Chicken Enchiladas

Ok, so there's a little whipping cream in this - just don't eat the whole thing yourself, ok?

Probably makes 8

3 cups shredded cooked chicken - one of those deli roasted chickens is perfect for this

1 cup Salsa Verde (green salsa)

1-4 ounce can chopped green chilies

1-2 tablespoons chopped chipotles in sauce (more if you like it hotter)

8 - taco size flour tortillas

1 cup chicken broth

2 cups whipping cream

1.5 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Chorizo crema (optional, click here for recipe)

Chopped green onions or cilantro for garnish

• Mix first 4 ingredients in bowl.

• Pour 1/2 the whipping cream in the bottom of a 9x13-baking dish.

• Pour chicken broth in bowl and one by one submerge each flour tortilla.

• Place approximately 1/8 chicken mixture in each wet tortilla and roll up.

• Place all 8 side by side in dish, sprinkle with cheese, and pour remaining whipping cream over top.

• Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

• Optional: top with chorizo crema and garnish with green onions or cilantro

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Spicy Peanut Butter Pasta Chicken

Serves 4

The beauty of this is that it can all be made in the time it takes the pasta to cook. I like to grill a piece of chicken to go with it - but you could use shrimp if you wanted or even nothing - it really is that good AND easy. Oh sure you could add things like garlic & ginger, but I don't think you need to.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup chicken broth, approximately - I like the kind that comes in those little juice box things
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 big teaspoons chili paste
• 2 chicken breasts, pounded pretty flat - about 1/4 inch
• 1/2 pound pasta - whatever kind you like
• For garnish - chopped peanuts and cilantro sprinkled over the top at the end

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions
2. Drizzle chicken with a little olive oil, season with salt & pepper and grill until done - set aside and keep warm
3. While chicken and pasta are cooking - combine pb, soy, broth and chili paste in a small saucepan over medium heat
4. Cook until smooth and mix with pasta when ready
5. Place sliced chicken on top of pasta, and sprinkle with chopped nuts & cilantro

Sesame Noodles

This is so good either alone or as an accompaniment. In fact, it's a perfect match for the Asian Scallops - see recipe.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or white-wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter - creamy is best
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 pound lo mein or linguine
• 1/4 pound snow peas, trimmed & strings discarded
• Chopped peanuts for garnish

Directions

1. Combine soy, vinegar, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, peanut butter, sesame oil, ginger, and chicken broth in a small saucepan
2. Simmer and stir until it is thick and smooth and let cool.
3. Cook snow peas in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about a 2 minutes.
4. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool; drain well.
5. Cook noodles in boiling salted water - do not overcook.
6. Drain and then rinse noodles under cold water.
7. Drain again well and transfer to a bowl.
8. Add the snow peas to the noodles and toss both in the sauce.
9. Serve at room temperature with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts.

Coconut-Lime Chicken Wraps

Serves 4

No description

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 14 ounce can coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons curry
• 2 tablespoons chili paste
• zest of one lime plus the juice
• cilantro
• green bib lettuce leaves
• tortillas

Directions

1. Pound breasts to about 1/2 inch thick
2. Combine coconut milk, soy, cumin, curry, chili paste, lime zest and juice in a bowl and mix well
3. Reserve about 1/3 of the sauce for after, but add chicken to the rest
4. Mix well, cover and marinate about an hour
5. Warm extra sauce in small pot
6. Grill chicken until cooked then slice into thin strips
7. On a warm tortilla, place a couple of lettuce leaves, a bunch of cilantro and the beautifully grilled chicken
8. Add a little more sauce, and a squeeze of fresh lime

(Spicy) BBQ Chicken Pizza

Makes one 12 inch pizza

Make this with a deli roasted chicken. I mean you can cook your own, but why would you? The spicy chili sauce is optional - but shouldn't be.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (about 8oz) cooked shredded chicken
• 1/3 cup BBQ sauce, approximately
• 1 pre baked pizza crust
• 1 cup - shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoons Asian chili sauce, optional
• fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Mix cooked chicken with the BBQ and chili sauces
3. Spread chicken over crust and top with red onion and then the mozzarella
4. Bake 10-12 minutes until top starts to brown and get bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Mediterranean Chicken Wrap

Makes 4

All the flavors of the Meditteranean in your hand - wait...that doesn't sound quite right.

Ingredients

• 1/2 bag of the ready to go Caesar Salad
• 1/2 small cucumber, diced large
• 4 ounces crumbled feta
• 1 1/2 cups shredded deli roasted chicken
• roasted red pepper strips
• 4 wraps, try the spinach ones

Directions

1. Dress approximately 2 cups of the salad greens
2. Warm wraps slightly in non-stick pan and put on flat surface
3. Spread salad among the wraps and add to each: some chicken, some feta, some cucumber and some of the red pepper strips
4. Roll up and serve

"Whatever" Spring Rolls

Makes 10

Once you know how easy it is to use the supermarket readily available spring roll wrappers, you can make them with whatever you want - chicken, crab, lobster or just more vegetables. You're totally in the driver's seat.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces whatever - cooked chicken that's been shredded, crab meat, chili - it's up to you (ok, maybe not chili)
• 4 ounces bag-ready mixed coleslaw, the tri-colored kind without the dressing
• 4 tablespoons 'your favorite' spicy Asian stir fry sauce
• 10 large spring roll wrappers
• White and Black sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil

Directions

1. Heat wok until almost smoking, then add 1 tablespoon oil
2. Add coleslaw & 'whatever' and stir fry until coleslaw is slightly wilted - about 1 minute
3. Stir in sauce and remove from heat - let cool slightly
4. Place one wrapper on the counter, with a corner pointing at you
5. Put approximately 2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of the wrapper
6. Fold the nearest corner of the wrapper up covering the filling
7. Fold in the two sides and finish by rolling away from you and moisten the very end with a dab of water to help stick
8. Brush tops very lightly with oil, sprinkle with the sesame seeds and bake at 375 until lightly brown
9. Cut on diagonal and serve with extra sauce for dipping.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Serves 2

Simple yes but we like it at my house. You will too.

Ingredients

• One boneless, skinless chiken breast
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lime
• 1 bag chopped romaine
• Caesar dressing, see recipe
• Shredded Parmesan

Directions

1. Put the chicken breast in a ziploc bag, add a little oil to each side, seal and flatten by pounding on it until its an even thickness (I like to use a bottle for the added weight)
2. Heat a grill, grill pan or skillet really well then season the chicken with salt, pepper & juice from 1/2 of a lime
3. Put the chicken in the pan and DON'T TOUCH - cook 3-4 minutes
4. In a bowl toss the romaine with some of the dressing - mix well
5. Flip the chicken and cook on the second side for an additional 2 minutes or so (not too long so it stays juicy)
6. Put the salad on a plate, slice the chicken breast on a diagonal and place it on top of the salad
7. Give it all a fresh ground pepper and sprinkle with shredded Parmesan

Grilled Chicken Parmesan Sub

Makes 1 sub for about 4 people

Not your grandmother's chicken Parmesan. No heavy breading - just simple grilled chicken and grilled tomatoes take the place of the sauce.

Ingredients

• 5 - 6 chicken boneless chicken thighs

• 2 tablesppons fresh basil leaves, chopped fine

• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, chopped fine

• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil

• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

• 2 medium sized ripe tomatoes

• 1 of those short ciabatta-type baguettes

• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

• 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated

• Extra olive oil for drizzling

Directions

1. Trim the extra fat from the chicken thighs

2. Put them in a Ziploc bag and add the olive oil, the herbs and season well with the salt and pepper

3. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to about 8 hours

4. Heat your grill outside

5. Slice the tomatoes into thick slices and drizzle with olive oil on both sides

6. Cut the bread in half lenghtwise and drizzle both sides with olive oil

7. Grill the chicken on first side until beautifully done - about 5 minutes

8. Turn chicken over and also put the tomatoes on the grill - cook both sides until they get soft

9. Place the bread on the grill and toast it

10. Put the shredded mozzarella on the chicken to melt while everything finishes

11. Build you sandwich like this: chicken, tomato, parmesan cheese, top of bread and slice into 4 equial pieces

Mixed Jambalaya

Makes 8 - 10 servings

Simple as pie, or in this case Jambalaya - which normally tends to not be so simple.

Ingredients

• 1 pound spicy smoked sausage, the fully cooked kind - cut lengthwise and then into 1/4 inch half circles
• 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined (31/40's are perfect)
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded into bite sized pieces
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice (not instant rice)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• One -7 oz can diced green chilies
• 1-2 tablespoons Creole seasoning

Directions

1. Put everything into the rice cooker, stir well, close the lid and turn it on
2. When the rice cooker goes off - it's ready...and really great

Five Spice Grilled Chicken

Serves 6

So easy but so really good. You can find Five Spice seasoning in any supermarket spice aisle. And if you can't - go yell at them and tell them you want it.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of extra fat
• 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Chinese Five Spice seasoning
• 1 bunch green onions, diced very fine

Directions

1. Combine brown suger and Five Spice in a bowl then stir in soy
2. Mix really well
3. Add the chicken and mix really, really well, to coat the chicken so it is all well covered
4. Let marinate an hour up to overnight if possible
5. Pre-heat grill to high
6. Cook chicken until done but not too long or it will dry out
7. Top with the diced green onions

Chicken Pesto and Goat Cheese Pockets

Makes 4

4 ingredients - easy and really good.

Ingredients

• 1 package of the large sized biscuits in a tube
• 1 tub store bought pesto sauce
• 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken meat
• Goat cheese - not crumbles

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Flatten 4 biscuits out into large circles
3. Spread about 1 teaspoon of pesto onto the center of each biscuit
4. Put 1/4 cup of the chicken and top with a big piece of the goat cheese (1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons)
5. Fold over the biscuit and pinch the edges tight to form a pocket (kind of like an empanada)
6. Place the pockets on a baking sheet with parchment paper on it and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown
7. Enjoy

Hoisin Chicken Lettuce Cups!

Makes about 6-8 lettuce cups

Think Asian chicken tacos served in lettuce cups.

1/4 cup Hoisin Sauce

1 tablespoon Asian chili sauce, like Sambal

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Neutral oil

1/4 cup finely diced white or yellow onion

1/4 cup diced red pepper

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in very small pieces

2 large garlic cloves, chopped fine

1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and chopped fine

1 head butter lettuce, separated into individual 'leaf cups'

Chopped peanuts & chopped green onions for garnish

• Combine hoisin, chili sauce, soy & sesame oil - mix well and set aside

• Heat wok or pan until almost smoking, add about a tablespoon of the oil , then the onion and red pepper - cook about a minute

• Add the chicken and stir fry until just about cooked through - about 3 minutes, then add ginger & garlic - cook another minute or 2 until chicken is done

• Add the hoisin combo and stir through well to coat

• Serve chicken in the leaf cups and garnish with peanut & green onion

Mexican Beer Can Chicken

Serves 4-6

Maybe the juiciest chicken ever. Oh no - I am so not kidding.

Ingredients

• 1 whole 3-5 pound chicken
• 1 can of beer
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 2 tbs cumin
• 2 tbs oregano
• 2 tbs garlic powder
• A big pinch of Kosher salt
• juice of 3 limes

Directions

1. Pre-heat grill or oven to 375
2. Mix Chili Powder, Cumin, Oregano, Garlic Powder & Kosher Salt well in a small bowl
3. Pour out or drink about 1/2 of the beer and add about a 1/4 of the mixed seasoning to the beer can
4. To remaining dry seasonings, add lime juice & mix into a paste
5. Line baking sheet (for oven), or grill safe pan (for grill) with foil
6. Insert beer can into the large opening of the chicken (you know what I mean here) then place on sheet or grill pan
7. Rub seasoning paste on chicken to completely cover
8. Put chicken in oven or grill and cook for 1 1/2 hours - or until a thermometer reads about 160 in the breast

Chicken with Feta Oregano Butter

Serves 2-4

Really moist chicken with tons of flavor!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soft butter
• 2 large cloves of garlic pressed
• 3/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh Oregano chopped fine
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 2 full chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees
2. To soft butter add oregano, Feta, garlic, Kosher salt and pepper; mix well
3. Line a baking sheet with foil and place chicken breasts onto foil
4. loosen chicken skin and put butter mixture under skin on both breasts
5. drizzle olive oil over top of chicken and season with salt and pepper
6. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour

Grilled buffalo chicken salad

Serves 2

A supper awesome buffalo chicken salad!

Ingredients

• 2 Boneless chicken breast filets
• 2 tbs olive oil
• Kosher salt and pepper to season
• 1 cup Franks hot sauce
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 head iceberg lettuce
• 2 tomatoes quartered
• 1/2 English cucumber sliced and cut in half
• 1 raw flour tortilla
• 1/4 cup blue cheese dressing

Directions

1. Rub chicken with olive oil and season well with Kosher salt and pepper
2. In a small pot add hot sauce and butter
3. Put pot on medium heat and cook until butter is melted, mix well
4. Break up lettuce and put in large serving bowl
5. To lettuce add tomatoes and cucumbers
6. Grill tortilla in pan or on griddle until crispy then set aside and let cool, then slice tortilla into strips
7. Grill chicken until fully cooked and slice into strips
8. Toss salad with dressing
9. Add sliced chicken to hot sauce mixture to baste
10. Remove chicken from sauce and top salad with chicken and tortilla strips

Baked Chicken Taquitos

Makes 12

Just like at your favorite taco shop, but you bake them instead of deep frying. And you can make and eat them at home in your jammies. Nice huh?

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (a deli-roasted chicken is perfect)
• 1/3 cup green salsa
• 1-2 tablespoons chipotle peppers, finely minced
• 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 12 small flour tortillas
• Oil - I like a spray for this
• For serving: sour cream, guacamole, salsa, queso fresco, limes etc

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Combine chicken, salsa, chipotles and cheese in a large bowl - mix well
3. Warm tortillas in a non-stick pan until softened and pliable - about 30 seconds a side
4. Add some chicken to each tortilla, roll up tight and place seam-side down on a greased baking
5. Brush or spray with oil and bake about 25 minutes or until beginning to brown at the edges
6. Serve with sour cream, guac etc

BBQ Chicken Calzone

Serves 4

This is made with chicken and bacon, but could just as easily have pepperoni, or ground beef or whatever you normally like on (or in) a pizza.

Ingredients

• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 10 slices ready bacon, diced
• 3 cups shredded deli roasted chicken
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
• 1 tube refrigerator pizza dough
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Saute onion and bacon in a non stick pan until soft and mix well with chicken and bbq sauce in a bowl
3. Stretch out pizza dough on a lightly greased baking sheet
4. Spread chicken mixture on about half the dough along one long edge
5. Top chicken with mozzarella, and fold remaining dough over the chicken and seal edges tight with fingers
6. Make 3 or 4 slits in the top of the dough with a knife and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown

Chicken Noodle Soup

Makes about 12 servings

Chicken soup - the healer of all things bad. And if it isn't - is sure is still damn good...

Ingredients

• 1 whole raw chicken (with bones & skin for flavor) cut into it's parts

• 3 celery stalks, cut into 2 inch pieces

• 1 large onion, cut into big pieces

• 2 carrots, cut into big pieces

• 3-4 stems of thyme (or about 1 teaspoon dried)

• 3 ounces 'fine' egg noodles

• Chicken broth/stock, optional

Directions

1. Put chicken in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil

2. After about 20 minutes, skim off the icky foam that floats to the top

3. Turn down to a simmer and cover

4. After 60 minutes, add the veggies and the thyme - put the lid on and simmer for another 30 minutes

5. Remove from heat and strain - putting the liquid and the vegetables back into the pot

6. Separate the chicken from the bones & skin, cut or shred into bite sized pieces and put in with the broth

7. Bring the broth back to a simmer, add in the egg noodles then cover and cook until noodles are done - about 15 minutes

8. And because I always seem to run out of broth before the 'stuff', I add another 2 to 4 cups chicken broth to bulk it up a bit

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Makes one 12 inch pizza

One of the best reasons to buy a deli-roasted chicken.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken, about 8 ounces
• 1/3 cup BBQ sauce, approximately
• 1 pre-baked pizza crust, like a Boboli
• 10 - 12 pieces Ready Bacon, cooked and crispy (can there be too much bacon?)
• 1 cup - shredded mozzarella
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Mix cooked chicken with BBQ sauce and spread over crust
3. Crumble bacon evenly over the chicken and top with the mozzarella
4. Bake 12-14 minutes or until the top starts to get brown & bubbly and it looks like a beautiful, cooked pizza
5. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped cilantro