Shortcut Week Day 3: Mexican Tortilla Soup

My mom knows I love to cook so when she tries a new recipe that they love, she sends it along. This soup is one of hers. She said "I liked it because it doesn't take very long to prepare - just open the cans and heat!" It kind of resembles one of those 8-can soups but it is Mexican flavored!

All you need is 5 cans (chicken broth, corn, black beans, refried beans, chicken), a jar of salsa, some pre-shredded Mexican cheese, and cumin from your spice cabinet. It is so easy, how can you not make it?

Mexican Tortilla Soup (from my mother)
Ingredients:
1 cup salsa (I used medium, but adjust to your desired heat)
15 oz can corn, drained
15 oz can chicken broth
15 oz can fat-free refried beans
15 oz can black beans, un-drained
10 oz can chicken, drained
2 tsp cumin
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
For serving: tortilla strips or chips, sour cream.

Directions:
Combine the salsa, corn, broth, beans, chicken, and cumin in a large pot. Heat over medium low until hot, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in cheese. Top with tortilla strips and sour cream, if desired.

Serves 4.

Shortcut Week Day 1: Chicken Salsa Casserole (Slow Cooker)

Are you ready for another theme week?

You know those days when you are just crazy busy. Those times when you just need a shortcut. You must use pre-canned, pre-packaged, pre-cooked things to make your "home-cooked" meals. Otherwise there is no way you will get dinner on the table before 9 pm. It could be that you aren't running from one place to another but you are just feeling lazy. Maybe you don't want to wait for the yeast to rise, or maybe you don't feel like making your own stock, or maybe the thought of standing over the stove stirring risotto makes you want to cry.

Everyone has those days. And it is those days that we are celebrating this week. These dishes are meant to be the ones that you can turn to in a pinch. They promise to bring you the flavor and finesse without the time or work. All you'll have to do is recruit someone to wash the dishes and you will be in the clear.

We'll start the week off using my favorite kitchen appliance, the slow cooker. This chicken salsa casserole has actually been in my recipe box since college. My sister found it in a book (or maybe got it from a friend) and passed it on to me so I'm not really sure where it originated. If you have some diced chicken leftover from a night earlier in the week, this is super easy. Choose your spice level by varying the salsa. This was a hit among my college friends and I'm sure it will be a hit for your friends and family. Just don't tell them how simple it is!

Chicken Salsa Casserole in the Slow Cooker
Ingredients:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups salsa (I used medium)
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
6 corn tortillas, torn into pieces
2 cups diced cooked chicken breast
1 tsp dried parsley
For topping: diced tomato, sour cream, lettuce

Directions:
Combine the soup, salsa, cheese, tortillas, chicken, and parsley in your slow cooker. Mix to combine. Cook on low 6-8 hours (it can potentially go for 9 hours but I wouldn't let it go much longer unless you can change it to warm after the 6 hour mark).

Serve garnished with tomato, sour cream and lettuce.

Serves 4.

Mini Buffalo Chicken Muffins

I told you that I was traveling a lot this fall for job interviews. And I started 2014 with another trip. This one for a scientific conference. Traveling can completely exhaust you because you are not on your normal schedule and you are living out of suitcases and you are not sleeping in your own bed.

I have concluded the thing that will make or break my travel is not the delayed flights, nor the eating out so often, nor the lack of a DVR for my normal TV shows. No, it is the heater or air conditioner in the hotel room. I LOVE a new hotel that has renovated and installed real thermostats. The ones that you can set at a temperature and they will only kick the heat on if necessary. I HATE the old heaters that are either on or off with no real control of the temperature, hot or hotter or cold or colder. When I was on this last trip, this was completely cemented in my mind. It was cold in the mountains of New Mexico so I turned on the heater in my room (low and towards the hot). I fell asleep for a few hours to awake in a completely dry heat where I couldn't breathe. So I flipped the heat off, chugged some water, and climbed back into bed. I awake after another hour or so completely freezing! I tried and tried to adjust the temperature to get a happy medium but to no avail; I was stuck every night jumping up to either turn on or off (multiple times) the stupid heater.

Ah well. It just makes you appreciate your own home so much more. I am thankful that I do not travel all of the time. I love my comfy pillow top bed and thermostat that keeps it a perfect 66F so I can cuddle under my blankets and sleep.

Enough of the story time, Julie; get on to the food! Today we are making and eating delicious mini buffalo chicken muffins. Technically I made them for a party a few months ago, but give me a break okay? I just told you had been traveling a lot. But really, you need to make these. Like today. Or maybe on February 2nd for the Super Bowl. They are perfect buffalo chicken bites--- loaded with buffalo sauce, blue cheese, and green onions. Make sure you follow the instructions and wait until they have rested for at least 15 minutes before you try to remove them from the pan. They need to set otherwise you will make a disaster in your kitchen. And I'm not volunteering for clean-up duty!

Mini Buffalo Chicken Muffins (adapted from The Noble Pig)
Ingredients:
3 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, finely diced
3/4 cup buffalo sauce
1/4 cup ranch dressing
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 oz blue cheese crumbles
1 celery stick, minced
3 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
4 tbsp chopped green onion (just green part)
1 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray mini muffin pan(s) with cooking spray.

Mix together the chicken, buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, cream cheese, blue cheese, and celery until completely combined. Note: this will be easiest if the cream cheese is at room temperature.

Mix together the panko, parmesan cheese, and green onion. Drizzle in the melted butter and mix with a fork until all of the breadcrumbs are moistened.

Scoop rounded tbsp of the panko mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup. Press down with your fingers, making a crust. Spoon a rounded tbsp of the chicken mixture into each cup. Sprinkle with additional panko mixture.

Bake about 25-30 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and cool in pan for at least 15 minutes to let set. Gentle lift each muffin out of the pan.

Make 48 mini-muffins.

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

Boy it is getting hot out there.

Today we had a high of 22 F!! That is practically Caribbean weather, right? Well, at least relative to the high of -11 F with a windchill of -45 F on Monday. Yeah, it was really cold.

And when you are really cold, you need a chili to warm you up. Here is one of my favorites. It is a white chicken chili packed full of flavor after cooking all day in your slow cooker. The leftovers are perfect reheated or repurposed into nachos or a salad, so make the whole batch, ok?

Now I'm off to resume my comfy place on my couch with my slippers, blanket, and a mug of steaming hot cocoa. I'm not leaving until the weather warms to at least freezing.

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili (adapted from Fix-it and Forget-it)
Ingredients:
1 lb dried great northern beans
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 1/2 cups diced bell peppers (I used a combination of red, yellow, and green)
2 jalapeno peppers, diced (I seeded one and left the other with seeds, but adjust for your desired spice)
1 medium onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
4 cups chicken broth (homemade or low sodium store-bought. If using store-bought, omit salt)
2 cups water

Directions:
The night before, rinse and pick over the northern beans. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Let soak overnight.

The morning of, drain the beans. Place them back in the saucepan and cover again with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain the water.

Mix together the beans, chicken, peppers, onion, garlic, cumin, salt, broth and water in the crock of your slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours (or high 4-5 hours). Stir and season with additional salt and pepper as desired.

Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheese, Greek yogurt or sour cream, or additional garnishes as desired.

Makes 8 servings.

Chicken Gyro Lettuce Wraps

You know how some days you feel like you are running around like a crazy person? That you keep doing lots of work but somehow it feels like the to-do list keeps growing and never shrinking? What happens when that is your life for months on end? Does that just make you a crazy person?

Hi, my name is Julie and apparently I am a crazy person.

At least I still make (sometimes) and eat (most of the time) yummy food. Very rarely lately do I share it with you, but what can I say? I'm a crazy person. Enjoy these quick and easy chicken gyro lettuce wraps. They'll make you feel a little less insane.

Chicken Gyro Lettuce Wraps (adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup shredded cucumber
1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1/8 cup chopped fresh basil
1/8 cup chopped fresh mint
1/8 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/8 cup chopped fresh chives
1 lemon, juiced
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 boneless skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper
Romaine hearts, for serving
Chopped pepperoncini and tomatoes, for serving

Directions:
Place the cucumber in a colander and generously salt. Let rest for 10 minutes and then press out the liquid. Add the cucumber, yogurt, fresh herbs, 1/2 of the lemon juice, 1 clove of garlic and 1/4 tsp cumin to a food processor. Puree until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Combine the other half of the lemon juice with the other clove of garlic and about 1/8 cup oil. Mix in the paprika, oregano, coriander, and 1/2 tsp cumin. Place the chicken in the marinade and toss to coat. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Heat a grill over medium-high heat. Shake of any excess marinade. Cook, flipping halfway through, for about 10 minutes until cooked through. Slice into pieces.

Serve the chicken on top of the romaine hearts garnished with pepperonicini, tomatoes, and cucumber sauce.

Serves 2.

Chicken Tikka Masala (Slow Cooker)

Probably at least 7 out of 10 people who you ask their go-to Indian dish will answer chicken tikka masala. In my opinion, it is the gateway Indian food. No matter where you get it, you know it will be yummy. There is just something about that creamy, spicy (although not too hot) tomato sauce that is perfect to lap up with naan. I had been wanting to make this at home for awhile and when I stumbled across a version for the slow cooker, I knew this would a great place to start. Since it is in the slow cooker, the chicken basically falls apart so, as you can see below, it resembles a pulled chicken more than the typical chopped chicken. But don't let that scare you away. It is exactly what you were dreaming of... or at least what I was dreaming of.

I served it with some cooked rice and naan bread. My only regret- I didn't have time to make my homemade naan. Ah well, next time, for sure.

Chicken Tikka Masala (adapted from Table for Two)
Ingredients:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken (combination of breast and thigh or whichever you prefer)
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
29 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups fat free plain yogurt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tbsp paprika
pinch of kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 bay leaves
1 cup half and half
3 tbsp cornstarch

Directions:
Combine the onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, yogurt, oil, garam masala, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper and CRP in the crock of a slow cooker. Nestle the chicken into the sauce and make sure it is completely covered. Place the bay leaves on top of the sauce.

Cook on low for 8-9 hours, turning to warm after that time if you aren't ready to eat. 30 minutes before the meal, whisk the cornstarch into the half and half and mix into the crockpot. As you mix, gently shred the chicken with the spoon. Cook on high for about 20 minutes.

Serve hot with cooked rice and/or accompanied by naan (homemade if you have time!).

Serves 4-6.

Garlic Chipotle Chicken Tacos

Squirrels.

They are quite funny creatures, right? You'd be hard pressed to find a college campus (at least the ones that I have been to) that is not crawling with the little guys. Somehow squirrels are afraid of people yet seem to long to be around them.

We used to have this one squirrel on Hope College's campus that didn't have a tail. We called him squabbit because he looked almost like a rabbit. The squirrels on Duke's campus were not quite as noticeable to me-- probably because I didn't walk through the quad often. But since I've been back to the midwest, I've been observing quite interesting behavior from the squirrels. One of my first times through the quad, a squirrel was sitting on this girl's lap. No joke, she was sitting on a bench feeding a squirrel while her friend took a picture. Crazy. Today I was walking between buildings and a squirrel noticed me walking by and became as still as a statue while giving me the stink-eye. Why do the squirrels love campuses so much?

Maybe it is the food. There is always someone eating something while walking through campus. Plus there are lots of garbage cans for them to play around with... 

Anyway, I'm not sure how the squirrels will feel about these garlic chipotle chicken tacos but I'm guessing you will like them. They make a great summer night meal-- charred peppers and onions on top of flavorful grilled chicken. 

Garlic Chipotle Chicken Tacos (adapted from Cooking Light June 2012)
Ingredients:
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
1 tbsp canola oil
1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (or you can use chicken breasts)
freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp chili powder
1 small red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 small red onion, sliced
6 corn tortillas
shredded lettuce

Directions:
Combine garlic, chipotle pepper and 1/2 tbsp oil in a small bowl. Rub evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.

Preheat indoor or outdoor grill. Grill chicken for about 6 minutes, flipping halfway through, until cooked through. Remove from grill and keep warm.

Combine 1/2 tbsp oil, chili powder and freshly ground pepper in another bowl. Toss with the bell pepper and onion to coat. Place the vegetables on the grill and cook for about 5-6 minutes until soft and charred.

Thinly slice the chicken. Serve the tortillas topped with chicken, vegetables and shredded lettuce.

Serves 2.

Chicken Week- Day 5- More leftover chicken ideas!!!

Are you looking for additional leftover chicken recipes? Visit the Recipe Archive and scroll to the Chicken and Turkey section. Or click the label chicken under any of the recipes this week. To help guide you, I have made some suggestions below:

Chop it and toss it on top of a salad (caesar, greek, kale, taco) for a quick and easy refreshing summer meal.

Alternatively bake it into an enchilada (buffalo, traditional, or creamy avocado).

Chicken soups are always great for leftovers (chicken noodle soup or chicken and bean soup).

Do you need something quick and easy? Make yourself a quesadilla or mix it with some marinara sauce and serve over pasta.

Of course, pot pies are always a good choice.


As always, I'm a recipe collector and food blog reader so I've put together a little list of what I want to make with my next set of leftover chicken. Maybe you'll like them too?

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup by Iowa Girl Eats
Chicken Broccoli Casserole Cobbler by A Cozy Kitchen
Buffalo Chicken Pull-Apart Bread by BevCooks
Thai Chicken Pizza from Better Recipes
BBQ Chicken Calzones by How Sweet Eats
Pesto Chicken Salad by Pass the Sushi


Do you have any go-to recipes for leftover chicken? Leave me a comment below with suggestions or links to recipes. I'd be happy to test them out! 

Chicken Week- Day 4- Buffalo Chicken Salad

Let's be honest. Did you really think I could make it through a week of chicken without throwing in some buffalo sauce? Of course not! I know that I already posted the best chicken salad but this one is giving it a run for its money. Creamy buffalo and yogurt sauce with crunchy carrots and celery. Plus blue cheese.

Sign me up.

1 million times over.

Buffalo Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1 celery stalk, diced
4 baby carrots, thinly sliced
1 green onion, diced
1/8 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2-2 tbsp buffalo sauce


Directions:
In a bowl, toss together the chicken, celery, carrots, green onion, and blue cheese. Mix together the yogurt and buffalo sauce in another bowl, then pour over the chicken mixture and stir together.

Serve as a sandwich or wrap with lettuce and tomato. Or serve on crackers or pita chips. Or eat with a spoon. No judgement here.

Chicken Week- Day 3- Barbecue Chicken Pizza

You know what's funny?

When you are driving home after a long day at work with the radio on and the windows rolled down. You pull up to a stoplight behind another car and the people in it are rocking out to the same song that is blaring on your radio. Like all out dancing in the car.

Now I don't judge. And especially not people who are having fun and enjoying life, but this sight just started me laughing-- down to the depths of my belly laughing. I giggled the rest of the way home. It was probably so humorous because I could imagine myself in that car with any of my good friends doing the exact same thing. I never realized how ridiculous yet care-free we looked to the world. Ahh... the memories.

This bbq chicken pizza is almost as care-free as dancing in the car to your favorite song. Well, it certainly it super easy.... especially when you have leftover chicken in the fridge. This last time I made pizza dough, I used a combination of bread flour with whole wheat and rye bread (2 cups, 1 cup, 1 cup). The nuttier flavor of the dough worked perfectly with the bbq chicken.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza
Ingredients:
1/3 cup diced cooked chicken
2 tbsp barbecue sauce of choice
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, plus more for serving
1 green onion, sliced, white and green parts separated
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/5 homemade pizza dough (or single serving storebought pizza dough)
shredded parmesan, for serving

Directions:
Thaw frozen pizza dough in the fridge over the course of the day.

Preheat oven to 500 F. Place a baking stone or upside down baking sheet in the oven during the preheating process.

Remove the dough from the fridge and place the ball on a clean surface and cover with a damp cloth. Let sit for 10-30 minutes while the oven reaches temperature.

Mix together the diced chicken, barbecue sauce, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper and white part of the green onion.

Stretch the dough into a flat shape. Remove the baking stone from the oven and place the dough on top of it. Quickly spread the barbecue mixture over most of the dough; top with the cheese.

Bake for 7-8 minutes until crust is golden and cheese is hot. Remove and top with green parts of onion, additional CRP and parmesan cheese. Let cool 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Serves 1.

Chicken Week- Day 2- The Best Chicken Salad

I really meant to post everyday this week. That's part of the reason I decided to do another theme week. But yesterday afternoon I had to leave work because I was not feeling well. That meant I spent the remainder of the afternoon asleep on my couch before crashing for the night in my bed. That also meant that I didn't open up my computer to finish this post and tell you about "the best chicken salad". Sorry!


We've had the miracle whip vs mayonnaise discussion before. The last time I fell into the miracle whip category while I was enjoying my tuna salad. However, now we're talking chicken salad and I'm switching camps to mayonnaise. Like I always am with food, I appreciate it all. There is a time and a place for them all... aka the time and the place for Reeses pieces is whenever and where ever I can get my hands on them and the time and the place for Sprite Zero and saltines is when I'm sick and laying on my couch...

In order to make the best chicken salad, mayonnaise is essential. Plus you need a tart apple and some walnuts for texture. And dried cranberries to sweeten it. A little bit of lemon juice and salt and pepper and we are rocking. It is best served on a croissant but unfortunately I couldn't find any in my grocery store's baked good section so I went with a whole wheat ciabatta roll. The recipe below is for about 1 serving; you can definitely double it or quadruple it to make enough for the family. Because of the apple and my desire to not eat soggy walnuts, I suggest making it fresh on the day you are going to serve it. The leftovers are okay but definitely not the best anymore.

The Best Chicken Salad*
Ingredients:
1/2 cup diced cooked chicken
1/3 granny smith apple, diced
2 tbsp craisins
1 tbsp diced green onion
1 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 1/2 tbsp light mayo
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the chicken, apple, craisins, green onion, and walnuts. Squeeze the lemon juice over the mayo and mix. Pour the dressing on to the chicken mixture and stir until coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve on your bread of choice.

*In my opinion

Chicken Week- Day 1- Lemon Pepper Chicken in the Crockpot

Hello and welcome to my second theme week on the blog! We're talking chicken this week. First we're going to cook a whole chicken* and then make a lot of yummy things with the leftovers. How about it?

When you are in grad school, you learn a lot of things... You learn the subject you are studying (chemistry!). You learn that research is a roller coaster ride that can make or break your happiness on a daily basis. You learn how to deal with people, including bosses. You learn how to write papers and theses and scientific documents.

You also learn important things. Like never ever cook bone-in chicken for a significant other if you don't know they like it. My good friends and lab mate had this boyfriend that cooked her bone-in chicken for her birthday one year and it did not go over very well. You see, she just doesn't like eating chicken off of the bone. From then on, I'm also careful to make sure that I understand who I'm cooking for and what they like whenever I invite someone for dinner. I don't want anyone to leave my house grossed out by what I'm serving.

So for everyone except Leigh, here's a delicious recipe for a whole chicken in the crockpot. It is simply seasoned with lemon and pepper. After cooking all day, it literally falls apart when you remove it from the crock. Cook it up, serve it with some roasted potatoes and a spinach salad. Then make sure to pick off the rest of the meat, we'll be using it later this week. Save the bones to make some chicken stock as well.

Lemon Pepper Chicken (adapted from The Little Kitchen)
Ingredients:
4-5 lb whole chicken, gizzards removed
1 tsp white pepper
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 lemons-- 1 quartered, 1 zested and halfed
2 carrots
3 celery stalks
3 garlic cloves

Directions:
Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Stuff the quartered lemon into the cavity of the chicken.

Mix together the white pepper, kosher salt, paprika, onion powder, freshly ground pepper and lemon zest. Rub into the skin of the chicken.

Place the carrots, celery and garlic in the bottom of your crockpot. Place the rubbed chicken on top of the vegetables. Squeeze the juice of the halved lemon over the chicken.

Cook on low for 8-12 hours.

Pull chicken out of crockpot carefully and remove meat from the bones. Make sure to save extra chicken meat for leftovers!

*If you feel even lazier than throwing this whole chicken into the crockpot for the day, pick up a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store.

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

Hello?

Hi?

Hey there?

OH, HELLO!


I heard you calling me but I just couldn't get to you. I'm sorry. I promise I wasn't standing you up. I just had prior commitments (aka work related things) that were taking up my every waking moment. Truthfully, I have lots to be doing right this minute, but I've been slacking on this part of my life for too long... umm hello? 3 posts in March and I'm just getting a 4th April post in on the last day. Don't worry though. I haven't been surviving solely on coffee and popcorn (although they have been staples in my life), I've still been cooking lots of yummy dishes. You just wait. You'll see.

Exhibit A: buffalo chicken enchiladas. I mean, should I really say more? You should already be slipping on your shoes and heading to the store for supplies. As always, buffalo anything rocks my world. Let it rock yours too.

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas (adapted from How Sweet It Is)
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (breast and/or thigh)
1/2 cup finely diced orange pepper (or yellow or red)
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
10 oz can red enchilada sauce
1/2 cup buffalo sauce
3/4 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola (or other blue cheese)
6 flour tortillas (I used whole wheat)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Coat a 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray.

In a small bowl combine the enchilada and buffalo sauces. In another bowl, combine the chicken, pepper, red onion, 1/4 cup Monterrey Jack cheese and 1/4 cup gorgonzola. Add about 1/3 of the enchilada sauce and mix completely.

Pour a small amount of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Fill each tortilla with a few tablespoons for the chicken mixture and roll, placing in the dish seam side down. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas and top with the rest of the Monterrey Jack.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and top with the rest of the gorgonzola cheese. Garnish with additional parsley and red onions and sour cream.

Serves 2-3.

You say hello and I say goodbye.... just hopefully for not as long this time.

Tex-Mex Rice and Black-Eyed Peas with Chicken Sausage

My mother has ingrained in me a love of buying things on sale. She is not as cray-cray as those people on Extreme Couponing but she certainly appreciates a coupon, a BOGO, a clearance rack, or a rebate in any form. My dad likes to laugh (I think he has to laugh so he doesn't get frustrated) that she always has to make sure she spends enough at Kohl's to get her Kohl's bucks to come back and purchase more. I'm like my mom in many ways and I'm glad to have at least half her enthusiasm for a good deal.

When I'm planning on my meals for the week, you will find me perusing the Meijer ad and examining the Mperks coupons in order to save myself a little green. This is especially important for household things such as swiffer refills and laundry detergent as well as protein! Meat and tofu can be so expensive and if I'm planning a meal around a particular protein, you're gonna beat that I'm looking for it to be on sale. Sometimes the schedule may not be flexible enough, but I do stock up my freezer with chicken breasts, pork loins and fish when they are discounted.

Last week, Mperks had a coupon for these bad boys:

Chipotle Chicken Sausages!

I decided I would give them a whirl. When choosing for what to use them, the chipotle made me automatically gravitate towards Tex-Mex. I threw them into this southwest-style version of rice and beans. I've made the rice and black-eyed peas recipe without any sausage and it can certainly hold up as a vegetarian or vegan option. The chipotle sausage just added an extra little kick. This is a quick and easy meal that I would definitely recommend. :)

Tex-Mex Rice and Black-Eyed Peas with Chicken Sausage (adapted from Food Network Magazine)
Ingredients:

1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh salsa, plus more for serving
1/4 tsp ground cumin
14 oz can black-eyed peas, drained
1 cup water
1/2 cup cooked white rice
2 chipotle chicken sausages, sliced (optional, do not use for vegetarian/vegan)
2 cups fresh baby spinach
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
sour cream, for serving

Directions:
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the salsa and cumin and cook while stirring until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas, water, rice, and sausage (if using). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are creamy and tender, about 15 minutes. Stir the spinach and parsley in the pan until wilted, about 1 minute.

Serve garnished with additional salsa and sour cream.

Serves 2-3.

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

Brrr it's cold in here.
There must be some Torros in the atmosphere.
O E O E O.
Ice ice ice.

Seriously ice ice ice; today has a windchill of -7. NEGATIVE SEVEN. I almost froze off my toes, fingers, nose, and ears walking into work from my car today. And I was wearing a scarf, hat and mittens. Yeah. Brrrrr cold. It is days like today that I miss North Carolina winters. I long for lows in the 20-30s and varied elevations that can block some of the wind.

Days like today also make me want hot, steaming soup. Good thing I made this chicken noodle soup last week so I had leftovers to warm up for lunch today. It helped warm my core (although my extremities are still feeling phantom breezes).

The best thing about this recipe is that it is quality comfort food. Not only is the weather in full winter force, but many people have been succumbing to the flu. This will remedy both those things. I know when you are sick you have no desire to be cooking anything, but this is perfect because even your significant other with no kitchen experience can whip it up in a heart beat. I used leftover chicken thighs from a recipe I was testing for a fellow blogger last week. You could certainly use a precooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Or just quickly boil a few chicken breasts and throw those in. To make it even more simple for your loved one to wait on you, they could pick up prediced onion, carrots and celery.

Do it! Your body will thank you.

Chicken Noodle Soup (adapted from a recipe card from Kroger)
Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1 tbsp flour
4 cups vegetable stock (homemade) or low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1/4 tsp salt, more to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper, more to taste
3 tbsp pearled barley
1 1/2 cups chopped, cooked chicken thighs and/or breasts
3 oz whole wheat spaghetti noodles, broken in half
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Directions:
Heat oil in a large pot oven medium high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and saute for about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and mix to coat. Whisk in broth and water. Add salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the barley, bring back to a boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the barley is tender. Add the chicken and noodles. Bring back to a boil and cook 8-10 minutes until noodles are cooked completely and chicken is hot. Stir in parsley. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, as desired.

Serves 4-6.

Chicken Quesadillas

You know the song that goes:

"See, I've been waiting all day
For you to call me baby
So let's get up, let's get on it
Don't you leave me brokenhearted tonight"

It's on the radio ALL
                                THE
                                       TIME.

When I first heard that song, I totally thought it was a sequel (are there sequels to songs?) to "Call Me Maybe". I wanted to say, you only said to call you maybe, why are you waiting up for him to call you?

Now if you know music better than me, you know that these songs are performed by two different ladies, but still, did anyone else feel this way?

Anywho.

I do enjoy a quesadilla-- warm cheesy goodness. You can make one with whatever filling you prefer; today we're doing chicken, ok? I like to eat the cut quesadillas as doctored up chips layered with lettuce, salsa and avocado. They are quick and easy and perfect for any lunch or dinner.

So I'll be waiting for you to call me maybe?

Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients:
For the quesadillas:
1 small chicken breast*
1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil*
1 tbsp taco seasoning (homemade + 1 tbsp cornstarch, or storebought)
1/4 cup water
4 8 inch flour tortillas (I used whole wheat)
2/3 cup shredded cheese (I used four cheddar blend)
1/4 cup diced green chilis from the can

For serving:
chopped lettuce
chopped tomato
chopped avocado
chopped red onion
chopped peppers (jalepeno and bell)
sour cream or Greek yogurt
salsa

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken, lower the heat to medium, and cook for about 2-3 minutes until browned on the bottom side. Flip the chicken over and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until browned. Cover the skillet and cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 4-5 additional minutes. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and coarsely chop. Return the chicken to the pan and add the water and taco seasoning (including cornstarch if it is homemade). Bring to simmer and allow the flavors to meld together for 2-3 minutes.*

To assemble the quesadillas, lay two of the tortillas on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle about 1/3 cup shredded cheese over each of them. Add the about 1/8 cup green chilis over the cheese, spreading out with a spoon. Then top each with half of the chicken mixture. Cover with the other tortillas.

Bake for 5-8 minutes until the cheese is melted. Turn on your broiler and broil until the tops are golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.

Serve the quesadillas topped with a salad of lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, peppers, sour cream and salsa, as desired.

Serves 2.

*If you want, you can substitute leftover chopped chicken instead.

Boneless Buffalo Wings

Show of hands:

Who loves Bdubs?

Who loves a boneless buffalo wing?


Well, for one two-- my parents. They are kinda regulars at their local Buffalo Wild Wings. I accompanied them once when I was visiting and the waitress brought over their diet cokes as soon as they sat down; they also proceeded to show her pictures of their grandbaby, my niece.

My mom bought one of their bottles of sauce and they tossed it with some grilled chicken to get their flavor fix at home. Sounds good, right? I think so. However, when they were visiting last my dad mentioned how he wished they could get the breaded boneless buffalo wing taste using the sauce without just simply dipping a chicken nugget into the sauce. Oh, I said, that's easy. Just make "the crunchiest baked chicken nuggets of your life" and substitute in your desired sauce for the egg white.

So they went home, tried it out, and reported back yummy success. Of course, I had to reproduce it in my kitchen. And now we have unanimous positive votes.

So do it up. Pick up your fav bottle of buffalo wing sauce (doesn't have to be from Bdubs) and start creating. A plus is that they are baked instead of fried (aka totally healthy).

Serve with some ranch or blue cheese dressing and carrot and celery sticks, turn on a football game and you'll forget you're at home.

Boneless Buffalo Wings (adapted from The Crunchiest Baked Chicken Nuggets)
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch pieces

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

dash of salt

1 tbsp peanut oil (or other vegetable oil)

1/2 cup flour 

2-3 tbsp buffalo sauce 
1 tsp water

Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Spread panko on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown, approximately 6 minutes. Transfer to a shallow dish and stir in salt.

Whisk together the buffalo sauce and water. Place the flour in a shallow dish.

Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and lightly coat with cooking spray.

In batches, coat the chicken in flour, shaking off the excess, dip in buffalo sauce and then coat with panko, pressing to adhere. Place on wire rack.

Bake until the chicken in cooked through, 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Serves 4.

P.S. Next time I'm making these into a buffalo chicken salad. Or maybe a buffalo chicken wrap. SO MANY CHOICES! :)

Chicken Shawarma in the Slow Cooker

I must warn you that this is not really "traditional" chicken shawarma. If you look up shawarma on the trusty Wikipedia, you learn that it is an Arabic preparation of meat that requires long grilling times on a spit. Contrary to what you might think, I do not not have a spit in my apartment, so there was no way I was going to be able to pull that off. Instead I turned to my beloved slow cooker to cook the chicken in a variety of spices for the length of a day. I think the resultant dinner was quite delicious, but I'm not really sure how it compares to the Arabic preparation...

My only other experience with chicken shawarma was a wrap at one of the campus dining establishments at Duke; it was seriously garlicky and peppery chicken coated with a creamy sauce. This dish is nothing like that. Although I must admit, I like them both. This recipe will allow to stand close to someone and even kiss them after the meal (the one from the dining hall not so much).

So for authenticity I'm turning to my sister. I'm hoping she will read this (hi Lisa!) and make the dish. She lived for two years in northern Africa so she's had some "real" shawarma. Let's hope she makes this and likes it (and that it has some resemblance of what she had over there).

For this dish, I would definitely encourage making the sauce to go with it and topping with the cucumber and tomato. It cools the spices and gives a little crunch. And if you have leftovers, I would suggest keeping the sauce separate from the chicken and bringing them in little tupperwares to assemble during your lunch break. That's what I did and it tasted just as good the second (and third) day.

And for certain, if you have the time, make yourself some homemade pita to serve this with; it's worth it :)

Chicken Shawarma (adapted from The Homestyle)
Ingredients:
For chicken:
4-5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp seasoning salt
5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

For sauce:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/8 cup tahini
2 tbsp diced onion
juice from 1/2 lemon

Diced tomatoes and cucumbers, for assembly
Pita bread (homemade or store bought)

Directions:
Place the chicken thighs in the bottom of your slow cooker. Add in the broth, olive oil and lemon juice. Top with all of the seasonings and garlic. Stir to mix. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Make the sauce by combining all the ingredients and mixing completely. Refrigerate until ready to use.

When the chicken is cooked through, use two forks to shred it in the crockpot. It should soak up the sauce.

To assemble, spread about 1-2 tbsp sauce on the inside of each pita. Top with the shredded chicken and diced tomatoes and cucumbers.

Serves 4-6.

Creamy Chicken and Avocado Enchiladas

So my parents stopped by on their way back home this past weekend. I emailed them a couple of options for dinner and they chose enchiladas. I spotted this creamy avocado enchilada recipe on one of my favorite blogs and I knew it was the one. Plus avocados were on sale this week at the grocery store! I wouldn't suggest making it unless avocados are on sale because you're going to need three big ones. Unless of course, you are not a poor postdoc and can afford to purchase full price avocados whenever you please; then by all means, rub it in and make this recipe whenever.

You may recall my last enchilada post. I actually repurposed the leftover verde sauce that was taking up space in my freezer. Now you have my apologies that both of my enchilada recipes thus far are so similar. In all honesty, I do enjoy a red sauce enchilada or a veggie enchilada or a plain old cheese enchilada, really just about any enchilada. My go-to order at a Mexican restaurant is their platter of multiple enchiladas.... love, love, love. Mmm. Now I want a variety of enchiladas.

Anyway, back to the recipe at hand. I will no longer need to be apologizing when you actually consume this dish. It is sooooooooooooo good. My parents agreed 100%. The enchiladas are creamy, cheesy and delicious. I'm not sure I have enough words to describe how much we enjoyed them.

My only complaint with this recipe was the leftovers. The avocado chunks did not do so well in the microwave. So if you are making this for 2-3 people, I would suggest cutting the recipe in half, unless you have some very large appetites. I still consumed the leftovers and I predict they may be better if I reheated in an oven, but I didn't have that option at work.


Here's the full baking dish:

Here's what one enchilada looks like:

Creamy Chicken and Avocado Enchiladas (adapted from Closet Cooking)
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken (You can use breasts or thighs or a combo)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
1 cup salsa verde (store bought or homemade)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 jalapeno (with or without seeds, depending on your heat threshold)
1 tsp ground cumin
juice from 1/2 lime
salt and pepper, to taste
3 avocados
8 8-inch flour tortillas
chopped parsley (or cilantro), for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.

In the bowl of your food processor, combine the salsa verde, sour cream, chicken broth, water, jalapeno, cumin, lime juice and 2 of the avocados. Pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the shredded chicken in a large bowl. Add about half of the avocado cream sauce and 1/2 cup of each cheese. Dice the last avocado into bite sized pieces and add that to the bowl as well. Mix to combine.

Coat the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with more of the avocado cream sauce. Scoop 1/8 of the chicken mixture into the center of each tortilla and roll up. Place seam side down into the baking dish. Once all of the enchiladas are rolled, pour enough avocado cream sauce to completely cover the top of the tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of each cheese on top evenly.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbling and the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and garish with chopped parsley or cilantro. Serve hot.

Spinach and Pepper Jack Stuffed Chicken Breast

Sometimes I feel like I'm a pre-teen girl stuck in a late 20s body:

          1. I love Taylor Swift music.
       
          2. I CANNOT WAIT for the release of Breaking Dawn Pt 2 (Check out the trailer here). Oh my,
              November 16 cannot come soon enough. Who wants to go with me so I'm not the creepy old lady
              surrounded by the kiddos? Although, are they going to fight at the end? WHAT?! How different is
              it going to be than the book? Don't worry, I'll report back. ;)

          3. I am looking forward to the new season of Vampire Diaries on CW.

          4. Sometimes when I'm at the library I peruse the teen books looking for vampire (are you sensing a
              theme?) and alternate world (like Hunger Games) books. And then I read them. And enjoy them.

          5. Holding hands is my favorite form of physical affection.

          6. I'm an over-liker on Facebook. Yes, I will like your wedding photos, the pictures of your adorable
              little children, your announcements of exciting news, your funny quotes, and your random status
              updates. Even when I haven't had a real conversation with you in quite some time. Every now and
              then I'm tempted to like those sad or frustrated statuses because I want you to know that I saw it
              and I'm thinking of you. Of course I don't because then you'd think I was a sadist or something.

          7. I rely on the show Boy Meets World for true life lessons.

OMG.

Please don't judge me.

K?

Thanks.

You are totally my BFFs in cyber world.

Alas, there are a lot of things about me that do not coincide with a pre-teen girl. Like the fact that I drink cups of coffee to keep me going everyday. Or that I sit at home on Friday nights knitting and watching movies by myself. Or that I can't get myself out of bed 30 minutes earlier each morning to style my hair just so. Or that making new creations to stuff inside chicken breasts makes my heart do a cartwheel, jump up for a toetouch, and land down in a pretzel (of course, my body cannot do those things anymore without significant repercussions). These pepper jack and spinach stuffed chicken breasts did just that.

Try them... whether you are an old soul or young-at-heart. I think you'll like them.

Spinach and Pepper Jack Stuffed Chicken Breast
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2-3 handfuls of fresh spinach (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup freshly grated pepper jack cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup flour (whole wheat or all-purpose)
6 tbsp 100% egg white egg beaters (or 2 egg whites)
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top of it.

Pound the chicken breasts until they are very thin. Cut each breast in half for more manageable sizes.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and cook while stirring until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and chop coarsely. Combine the spinach with the cheese in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper as desired.

Place the flour, egg whites and panko in three separate shallow bowls. Place quarter of the spinach mixture on each of the chicken breasts and roll up, securing with 2-3 toothpicks. Working one at a time, roll the chicken in the flour, followed by the egg whites and finally the panko. Place on the prepared rack. Spray each chicken with cooking spray.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until browned and the cheese is melted.

Serves 3-4.