Easy Chicken Marsala

by Samantha Tingey

                 

                  Ingredients

                  2 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts

                  salt and freshly ground black pepper

                  ½ cup all purpose flour or corn starch for gluten-free

                  up to ½ cup olive or vegetable oil

                  8 ounces container of mushroom, sliced and cleaned

                  2 tablespoons butter

                  ½ cup sweet Marsala wine

                           *You can buy marsala cooking wine in the vinegar section of the                                                                        grocery store, or you can go to the local liquor store for a nicer bottle                                                               with better flavor.

                  ¼ cup chicken stock

                  ¼ cup sherry or dry white wine

                  Optional: 2 tablespoons heavy cream

                  Garnish with chopped parsley or oregano

                 

                   Instructions

                  Split each chicken breast through the middle to make 2 pieces. Place plastic wrap over them and pound each one flat using a meat tenderizer/mallet until they are about a quarter inch thick. Season a good amount of salt and pepper on both sides of each piece. Place some flour on a plate and and dredge each piece of chicken in it.

                  Heat the oil over medium-high heat and when the oil is hot fry each piece of chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until they are golden brown (this may require you to do this in 2 batches). Remove chicken and place them on your serving platter covering them with foil. carefully soak up any remaining oil with paper towels and discard.

                  Reduce the heat to medium and add butter and mushrooms. Saute mushrooms for 4-5 minutes making sure to season them with salt and pepper lightly. Add marsala wine, sherry, cream, and chicken stock allowing the liquid to reduce slightly - approx. 3 minutes. Pour mushrooms and sauce over chicken and serve. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Burbon Chicken

by Samantha Tingey

Ingredients

         6 frozen chicken thighs

                  1 clove garlic, chopped (or 1 tbsp. granulated garlic)

                  1/4 tsp. ground ginger

                  1/4 c. apple juice

                  1/4 c. packed light brown sugar

                  2 tbsp. ketchup

                  1 tbsp. cider vinegar

                  1/2 c. water

                  1/8 c. soy sauce

Tips

Green onion garnish and a side salad make it a meal.

Directions

Place frozen chicken thighs on bottom of crock pot. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook 8 hours on low, then shred chicken in the slow cooker to a "pulled pork" consistency. Ladle over a bowl of brown rice or place atop a whole-grain bun. (Not included in Nutrition Facts).

Serving Size: Makes six servings.

Avoglemono (Lemony chicken and rice soup)

by Samantha Tingey

Ingredients

      

         •        2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

         •        1 sweet onion, chopped

         •        6 pounds split chicken breasts

         •        2 carrots, each cut into 6 pieces

         •        1 leek, split (top discarded)

         •        2 bay leaves

         •        1/3-1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (start with 1/3 cup; add more at the end if you          prefer a stronger lemon flavor)

         •        4 eggs

         •        1 1/2 cups orzo pasta

         •        kosher salt, to taste (at least a few teaspoons)

         •        freshly ground black pepper, to taste (use liberally if desired, the pepper        and lemon contrast is wonderful)

Instructions

         1.    Sweat onions in a medium skillet with the evoo until soft and translucent, about five minutes.

         2.      Meanwhile, place chicken in a large pot or dutch oven. Add water until it's covered by 1 inch. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for an hour.

         3.      Remove chicken and set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove meat, discarding the bones. Add carrots, leek, bay leaves, chicken and onions back to pot; simmer another hour (or longer, I've simmered as long as two hours). Remove the carrots and leek (you can eat the carrots or discard).

         4.      Bring to a boil and add orzo pasta. Cook until the orzo is done according to package directions.

         5.      In a small bowl, beat the lemon juice and eggs together. Slowly stir in two cups of the broth, whisking continuously (this is called tempering). Pour the egg mixture back into the pot, stirring well.

         6.      Season to taste (don't skimp on the seasoning!) and serve. The mixture will thicken a lot after sitting overnight in the refrigerator (I like it best after it's thickened but it's delicious both ways).

Sweet Chili Chicken with Pineapple Salsa

by Jessica Skankey

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

Juice from 1 large lime (2-3 T)

1 ½ teaspoons curry powder

2 teaspoons vegetable or olive oil

1 pound chicken tenders (about 8 tenders)

Kosher salt and black pepper, for light sprinkling

Lime wedges, optional, for garnish

Salsa-

1 ½ cups diced pineapple

1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 avocado, diced

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro

Pinch of kosher salt

Sauce-

3 Tablespoons sweet chili sauce (Thai Kitchen brank from Asian Foods section of store)

1 Tablespoon honey

1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce

1 Tablespoon warm water

Directions:

1.  Place lime juice, curry powder, and oil in a large zip-top bag and shake lightly to combine. Add chicken tenders and marinate at least 30 minutes, and up to 4 hours. Preheat grill or indoor grill pan to medium-high heat and lightly oil grill grates.  Remove chicken from marinade and sprinkle both sides lightly with salt and pepper. Grill chicken about 3 minutes on each side, or until internal temperature registers 165°F.
2. For salsa: combine all salsa ingredients and gently toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. For the sauce:  combine sweet chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, and warm water and whisk with a fork until smooth.
4. To serve, plate grilled chicken tenders, topped with salsa, drizzle with sauce. Served with lime wedges, if desired.

From: Our Best Bites: Savoring the Seasons, Pg. 96