Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

One of our favorite dishes at PF Chang's is the lettuce wraps.  They are so flavorful and refreshing, we can never get enough of them.  This homemade and entirely different recipe is just as flavorful and refreshing.  We all (kids most definitely included) scarfed them down and then wished there were more.  What I loved most about these was how simple they were to prepare, there's really only about 4 main ingredients and chances are you probably have most of them on hand.  I'm sure there far more than that in a PF Chang's knock-off.  Which means this version is a totally doable last minute week-night meal.  Perfect, fast, and healthy for busy summer nights.  Enjoy!

Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps
{Adapted Recipe from She Wears Many Hats. com}


For stir fry sauce:  (which I doubled and didn't regret one bit)
2 T soy sauce
1 T rice vinegar
1 T brown sugar
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t ground ginger (fresh would work well also-maybe 2 teaspoons worth?)
1 t sesame oil (I'm not a huge fan of sesame oil, so I only do a couple drops)

For Cashew Chicken:
2 chicken breasts, diced
3 T veggie oil
1 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t soy sauce
1/4 cup cashews, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4-1/2 cup water chestnuts, diced
optional: shredded cabbage
Several leaves of greenleaf (our pick) or iceburg lettuce

For sauce:  Mix all ingredients making sure to dissolve brown sugar.  Set aside.

For cashew chicken:
Heat oil in pan over med-high heat.  Add diced chicken and brown (4-5 minutes).  Remove chicken from oil.  Add onions, garlic, 1 t soy sauce to pan (and shredded cabbage if using); brown.  When mixture is brown and tender, add stir fry sauce, browned chicken, cashews, and water chestnuts.  Saute a few minutes.  To serve:  Spoon chicken mixture onto individual lettuce leaves, may add some hot sauce (sririachi), more cashews, and maybe even some cilantro is desired.  Roll up and eat--kind of messy, definitely awkward, but oh so worth it!

Chicken Scallopine

Question: Have you discovered the amazingness of capers in your life? If you have you will automatically love this meal and if you haven't this, in my humble opinion, is the best dish to expand your horizons. Capers are delightful little flavor bombs. A little salty, a little pickle-y, and downright wonderful. Add to them golden crispy chicken, tender noodles, a little cream, a little garlic, and a lot of lemon and you have easily one my top 10 meals. Food is a glorious thing is it not?

Chicken Scallopine

{Based on a Pioneer Woman recipe}

4 chicken breasts, cut in half and pounded thin

Garlic Pepper

Black Pepper

Flour

Olive oil

1 cup chicken broth (or white wine)

1/2 cup cream

1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional-you'll see I didn't have any on hand in the above picture, but they are yummy)

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 generous T capers with a little of their juice

1/2 a lemon+, juiced

salt and pepper to taste

hot cooked linguine noodles

freshly grated parmesan cheese

Note: the above amounts are rough guesses, I generally just throw things together and taste as I go until it's how we like it. good luck with that!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Get noodles going.

In large heavy skillet over med-high heat, heat a few Tablespoons of olive oil. After chicken is halved and pounded thin generously season both sides with garlic pepper and fresh ground pepper. Lightly dredge each piece in flour and brown in pan. You want a nice golden crust, so don't move the chicken around once it's placed in the skillet. Leave it alone for 3-4 minutes and then turn over for the same amount of time. Place browned chicken cutlets in a baking dish and pop uncovered in the oven to finish cooking through while moving onto the sauce.

Splash a little chicken broth into browning skillet to start the deglazing process and stop the little bits from burning. If needed add a little more olive oil and then quickly cook garlic (approx 30 seconds) until fragrant, being careful not to burn. (If using mushrooms, now's the time to saute those for a couple minutes). Add remaining chicken broth and scrape the pan to loosen up any bits. Add cream, capers, and lemon juice. Let cook down for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper, taste and adjust adding more seasoning or lemon juice or capers until it's flavored to your liking.

Once noodles are cooked and sauce is ready, remove chicken cutlets from the oven. Plate some noodles, top with 1 or 2 chicken cutlets, spoon some sauce over, and sprinkle grated parmesan over all. Take one bite and die of bliss!

Stromboli & 5 Minute Marinara Sauce

This meal is right up my family's alley. We like to dip, we like bread, we like cheese, and we like easy. The stromboli is made with rhodes bread dough, but you could easily use your own bread dough and it would be divine. For ease of prep though, you can't beat rhodes. The filling can be tailored to your likes, we chose ham and pastrami. Next time I think some spinach would be terrific. And for a vegetarian version a combination of onions, mushrooms, spinach, and peppers would be yummy. So versatile.

The marinara literally comes together in 5 minutes and it is gooood. Perfect for dipping and I'd imagine great over noodles. Can't beat that! A delicious meal that will be gracing our table often.

I also happen to think this would be a yummy and easy to transport take-in meal. Just add a veggie or salad and plenty of the dipping sauce and they'll definitely thank you!

Stromboli

{Note: I made 2 of for our family of 4 and we had enough for some nice leftovers, 1 wouldn't have seemed like quite enough for us.}

1 loaf of rhodes bread dough (not rolls)

4+ slices pastrami (or hard salami)

1/2 cup diced ham

4+ slices provolone cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella (as always I recommend grating your own)

1/4 t oregano

1/4 t basil

Olive oil for brushing

Water for sealing dough if needed

Cornmeal for dusting

Let bread dough thaw on counter, not raise just thaw completely. Once thawed, stretch and roll into a good size rectangle. It's pretty finicky, but just keep at it. Lay pastrami slices down the middle, longways, of dough leaving a little bit of uncovered dough on either end. Sprinkle diced ham on top. Sprinkle with oregano and basil. Layer on provolone slices and sprinkle with mozzarella. Fold one half of dough over and then the other half (it's like folding a piece of paper into thirds with the middle third holding the filling-if that makes sense?!) and seal with water if needed. I used a fork to seal the seam and both ends. Flip over and place on cookie sheet lined with silpat. Brush with olive oil and dust lightly with cornmeal. Place in preheating 375 degree oven for 20-22 minutes, until golden. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing into 1-2 inch thick slices. Serve with marinara sauce.

5 Minute Marinara Sauce

2 T olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 t red pepper flakes

1 T tomato paste

1 28-32oz can crushed tomatoes

1 tsp italian seasoning

salt and pepper

Add olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes to pot. Cook briefly over medium-high heat, don't let garlic burn. Add 1 T tomato paste and stir. Add crushed tomatoes and italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper to taste and let simmer for 5 minutes. Done!

Both recipes from The Sister's Cafe.com

Thin Crust Cheese Pizza

Wowsers, this was such a great recipe! I'm a huge thin-crust pizza fan, but have yet to find a good at-home thin crust pizza dough recipe, until now.

I loved that you can make this dough up to 3 days ahead of time and that it freezes beautifully. The one potentially tricky thing is that you do need to make it at least 24 hours ahead of time. So it's not a same day recipe, but if you plan your menus for the week or know a day or 2 in advance of when you're making it, it's really quick to throw together and stick in the fridge and then get on with your planned dinner for that day. The idea behind the long and refrigerated rise time (plus the use of ice water as opposed to warm water), is that the less quickly it raises and the more minimal the volume of rising that occurs the thinner the crust will be. It works!

Now normally I like a lot of stuff on my pizza, plenty to entertain my palette. But when I saw the picture of this plain cheese pizza on Annie's Eats, I knew I just wanted pure, unadulterated cheese pizza. No frills. And it delivered! So satisfying despite the lack of toppings (although it would be a great candidate for any toppings one might hope for). And the pizza sauce was fantastic too. We ate it twice in a week's time!

Thin Crust Cheese Pizza

{Recipe from Annie's Eats. Do plan ahead as the dough needs to raise at least 24 hours and as much as 3 days. Dough Yield's 2-13 inch pizzas, Sauce-plenty for up to 4 pizzas and it's freezer friendly just like the dough, yay!}

Crust:

3 cups bread flour

2 t sugar

1/2 t instant yeast

1 1/3 cups ICE water

1 T veggie oil

1 1/2 salt

Sauce:

1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, drained

1 T olive oil

1 t red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 t salt

1 t oregano

1/4 t ground black pepper

Topping: (Note: In this instance it's better to grate your own cheese fresh, no pre-grated. It will melt way better)

Olive oil, for brushing

1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella (the softer the better, I usually go for the ball of mozz. as opposed to the brick)

To make the dough, combine flour, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a food processor*. Pulse just to combine. With machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube and process just until dough is combined and all dry ingredients incorporated, about 10 seconds. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

Add oil and salt to the dough. Process until the dough forms a smooth, tacky ball that clears the sides of the bowl, 30-60 seconds. Remove from the bowl and knead for about 1 minute on a lightly oiled work surface. Transfer to lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for at 24 hours and up to 3 days. (If planning to freeze, after the initial 24 hours at least of refrigeration time is the time to do this--note to follow)

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend briefly till smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use. (Leftover sauce may be frozen for later use)

One hour before baking the pizza, remove dough from fridge and divide in half. (This is the time to wrap and freeze dough for another time. Just wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer bag for later) Form each half into a ball and place on lightly oiled baking sheet, spray dough balls with cooking spray, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit at room temp for 1 hour.

To assemble pizza, place pizza stone or sheet on second highest rack position in oven. Preheat oven to 500. Transfer dough ball to a well floured work surface. Flatten into an 8 inch disk. Using hands or rolling pin gently stretch and roll into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a well-floured and large cutting board (something that will be easy to slide the made pizza off of and onto the hot pizza stone waiting in the oven). Lightly brush all around the outer edge with olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup + pizza sauce over dough. Sprinkle evenly with grated parmesan and shredded mozzarella cheeses. Carefully transfer to the preheated baking stone or sheet. Bake until the cheese is bubbling and slightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Let cool 3-5 minutes before slicing and serving.

*A stand mixer may be used, just keep in mind the idea is to avoid warming the dough so it will be thin after baking.

Maple Brown Sugar Ham {Crock Pot}

And now a recipe a day for the most pleasing meal one could hope for AKA Averett Christmas 2011 Meal run down...

Juicy, flavor-filled, super easy, delciousness that's what this is. Ham slow cooked in the perfect combination of pineapple juice, real maple syrup, and brown sugar. Nothing more.

Maple Brown Sugar Ham {Crock Pot}

Recipe by Mels Kitchen Cafe

6-8 pound ham (this can be bone-in or out spiral cut or not, any kind will work, but if using solid non spiral cut ham I suggest cutting into quarters so juices can touch as much meat as possible)

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

2 cups pineapple juice

Place ham in a large crock pot. Mix brown sugar, maple syrup, and pineapple juice and pour over ham. Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours. An hour before serving I recommend removing ham, cutting it into slices, and then back into crock pot to soak up those amazing juices. Slice and serve.

Cheesy Basil Stuffed Chicken

This picture is disgusting but this dish is absolutely not! If you want a very appetizing picture click here. Otherwise just know that this was a winner. Juicy chicken is stuffed with delightfully creamy mozzarella and fresh basil and then slathered with mayonnaise and sprinkled with fresh bread crumbs, hence the juicy-ness. And as if that isn't enough you then dot the entire pan with grape tomatoes, that roast along with it and create the most wonderful flavor combination in your mouth once you dig in. Oh my yum! This is the main dish I served alongside Wednesday's recipe: Roasted Garlic & Cauliflower Pasta. The perfect duo. That Mel really knows a good recipe when she sees one!

Cheesy Basil Stuffed Chicken
{Only slightly adapted from Mels Kitchen Cafe}

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (please shred your own! it melts so much better)

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 T heavy cream

1 T fresh lemon juice

3 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper or season-all

4-6 boneless chicken breasts, cut in half (it's better if these aren't super thin)

3 T+ (I used more) mayonnaise

1 cup fresh bread crumbs (pulsed mine in the food processor)

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 T olive oil

1 pint grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes (if using cherry's that are on the bigger side, cut in half)

kosher salt and pepper

Adjust rack to middle position and heat oven to 425. In a medium bowl combine the mozzarella, 2 T minced basil, cream, lemon, juice, 2 t minced garlic, 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper.

Cut a pocket in each piece of chicken, season chicken inside and out with with salt and pepper OR season-all and stuff each piece with cheese mixture. You want it in there pretty good without a bunch hanging out, it's good if it's somewhat "closed". Place stuffed chicken in a greased 9x13 baking dish and spread the tops evenly with mayonnaise. This is what helps them to stay moist and give them a bit more flavor so I say be fairly generous.

In a separate bowl combine fresh bread crumbs, remaining garlic, remaining fresh basil, 1.4 cup of parmesan, and 1 T olive oil. Sprinkle crumb mixture over chicken, pressing lightly to adhere. Toss grape tomatoes with remaining tablespoon of oil, 1/4 t kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Arrange tomatoes in the baking dish around the chicken. Bake until crumbs are golden brown and the chicken is cooked through, about 25-30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Note: Can be ahead. Assemble chicken and slather on mayo. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook. Then add bread crumb mixture and tomatoes and bake.

Thai Chicken Pizza

Another out of the ordinary pizza combo. Thai food is so amazingly delicious and as it turns out thai flavors on a pizza are pretty darn good too. This was delightfully different. My son who strangely doesn't like pizza (tell me-what boy doesn't like pizza?!) rolled his eyes when we sat down to this meal. But we have a must-taste rule at our dinner table and before I knew it he was chowing down and going back for seconds and thirds and exclaiming "this is so good Mom!". Take THAT non-pizza lover! I found myself sneaking another piece after the kids went to bed-but hey, at least it wasn't my usual chocolate. A word to the wise-this can be a bit spicy, but just skip or tone down the red pepper flakes and you should be good. We liked ours with the heat though.

Thai Chicken Pizza

{Recipe from Tasty Kitchen Blog}

1 batch of favorite pizza dough, thinner crust is best in this case

Cornmeal for sprinkling pizza stone/pan

1/4-1/2 cup thai sweet red chili sauce (found mine in specialty asian section store)

1 whole shallot, thinly sliced

1/2 whole zucchini, thinly sliced

1 t or less red chili flakes

1 cup cooked shredded chicken (I simmered mine in chicken broth with a dash of curry powder)

2/3 cup shredded mozzarella (grating your own is always better for the melting factor)

A small handful of finely chopped peanuts

2 T fresh cilantro

2 T fresh basil (thai or otherwise)

Preheat your oven to 500 and roll or shape/stretch dough until 1/4 inch thick. Place dough on pizza stone, pan, or cookie sheet that has been lightly sprinkled with corn meal. (I usually spray first with cooking spray). Spread a thin layer of sweet chili sauce over pizza dough. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Layer on shallots, zucchini, and chicken. Spread shredded mozzarella evenly over entire pizza. Place in oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until cheese is golden and crust is lightly golden. (Keep a good eye on it, as ovens may vary). Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped peanuts, cilantro, and basil. Slice and serve.

Shredded Southwest Beef Tacos {Crock Pot} w/ Chipotle Coleslaw

These tacos were a delightful little addition to our taco repertoire. I usually lean more towards the chicken variety, but every now and then it's nice to have some beef and one of the great things about these, aside from the crock pot of course, is that they make a large quantity of southwest flavored, shredded beef that I imagine could be easily frozen and used in any number of other applications. Homemade baked taquitos, smothered burritos, quesadillas, or some seriously filling nachos come to mind. But what I loved the most about them was the cool, smoky chipotle flavored coleslaw to serve on top. I loved how the crispy, cool, creamy coleslaw offset the warm, somewhat spicy beef. A fabulous texture party going on in my mouth. I definitely recommend trying these and loving all the left over meat options you'll have because of it.

Shredded Southwest Beef Tacos {Crock Pot} w/ Chipotle Coleslaw

{recipe from Cooking like a Champion via Smitten Kitchen}

3 pounds beef brisket or bottom round Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed 1 spanish or yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced 1 tablespoon chili powder 2 teaspoons ground coriander 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1 1/2 cups water 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole peeled or petite diced tomatoes, with their juices 1 to 2 whole canned chipotle chiles in adobo 2 bay leaves 1/4 cup molasses (optional, I left this out-thought it sounded kinda gross) To serve: Corn or flour tortillas Chipotle Slaw, recipe follows Season all sides of beef roast with salt and pepper. Heat veggie oil in skillet on med-high heat just shy of smoking. Sear meat on all sides. Place in slow cooker. To drippings in pan add garlic, onion, chili powder, coriander and cumin and stir until fragrant about a minute. Add vinegar and scrape up bits from bottom of skillet. Stir in water, tomatoes (crushing them if using whole), chipotles, and bay leaves. Pour all of the mixture over meat in slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Shred beef and add back into crock pot juices a little while before serving. Serve on tortillas topped with chipotles coleslaw. Chipotle Coleslaw 2 t finely chopped canned chipotles in adobo 1/2 cup mayo 2 T honey 1 T fresh lime juice 1/2 pound (about 2 cups) shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion Combine chipotle, mayo, honey, and lime juice in large bowl. Add cabbage and onions, tossing to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sweet Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin {Crock Pot}

I've said before that this, this, and this are the best pork recipes out there and believe you me they are darn good. But my friends, this here recipe is exceptional. I was admittedly a bit unsure of how the balsamic vinegar would play out with the pork, but boy oh boy I need not have worried. It's the perfect pairing.

The pork itself is the picture of ease and juicy, tenderness thanks to the 8+ hours it spends in our little friend the crock pot. And the sauce is the best of full-flavored-a-little-bit-sweet-a-little-bit-sour goodness. If you're dining with the feint of heart, it's nice that the sauce is a condiment that can either be used or skipped, but as my word is my bond you won't want to skip it. That would be a travesty of epic proportions!

With the season of holiday's upon us this would be a stand-out main dish at any event. Also, it's so easy and hands off that you won't need to worry about the main portion of your entertaining meal, you've got that part in the bag! So you can go ahead and dig into more time consuming fancy sides if you want instead. Parties aside this pork will definitely grace our sunday dinner table often and I think it should yours too.

Sweet Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin {Crock Pot}

{doubled and adapted recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe of course!}

PORK:

4 lbs (give or take) boneless pork loin roast (not tenderloin) rinsed, dried, and trimmed of excess fat and silver skin-blech!

2 t ground sage or poultry seasoning

1 t salt

1 tsp pepper

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 cup chicken broth (or water)

GLAZE:

1 cup brown sugar

2 T cornstarch

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 cup water

4 T soy sauce

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients listed under pork and rub thoroughly all over prepared roast. Place in slow cooker and pour in 1 cup of chicken broth (or water). Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. Near the end of cooking time for the roast remove pork from the slow cooker , shred into medium-large pieces, and place back in juices while you move on to the sauce. Combine all the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens. (doesn't take long)

Arrange shredded pork on serving platter, spooning some of the juices over it. Then drizzle generously with balsamic glaze and serve.

Remove pork from the crock pot, shred, and

Beef Stroganoff {Crock Pot}

Boy do we love classic comfort food recipes, especially in the winter. And white, powdered sugar snow winter is precisely what I see out my window. I think that stroganoff lends itself very well to a crock pot meal and you know by now that we love those too. The meat is tender, fall apart goodness and the sauce is little bit tangy and a lot creamy. Serve this over mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles and try not to lick your plate.

Beef Stroganoff {Crock Pot}

{Recipe source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe, where else?!}

2-3 lbs stew meat

1 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

1 medium onion, diced

1/4 t garlic salt

1 T worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 cups beef broth

1 T ketchup

1/3 cup flour

6 T apple juice (or water)

4-8 ozs mushrooms, sauteed until mostly soft in butter

1/2 cup sour cream

Place stew meat, salt, pepper, and onion in slow cooker. Stir to distribute seasonings. In another bowl mix garlic salt, worcestershire sauce, beef broth and ketchup and pour over meat. Cook 7-9 hours on low or 4-5 on high. About 30 minutes before serving, whisk apple juice and flour together really well and pour into the slow cooker, whisking quickly to prevent lumps. Add sauteed mushrooms too. Cook on high for 30 minutes and then stir in 1/2 cup sour cream right before serving. Serve over rice, noodles, or potatoes.

Can freeze and reheat on the stove or crock pot.

Chile-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Glaze

Another hit from Mels Kitchen Cafe. Super tender pork loin with a sweet, spiced glaze. This was full of flavor and made our Sunday dinner most enjoyable! The pork was almost too tender (is that even possible?!) for my tastes and I wondered how this would work with pork chops. The answer I'm pretty sure is: wonderfully. If you try that route just rub the spice mixture onto both sides of the chop, let marinate, then give them a quick sear in olive oil on the stove and pop them in the oven to finish cooking. Be sure to both baste them with the glaze and serve remaining sauce along side them just as you would the tenderloin. Delish!

Chile-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Glaze

{Recipe Source: Mels Kitchen Cafe}

2 1 lb pork tenderloins (or chops, see above)

Spice Rub:

1 T chili powder

1 T garlic powder

1/2 T sugar

1 t salt

1/2 t black pepper

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups apricot jam

1/2 cup barbeque sauce

1 t grated fresh ginger

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t hot sauce (such as Tabasco)

2 small limes, juiced

optional: chopped fresh cilantro, about 2 T

Rinse and trim excess fat from tenderloins. Combine spice rub ingredients in a small bowl. Generously rub all sides of tenderloins with spices and then cover and refrigerate for 2-24 hours.

Prior to roasting, combine the glaze ingredients minus lime juice and optional cilantro in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and warm just till the mixture starts to bubble. Remove from heat, add lime juice and cilantro and reserve half for basting and half for serving.

Roasting method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the tenderloins in a 9x13 dish lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes. Brush generously with glaze. Bake 15 more minutes and again brush with glaze. Bake an additional 10 minutes* or until the pork reaches 160 degrees internally. Remove from oven, tent with foil and let rest 3 minutes before slicing on a slight diagonal. Serve hot with reserved glaze alongside.

*I used a meat thermometer and the time noted and found it to be pretty much spot on, maybe just a few minutes longer needed. So if you don't have an internal thermometer never fear it will be cooked perfectly, plus it continues to cook during the resting period.

Chicken with Tomato Herb Pan Sauce & Garlic Rice Pilaf

This my friends was a STELLAR meal! I sat there eating it, thinking "this is just as good as something I'd get at a great restaurant". It was just phenomenal. Pretty sure the family liked it too, I came home after rushing off to a meeting and there were practically no left overs. The chicken is made crispy and delightfully flavorful by browning in a seasoned butter and the tangy, juicy tomatoes are then seared and sauteed in that same butter. Such a simple, perfect pairing.

Our accompanying side dish was this oven baked garlic rice pilaf. It looks pretty low key, but take a bite and wham-o! there's a garlic and lemon party in your mouth! The texture of the rice really did something for me too-light and fluffy, each rice kernel separate from all the others. Although it's cooking time is a bit much, as long as you do a little planning ahead it's relatively hands off. And then just go ahead and combine a piece of chicken, a tomato or two, and some rice on your fork and you've died and gone to heaven just like me. I wanted to lick the platter when all was said and done and I'm betting you will too.

Chicken with Tomato Herb Pan Sauce

{Slightly adapted from Annie's Eats. Note: In thinking about it, I like the idea of cutting the grape tomatoes in half before sauteeing, all the yummy juice will come out without the crushing step-just a thought}

Chicken:

2 chicken breasts, butterflied and halved or pounded and halved

salt and pepper

flour for dusting (1/2 a cup or so)

Sauce:

2 T salted butter, softened

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 t fresh oregano, minced (or 1/2 tsp dried)

1/2 t sweet paprika (i just use what's in my cupboard, don't know if it's sweet or not!)

salt and pepper

2 t olive oil

2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes (red is most common, but a combo of yellow and red would look fantastic)

1/3 cup dry white wine or chicken broth

1 T minced fresh parsley (again with the 1/2 tsp dried route)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour on both side, shaking off excess, set aside.

In small bowl, combine butter, garlic, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper to taste. In a large skillet over medium hight heat melt 1 T of the oregano butter with 2 t olive oil. When hot, brown chicken on both sides, just get a good brown crust going but don't cook through--it will dry out. Place browned and almost cooked chicken in oven proof baking dish and place in oven to finish off. Maybe 10 minutes tops.

Meanwhile, using same saute pan (so long as the bits are brown and not black-otherwise get a new pan) add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to char and burst, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining butter mixture to pan. Crush the tomatoes slightly to release their juices and continue stirring until the butter is melted. Add the broth to the pan, scraping the bottom to loosen the browned bits. Cook for a minute more until well blended.

Transfer cooked chicken to individual serving plates or one large platter and top with the pan sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Serves 4 adults.

Garlic Rice Pilaf

{After making this as is I think some slivered almonds would be a terrific addition.

Recipe source: Annie's Eats}

2 T butter

4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 cup long-grain white rice

2 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided

1/2 t salt

1/2 t fresh ground black pepper

Squeeze of lemon juice (1/2 a lemon)

optional: slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 375 and set aside a casserole dish (9x13 is fine). In a medium saucepan or skillet, melt butter over med-high heat. Add the rice and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until the rice is golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of chicken broth and bring mixture to a boil. Pour into casserole dish, cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups of broth and slivered almonds if using, recover and continue baking for an additional 45 minutes. About 15 minutes before it's done, uncover again, squeeze lemon juice over the rice and give it a stir. Re-cover and finish cooking.

Serves 4

Chicken Tetrazzini

Don't let the plain jane-ness of this plate deter you. This is one delicious meal. It can be made with chicken or turkey (leftover turkey is terrific) and as casserole's are wont to do, it feeds an army. It's creamy and cheesy and wonderful. And it's a good take-in meal, especially when made in a disposable oven-friendly pan.

No bells and whistles here just good old fashioned comfort food that never disappoints.

Chicken Tetrazzini

{My friend Carolee suggested added sauteed mushrooms and toasted almonds, sounds divine!}

12+ oz. spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained

2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped/shredded (or leftover turkey)

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, diced

2 T butter

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 1/4 cups milk

2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles until tender and drain. Saute green peppers and onions in butter till softened. In large bowl combine soups, milk, cheese, and sauteed veggies. Stir. Add chicken, salt and pepper to taste, and noodles. When all combined pour into greased 9X13 casserole dish and bake until warmed through and bubbly, about 30-40 minutes.

Candied Chicken

This is a delicious chicken recipe. I realize that the word "candy" linked with a main dish might seem strange, but oh no-no strangeness here. Just wonderful sweet chicken-y goodness. Pair it with a vegetable and bread product and you've a got a meal to remember. Quite the crowd pleaser too.

Candied Chicken

{We aren't big fans of whole chicken breasts in our house, so we opt to cut each breast into at least 2 if not 3 pieces. It cooks faster, stretches farther, allows for higher sauce to meat ratio, and helps with portion control. I recommend it!}

4-6 chicken breasts, cut in half or thirds

Salt/pepper or seasoning salt or garlic salt

Flour for dusting

Oil/butter for browning

Sauce as follows:

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/4 cup yellow mustard

1/2 cup ketchup

1 T worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup water

Season chicken pieces, dust lightly with flour on both sides, and brown in skillet. Not cooking through, just browning all sides. Place browned chicken in greased oven-friendly baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients together and pour over chicken. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375 for up to 2 hours. I recommend cooking with foil on for the first hour and then removing foil, so that sauce can reduce, thicken, and thoroughly coat the chicken for the last hour.

French Dip Sandwiches {Crock Pot}

Talk about a throw back to my childhood. We often had roast for Sunday dinner growing up and my grandma would sometimes use the left over meat for french dip sandwiches afterwards. I loved them. This is my interpretation of one of my favorite childhood dinners. And you know, I think it's safe to say it's becoming a childhood favorite for my kids too!

The au jus is so flavorful thanks to the roast imparting it's juices all day long and the meat itself is fall apart tender and juicy. Broil up some good crusty rolls and melt some provolone or any other white cheese you like and you have sandwich dipping heaven. And some of the most outlandishly good leftovers one could ever hope for.

French Dip Sandwiches {Crock Pot}

1 2-1/2 pound beef roast, trimmed of excess fat

1 carton (32 oz.) beef broth

1 package au jus mix

1/2 a package onion soup mix

garlic salt

black pepper

veggie oil

Heat a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet on med-high heat until piping hot. Meanwhile sprinkle roast with garlic salt and black pepper. Sear on all sides. Pour beef broth and mixes into medium crock pot (it's best of the crock pot style allows for the roast to be mostly submerged). Whisk together and add some fresh ground pepper. Once roast is seared gently place in broth mixture and cook on low 8-10 hours. 30 minutes to an hour before serving remove roast, shred, and place back in broth. Serve meat on toasted rolls with melted cheese (we just put ours under the broiler for a bit) with a generous bowl of au jus for dipping. Delicious!

Thai Peanut Noodles

I'm a huge fan of asian noodle dishes. They are inevitably what I gravitate towards at any asian restaurant. But I'd never even considered making them at home until a couple years ago when this recipe showed up on Our Best Bites. The list of ingredients has absolutely nothing bizzare, no fish sauce or oyster sauce in sight. Just basic ingredients you can find in any well-stocked pantry and an amazing flavor with a little heat (to taste of course), crunch (thank you peanuts) and refreshing toppings that really make the dish (hello green onions, cilantro, and lime). If you love noodles you're gonna love these, guaranteed.

Thai Peanut Noodles

{Original recipe from Our Best Bites. I've adapted it to our tastes, mainly by doubling the sauce ingredients. We like things saucy, plus I find the noodles soak it up pretty quick and less seemed like it would be non-existent. Feel free to double or not according to your families tastes. However, doubled amounts are what I've written out below}

1 cup chicken broth

6 T peanut butter

2 t sriracha chili sauce

3 T honey

6 T soy sauce

3 T fresh minced ginger

5-6 cloves garlic minced

12 oz linguine noodles

chopped green onions

chopped cilantro

lime wedges

chopped peanuts

Cook noodles in salted water. In the meantime combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until smooth and remove from heat. Toss cooked noodles with sauce. Add chopped peanuts to taste. On each serving sprinkle green onions, cilantro, and squeeze a wedge of lime.

*If desired, you can add meat to this dish by stir-frying shrimp or thinly slice (partially frozen first helps) chicken in some veggie oil with a couple cloves of minced garlic, some fresh ginger, green onions, soy sauce, and a small squirt or sriracha chili sauce.

Barbeque Chicken Pizza

Whoever thought up combining BBQ chicken and pizza was a genius! I first had this tasty combo at California Pizza Kitchen and I can't lie-I was a little skeptical. Pizza's supposed to have pepperoni and tomato sauce right? Not right. Since that fateful day long ago, I've had numerous out of the way combinations on pizza {shaved asparagus for starters} and I can say in all honesty they surpass the "typical" italian style we've come to think of every time. Tangy barbeque sauce, crispy crust, grilled chicken, and refreshing cilantro don't get any better. And just so we're clear-I still eat my fair share of italian-style pizza:0)

Barbeque Chicken Pizza

1-2 chicken breasts

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/3 cup bbq sauce

1/3 cup tomato sauce

Thinly sliced red onion

Mozzarella cheese, grated

Cilantro

One recipe of your favorite pizza crust (see mine below if needed)

Prepare pizza dough.

Heat grill. Sprinkle garlic salt or other seasoning on chicken. Brush with a bit of bbq sauce on both sides and grill until cooked through. Set aside and let rest before chopping. Mix bbq suace and tomato sauce together in small bowl. In separate bowl mix chopped chicken, crushed garlic, and just enough tomato/bbq sauce to coat.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Shape pizza dough on pizza stone or pizza pan sprayed with cooking spray and dusted with cornmeal. Spread generous amount of bbq sauce/tomato sauce mixture all over. (May not use it all.) Top with chicken and red onions. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese and bake at 475 for 10-15 minutes depending on desired doneness. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

PW's Pizza Dough

{Recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook}

1 tsp active yeast

4 cups flour

1 t kosher salt

1/3 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cups warm water

Pour water in small bowl, sprinkle with yeast and gently stir. In bowl of electric mixer combine flour and salt. On low speed, gradually drizzle in olive oil into flour/salt. Add yeast/water. Knead with dough hook for a few minutes. Dough should be soft and tacky but not super sticky. Drizzle separate bowl with a little bit of olive oil. Add dough ball and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place for 1-2 hours, or store in fridge for up to 2 days. When the time comes stretch and shape dough with your hands, the thinner the better!

Slow Cooker Chops

Another crock pot recipe that's a hit and so easy! You can never have too many you know. 3 ingredients+the meat are all you need for a hearty, home-cooked, low-fuss meal. There's chatter around that using canned cream soups is gross and well I'm not buying it! I'll use them till the day I die and this recipe is all the better for it. The pork falls apart after spending all day in a slightly tangy sauce, thanks to the addition worcestershire and ketchup. Serve it with some buttered egg noodles and a green vegetable and you've got an exceptional week-night meal.

Slow Cooker Chops

4 boneless pork chops, left whole or cut in half

1 regular size can cream of mushroom soup

1/4 cup ketchup

2 t worcestershire

Garlic salt and pepper for seasoning

Sprinkle chops with garlic salt and pepper. Place in crock pot. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chops. Cover and cook on high 3-4 hours or low 7-8 hours. Serve with buttered egg noodles.

Variation: May add one sliced onion.

Crock Pot Lasagna

In case you didn't know by now, the crock pot is my dear friend. I use it religiously especially through the colder months which are unfortunately already here in my neck of the woods. The crock pot helps make that post-school/pre-dinner "witching"hour a little more manageable for me, what with not having to worry about making dinner and homework and piano practice and, and, and...you get the picture.

This lasagna is a great crock pot meal, it might not look all that pretty but its taste more than makes up for its looks and it is one of the easiest meals in a crock pot to assemble, particularly if you opt for jarred spaghetti sauce and I certainly do! If you aren't sold by now, let me share one last tempting tidbit-it's a 4 hour tops cook time (on low). So if you aren't on your game at 9 in morning for an 7-8 hour recipe, you can throw it in around 2 or 3 in the afternoon and it's good to go by dinner time. So great!

Crock Pot Lasagna

{Recipe source: Maren Layton}

6-9 lasagna noodles, uncooked (I use the flat not curly kind)

1 lb ground beef or turkey, browned and seasoned with italian seasonings i.e. basil, oregano, marjoram, garlic powder or salt, onion powder, and red pepper flakes

1 jar (28oz) spaghetti sauce

16 oz cottage cheese

1 cup grated mozzarella

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Be sure to drain the browned meat really well. Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in bottom of crock pot. Layer 2-3 uncooked noodles on top (I use a smaller round crock pot and have to break them them up a bit), then 1/3 meat, 1/3 spaghetti sauce, 1/3 cottage, cheese, and 1/3 grated mozzarella. Repeat layers two more times. I try to save a little bit of the sauce to put on the very top for moisture purposes. Cook on low 3-4 hours, but not longer than 4. Makes a good 6-8 servings.

Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches {Crock Pot}

I've been making this recipe for years. It was shared with me by my good friend Darla way back when we were going to school and had one baby a piece. Those were the day, right?! Anyhow, it's definitely not a fancy recipe by any means and that's why I love it. 3 ingredients besides the chicken and uses the crock pot for ultimate ease. Doesn't get any better!

Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches {Crock Pot}

{Recipe from Rachael H. via Darla}

Use equal parts:

brown sugar

soy sauce

pineapple juice

For 2 chicken breasts:

1 can pineapple juice (6oz.)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

Additional items needed:

Buns

Cheese (optional)

Crushed pineapple (optional)

Greens (optional)

Place chicken breasts in crock pot. Mix together pineapple juice, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook for 6 hours on low or 3 on high. About 1 hour before serving, remove chicken shred, and place back in juices. When ready to serve, broil buns add chicken, cheese, crushed pineapple, and greens to buns and serve.