Chicken Francese (Lemon Chicken)

Sometimes you look at the chicken and potatoes in front of you on the counter and you just feel uninspired and unmotivated. If I'm not careful, that will end up as a trip to Taco Time, so usually I try to plan my meals at least a week ahead of time (which also makes for faster shopping trips and less $ spent). Sometimes that still leaves me uninspired, or with a recipe that takes more time than I am willing to spend, so I'll browse pinterest, which is where I found this recipe. I've made it a couple of times now, and it's definitely a keeper.

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast
1-2 Tlbs whole wheat flour
1 egg white, beaten
olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tlbs white wine vinegar
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 Tlbs whole wheat flour
fresh ground black pepper
1 Tlbs fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp coconut oil*

Directions:
Slice the chicken breast in half by laying it flat, putting your hand on top of the chicken breast, and using a sharp knife to carefully slice the chicken horizontal to your hand. This will give you two thinner slices of chicken (cutlets). Put the flour in one small bowl and the beaten egg whites in another bowl. In a third bowl, put the lemon, white wine vinegar, chicken broth, 2 Tlbs whole wheat flour, black pepper, parsley and coconut oil. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat, with a small amount of olive oil (if necessary). When the pan is hot, dip the chicken in flour, then in egg white, then saute it for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan, and pour in the lemon mixture. Heat it, stirring constantly, until it starts to thicken, then add the chicken back into the pan for a minute or two. Serve by putting the chicken on a plate and spooning a small amount of sauce over the top.

*the coconut oil can be switched out with butter...melt the butter first if you use butter. There is absolutely no coconut taste if you use coconut oil instead and it tastes just as rich.

This is really good and very light. It's even better served with these roasted potatoes (which I've also modified slightly). I changed her recipe a little bit - reduced it by fourths (her recipe is for 12 cutlets), replaced the white wine with white wine vinegar, cut out the salt, cut down the amount of lemon, cut out the lemon slices altogether, and replaced the butter with coconut oil. I like lemon, but this was really strong the first time I made it. It is important to do all the prep first, because this only takes a few minutes from start to finish, once you put the chicken in the pan.

Rating: 5/5
Why? It's fast, easy, light, and filling.

Balsamic Vegetables and Meatballs

I've never been a huge fan of meatballs, and after a recent attempt to make burgers, I've realized that I am no longer a huge fan of raw beef either, but this recipe looked good and I thought I would give it a try anyway. It was definitely worth it, although I will be making a few changes to the original recipe (from Clean Eating, naturally).

Ingredients:
2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
1 onion, cut into wedges
1 small pkg of lean ground turkey
1 egg white
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp onion powder
2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
olive oil (or coconut oil*)
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp dried thyme
2 Tlbs balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Heat the oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and spray it with olive oil. Spread the bell peppers and onion on the baking sheet, and bake for 40 minutes, until the edges are slightly blackened. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the turkey, egg white, pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and rosemary. Form into small (1 inch) meatballs. In a large skillet, melt 1 Tlbs of coconut oil over medium oil, then saute the meatballs one batch at a time, until browned and cooked all the way through (mine took about 6-7 minutes). Remove the meatballs from the heat, but leave the pan on medium. Add mushrooms and thyme to the skillet and saute the mushrooms until they are golden brown (mine took 3-4 minutes). Turn off the heat and add the vinegar, then add the meatballs back into the pan. When the bell peppers and onions are done, add them in the mixture as well, and toss everything together. Serve warm.

The original directions included a yellow summer squash which I ended up disliking, so I left it out of the recipe above. It also called for this to be served over pasta, but I didn't like that either. It also called for fresh thyme, but I forgot to buy it. Heh. I used turkey instead of beef and to make up some of the flavor, I added the garlic and onion to the meatball mixture.

This was a pretty good recipe and actually came together pretty quickly. The meatballs totally made this though, they were amazing, if I do say so myself. I had some issues with splatter in the pan, and they were shaped more like pyramids than balls, but they tasted fantastic.

*I started using coconut oil and I really like it. We'll see how it goes.

Rating? 4/5
Why? it does take a while to make this, because of roasting the peppers and onions, but it is still good.

Asian Chicken Salad Pitas

This is the time of year when I have a really hard time staying focused. There are only about 35 days of school left, it's almost May, the weather is warming up, and I am ready for a vacation. On top of that has been some added challenges this year - a new co-worker who requires some extra management, and my co-teacher took maternity leave so I've been supervising two new teachers for the last few weeks. Add to that my general unenthusiasm about cooking in general, and it's been a rough haul. I was (as always) finally inspired by Clean Eating, and picked this week's recipes entirely from that magazine.

Ingredients:
1 Tlbs natural peanut butter
1 Tlbs low-sodium chicken broth
1.5 tsp apple cider vinegar
1.5 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp tamari soy sauce
a pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tsp black sesame oil
1 chicken breast, cubed and cooked
1 green onion, chopped
1/4 cup diced cucumber
1 small carrot, grated or matchsticked
1 Tlbs chopped cilantro
whole wheat pita pockets

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. In a medium sized bowl, toss the chicken, green onion, cucumber, carrot and cilantro. Drizzle the sauce over the top, then toss it together. Serve in warmed pita pockets.

I'm not a huge fan of cucumber (I've tried to like it, really!) but this was pretty good. I think it would be even better chilled, so I'm going to bring it for lunch tomorrow. It comes together fairly quickly, and would be a 5 minute meal if the prep work was done ahead of time. This made enough for about 4 small pita pockets.

The original recipe called for cashew butter (expensive) and I added the black sesame oil because the sauce seemed a little bland, but other than that the recipe is pretty close to the original.

Rating: 4.5/5
Why? Cucumbers. Nice crunch, but I just don't like the flavor. =(

Asian Noodle Veggie Bowl

A few months ago, I stumbled across the Minimalist Baker (thanks Pinterest!) and fell in love with her recipes, her photography, and the good food. I don't love everything - she's vegan and I am most definitely not - but I do like that her goal is to use as few ingredients as possible and I appreciate the effort she puts into creating really great, healthy, filling food. This recipe popped up a few months ago, and it joined the many other recipes of hers on my pinterest page, until I decided to try it this week. Holy Deliciousness, Batman. This is going in the permanent rotation!

Ingredients:
Thin rice noodles*
1 chicken breast
green onions
1 med-lg carrot
several basil leaves**
2 tsp sesame seeds
(Dressing Ingredients)
1 Tlbs black sesame oil
1 Tlbs honey
1 Tlbs peanut butter
2 tsp tamari soy sauce
1 tsp-ish of lime juice
1/4 tsp chili sauce
1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger

*I bought these at Uwajimaya. I can't read the instructions. But it's cool. =) These would work too, and you can get them at most traditional grocery stores. Use about a handful.
**I have a deep and abiding love for basil, and I usually triple it, at a minimum. I used probably 10-12 large leaves for this recipe.

Directions:
Heat up the grill, and put the chicken on it when it's hot. While it is grilling, boil some water and put the rice noodles in a dish that is deep enough for them to be covered. When the water is boiling, pour the water over the top of the noodles and without stirring, let them sit for 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the carrot into matchsticks and chop the basil. Then whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside. By this time the chicken should be done, so let it rest, then cube it. By this time the noodles should be cooked, so rinse them with cold water and let them drain. This recipe makes two servings, so split the noodles, carrots, basil, chicken and green onions between the two bowls. Drizzle the dressing over the top of the ingredients and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

This is DELICIOUS and super fast. If I hadn't had to cook the chicken, it would have come together in ten minutes, a lovely end to a really busy day. In addition, it was really filling and tasted great. I didn't deviate much from the original recipe, but it would be delicious with edamame or fresh snow peas. In addition, I added sesame seeds to the recipe above because I thought it sounded good, but it wasn't part of the original recipe and I didn't put them in this time.

Rating? 5/5
Why? Fast, healthy, and delicious. Perfect.

Turkey Burger

This is what I made to go along with the baked rosemary fries.

Ingredients 
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 egg white, slightly beaten
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried basil

Directions
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Form into 4 patties and grill 4-5 minutes until done.

Rating? 4.5/5
Why? The really lean turkey just doesn't taste the same as beef, but it is healthier and it was pretty good.

Baked Rosemary Fries

Oh my word, this has been a hellacious week. I have never doubted my abilities as a teacher more than I am right now, and I actually searched for "jobs to do with a teaching degree" on google. Turns out, I'm out of luck. At times like this, I have the unfortunate tendency to find comfort in food, which is one of the reasons for this blog. I seem to want burgers and fries, comfort food, when my life just sucks, and these fries are actually quite good, while still being at least better for you than regular fries. Original recipe from Minimalist Baker. 

Ingredients:

4 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes

2 Tlbs olive oil

fresh rosemary, stripped and chopped

salt and pepper

Directions:

Cut the potatoes into roughly similar sized strips. Soak them in warm water for 15 minutes. Take them out and dry them thoroughly using a paper towel or hand towel. Heat the oven to 450. Put the potatoes in a bowl with a tight fitting lid and drizzle them with the 2 Tlbs of oil, and about 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper, then shake thoroughly until potatoes are well coated and salt and pepper is evenly distributed. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil, and spread the potatoes on them in a single layer. Cover with tin foil, then bake for 5 minutes. Take the tin foil off and bake for 15 minutes more. Take the pan out, flip the fries over with a spatula, and put them back in for 10-15 minutes. Watch them carefully, as they will burn quickly. After removing them from the oven, sprinkle with rosemary and more salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. 

I actually drained my fries for about 5 minutes while I got my burger ready because they were a little oily for my taste. But they were pretty good. I have tried making fries before, and these were pretty nice and crispy. Soaking them definitely makes a difference. The rosemary is good too. Minimalist Baker added garlic to hers, but I wasn't feeling up to it, so I left it off. 

Rating: 4/5

Why? It takes 45 minutes to make these, start to finish, so it is a little time consuming, and I don't love heating my oven that high, but they were pretty good. 

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

It has already been well established that I like pumpkin, and fall flavors, and fall in general, so it was only a matter of time before this happened. I saw this post on pinterest, and then another recipe showed up in a friend's instagram feed, and combine that with a clean house and being ALMOST caught up on grading, and well, it will be a happy day at school tomorrow. The recipe was based on the link above, but I did make some changes.

Cookie Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tlbs cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cardamom
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1.75 cup pumpkin puree (1 15 oz can)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Icing Ingredients:
1 8 oz package of neufchatel cheese, at room temp
1 stick of butter at room temp
2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tsp vanilla
1-2 tsp cinnamon (to taste)

Directions:
Mix dry ingredients (from flour down to cardamom) together in a medium sized bowl. In a large bowl, beat the remaining cookie ingredients together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients slowly, mixing just until incorporated. Spoon cookie batter into 2 inch circles on a non-stick pan, making them relatively flat. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes*, then let cool for 1-2 minutes before removing them from the pan. Let them completely cool before frosting. To make the icing, mix the ingredients together and beat until smooth. If the icing is too sticky, add milk, a tsp at a time until the consistency is correct (you should be able to easily spread it without tearing apart the cookies, but not so runny it will all run off). Frost the flat side of  a cookie, then put another cookie on top to make a sandwich. Best served chilled, if you can resist.

*Her recipe said 14 minutes, and another recipe said 12. I have dark non-stick pans, and checked them at 8 minutes, and they were perfectly done. I didn't use evoo. Check on them and test with a toothpick. Doneness will depend on how thick your cookies are, and how hot your oven runs. Like a cake, the cookies should not have any raw material in the middle, and to keep them from burning or getting at all brown on the edges or top.

These are quite delicious. I grew up on chocolate whoopie pies, which are a Mennonite tradition and have been around long before becoming trendy in the last few years. These have a distinctly different flavor, but are still very good. I adjusted the spices from her recipe to intensify the flavor and I really like it. Thank goodness I work with a bunch of teachers, there will be no problem getting rid of these tomorrow. =) One other thing, I ended up with quite a lot of frosting left over. I think I used more than half of the frosting, so I didn't want to cut the recipe in half, but just be aware.

Rating - 4.5/5
Why? Delicious, but multistep processes and a lot of ingredients make it a less than simple recipe.