Skillet Greek Chicken

This recipe is from Mr. Food's Quick & Easy Diabetic Cooking. I got the cookbook when I was pregnant with Ryan and developed diabetes. What I most remember is that the first copy I had of this cookbook went up in flames when I set it on a stove burner I didn't realize was on. There were enough recipes we enjoyed that I bought another copy. I know that I made this recipe several times but don't remember it being quite so good. Maybe my cooking skills have improved in seven years. The only change I made was using chicken tenders (the only kind of chicken I had in the freezer) instead of a whole chicken, cut up.

Skillet Greek Chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 chicken (3 pounds), cut into 8 pieces and skin removed
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (I used more)

1. In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon parsley, the oregano and pepper; mix well. Add the chicken and turn to coat evenly.
2. Heat a large skillet over high heat and brown the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side; then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon each of lemon juice and parsley and the feta cheese; cover and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the cheese softens and the chicken is no longer pink.

5 servings

Healthy Chicken Saltimbocca

Rob and I recently went up to Kohler for a overnight vacation. At dinner, Rob struggled with what to have, a steak or chicken saltimbocca. He opted for the steak, as did I, and it was a great dinner. Back home, in one of the cookbooks I've been using a lot, I found a recipe for chicken saltimbocca and decided to make it. While different than a traditional saltimbocca, it was so yummy. Again, another recipe that will made again. Although, next time I will use fresh chicken breasts. I usually use the frozen ones but those tend to vary in size and thickness. Using fresh would have helped in making the rolls more uniform.

Chicken Saltimbocca

CHICKEN ROLLS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
4 thin slices turkey ham (I have no idea what turkey ham is, could not find it in two different stores and so I used turkey bacon)
4 slices reduced-fat Swiss or Provolone cheese
1 tomato, chopped
SAUCE
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fat-free chicken broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons dry sherry or apple juice

1. To make the chicken rolls: Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Place each breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Working from the center to the edges, pound lightly with the flat side of a meat mallet or small skillet to an even thickness 1/8" thickness. Remove the plastic wrap.
2. For each roll, place 1 slice of turkey ham and 1 slice of cheese on each chicken breast. Top with one-quarter of the chopped tomato. Fold in the long sides of the chicken and roll up from a short side, jelly-roll style. Secure with wooden picks.
3. Coat a large skillet with nonstick spray and warm over medium-low heat. Cook the chicken rolls, turning occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the meat is no longer pink and they are evenly browned. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm.
4. To make the sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the broth and cook for 5 minutes.
5. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, salt, sage and sherry or apple juice. Add to the pan and stir until bubbly. Add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes, spooning the sauce over the chicken.
6. Place a chicken roll on each serving plate. Spoon the sauce over the rolls and serve.

4 servings

Italian Beef

A new recipe and, much to our delight, a really great dinner. I took this recipe from the Sandra Lee cookbook. As I was marinating it, Rob metioned that we once said we wouldn't use flank steak again because it's so tough and hard to chew because it's such a lean meat. Well we definitely make this again. Rob grilled it and it was wonderful, so flavorful and not tough at all. I think it was because the marinade that is used it very thick and tenderized the meat. So, all in all, Rob, Ryan and I loved it and it will make appearances regularly.

Italian Beef

1 1/2 pounds beef flank steak
1 1/2 cups tomato basil pasta sauce
1/2 cup light Italian salad dressing
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup red wine
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
Grilled green and/or red bell pepper wedges, optional
Grilled onion slices, optional

1. Rinse steak under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a large zip-top plastic bag.
2. For marinade, in a bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce, salad dressing and garlic. Add to zip-top bag with steak. Squeeze air from bag and seal. Gently massage bag to combine ingredients. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 8 hours.
3. Set up grill for direct cooking over high heat. Remove steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Oil grate when ready to start cooking.
4. Remove steak from zip-top bag; discard marinade. Place steak on hot oiled grill. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes per side.
5. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a small saucepan, combine remaining pasta sauce, wine and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Serve with steak. Serve steak with grilled peppers and onions, if desired.

6 servings

A Family Favorite Returns

I'm so glad I brought out the More Healthy Homestyle Cooking cookbook after who knows how long. I'd forgotten just how many recipes we really like from it. I have been making the Sesame Chicken since Ryan was a little. My husband loves it, Ryan will gobble it up and I've made it for company too. It's fairly simple, really only requiring a couple ingredients that some people might not keep on hand. My only changes are that I usually use more chicken than called for, double the dredging mixture and for each batch, add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the pan. I've found that just using the cooking spray tends to burn the chicken more. Although it adds a little more fat, the olive oil gives the chicken a great golden outside.

Sesame Chicken

1/4 cup unbleached or all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 2"-4" strips
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1. In a shallow dish, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and shake off any excess.
2. Coat a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and warm over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet in batches and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until white and no longer pink. Transfer to a plate.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Combine the soy sauce and sugar in the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the oil and sesame seeds. Add the chicken and chives. Toss and serve immediately.

Hint: To toast sesame seeds, place in a dry skillet and toast, shaking the pan, over medium-high heat for a minute or so or until fragrant and lightly browned. If you do this first when the chicken is cooked in the same skillet, it picks up more sesame flavor.

4 servings

Another New Recipe

Last night I tried another recipe from Sandra Lee's Cooking Made Light cookbook. Originally it was on last week's menu but after realizing I had no Marsala wine or white wine the dinner became just plain roasted pork. I'm glad I picked up that wine this week because this dinner turned out very good. We are mushroom lovers, as it probably obvious by now, but most recipes you can leave them out. You either love 'em or despise 'em.

Pork Marsala

1 pound pork tenderloin (I used a 1 1/2 pound tenderloin and ate the leftovers for lunch)
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
Olive oil cooking spray
1/4 cup Marsala wine (or white wine although it will alter the taste)
2 cups presliced mushrooms
1/2 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup light roasted garlic balsamic salad dressing (unable to find this I ended up using a light Italian salad dressing)
Hot cooked spaghetti, optional
Fresh oregano sprigs, optional

1. Rinse tenderloin under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Trim any fat and silver skin from pork. Slice into 8 pieces. Using the smooth side of a meat mallet or a small pot, pound pork pieces to a 1/2-inch thickness. Sprinkle both sides of pork pieces with Italian seasoning.
2. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until cooked through. Transfer pork to a platter; cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
3. Add Marsala wine to skillet and deglaze by scraping bits from bottom of skillet. Add mushrooms and garlic. Cook and stir on medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and salad dressing; bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until mushrroms are tender. Reduce heat and return pork to skillet. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes or until heated through.
4. Serve with hot cooked spaghetti and oregano, if desired.

4 servings

Just Because

Sometimes I get the urge to bake for no reason. I was flipping through the new Bon Appetit magazine and came across this recipe. I just had to make it right away. Rob and I each had a slice and I saved some for the boys and the rest went to work today. Last I checked it was almost gone. A definite keeper recipe.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake (Bon Appetit April 2010)

`

CAKE

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 3/4 cups boiling water

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 1/3 cups mayonnaise (do not use reduced-fat or fat-free)

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

`

FROSTING

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

`

1. CAKE: Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour three 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch high sides. Combine chopped chocolate and cocoa powder in medium metal bowl. Add 1 3/4 cups boiling water and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

2. Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder into another medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat both sugars and mayonnaise in large bowl until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with chocolate mixture in 3 additions, beating until blended after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Divide batter among prepared cake pans (about 2 1/3 cups for each).

3. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 30 to 32 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 20 minutes. Run small knife around sides of cakes to loosen. Carefully invert cakes onto racks and let cool completely.

4. FROSTING: Place chopped chocolate in medium metal bowl; set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Carefully remove bowl from over water; let melted chocolate cool until lukewarm, stirring occasionally.

5. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth and creamy. Sift powdered sugar over butter and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add melted chocolate and beat until well blended and smooth, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.

6. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over top of cake layer to edges. Top with second cake layer; spread 3/4 cup frosting over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting decoratively over top and sides of cake. Cut cake into wedges and serve.

`

10 to 12 servings

Pretzel-Crusted Chicken

Last night's dinner was a new recipe from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade: Cooking Made Light. Everyone was very interested when mommy put a bunch of pretzels into a bag and then crushed them with a meat mallet. Even Rob was excited for them. And they did turn out pretty good. I think I overcooked them a little as I was running around trying to get Maddie's dinner ready and Aidan's dinner ready. But overall we liked them. I wasn't too sure about the honey mustard sauce as I was making it but it turned out good. Ryan passed on the sauce and used barbecue instead but Rob, not really a mustard person, used the homemade sauce. Definitely will make this again.

Pretzel-Crusted Chicken with Honey Mustard Sauce

4 cups unsalted tiny pretzels, crushed

4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch-thick strips

3/4 cup honey Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons chicken broth

1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. Put crushed pretzels in a pie plate; set aside.

2. Brush both sides of chicken pieces with 1/4 cup of the honey mustard. Press chicken into crushed pretzels to coat. Place on the prepared baking sheet.

3. Bake chicken in preheated oven for 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

4. Meanwhile, in a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup honey mustard, chicken broth and Italian seasoning. Microwave on high setting (100% power) for 1 minute or until heated through. Serve with chicken.

4 servings