo Groth of Plainfield, Iowa, has always been a favorite with my family. Now that I'm no longer a vegetarian, it's become a favorite of mine, too!

CRESCENT CHICKEN BUNDLES

2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted, divided
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup crushed seasoned stuffing croutons

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, chives, milk, salt and pepper until smooth. Stir in the chicken. Unroll crescent roll dough and separate into eight rectangles; press perforations together. Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto the center of each rectangle. Bring edges up to the center and pinch to seal. Brush with remaining butter. Sprinkle with crushed croutons, lightly pressing down. Transfer to two ungreased baking sheets. Cover one baking sheet and freeze until firm; transfer squares to a covered container. May be frozen for up to 2 months. Bake remaining squares at 350F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. To use frozen squares: Thaw in the refrigerator and bake as directed. Yield: 8 servings.

Recipe Rehash

This is a recipe that I always knew I would like. I've prepared it quite a few times since I stopped being a vegetarian, including this past weekend.

Oven Barbecued Chicken

1 (2-1/2 to 3-pound) broiler- fryer chicken, cut up
(I use 4 or 5 boneless chicken breasts)
1 cup unsifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted (I use butter)
1/4 cup chopped onion (I use 1/2 to 3/4 cup)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup catsup
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup lemonjuice from concentrate
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In paper or plastic bag, combine flour and salt. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time; shake to coat. Place in greased 13x9-inch baking dish; drizzle with 1/4 cup butter. Bake 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, cook onion and garlic in remaining 2 tablespoons butter until tender. Add remaining ingredients; simmer uncovered 10 minutes. Pour over chicken; bake 30 minutes longer or until tender. Refrigerate leftovers.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Leftovers are good to chop up, heat in the microwave then serve as a sandwich (either closed or open-faced)

Recipe Rehash

Yahoo 360, my original blogging site, is finally shutting down for good. I’ve transferred all the content from my blog there to my Yahoo profile. However, the transfer process didn’t include the tags or highlighted posts. I had a number of recipes posted which are now harder to find without the tags. So, I’m going to begin posting periodic “Recipe Rehash” entries until all those that include recipes have been moved to this blog. Here’s the first:

I use to prepare this all the time when my kids were little, but had totally forgotten about the recipe until today. I had all the ingredients on hand, so I made it for supper. When I don't have fresh rosemary available, I substitute dried. Also, I prefer to use the smaller chicken tenders rather than chicken breasts.

BALSAMIC GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 boneless, skinned chicken breasts (4 ounces each)

1. Combine vinegar, olive oil, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper in medium-size bowl. Add chicken breasts. Marinate, covered, in refrigerator 30 minutes.

2. Broil chicken in preheated broiler 6 inches from heat for 8 minutes or until cooked through, turning once.