Moo Shu Chicken (Recipe 34 of 150)

Moo Shu pork is an entre my BFF used to order all the time when we'd go out for Chinese. It's tangy, sweet flavor with those small flat pancakes and plum sauce was so delicious. It tasted fancy and well beyond my skills to make. Especially the pancakes. 

Take out gets expensive and my BFF has since gone gluten free so Chinese food is rarely on our places to eat. I don't crave moo shu but when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. This is what I've heard coined as a "restaurant at home" meal. It certainly hits all the flavor profiles for the Chinese food we all know and love. 

A couple of modifications I made: 

1. I used pork instead of chicken. It's what I had in the fridge and Moo Shu pork is what we usually order.
2. I didn't add the scrambled egg. First, they are expensive and second, ewww.

I served mine with 1/2 cup basmati rice. I tried really hard to eat more of the moo shu pork than rice. I think I did ok with that.

Moo Shu Chicken

Recipe from My Kitchen Escapades

Serves 6

Sauce

• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch ginger root, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Stir Fry
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut very thin (or pork)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 8 ounces portobello or shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 pound coleslaw mix or sliced cabbage
• 6 green onions, sliced
• Serve with: Mandarin pancakes or flour tortillas, lettuce cups, or steamed rice

Mix together all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Pour half the sauce over the sliced chicken and mix together. Allow the chicken to marinade while chopping the vegetables. Save the remaining sauce for the end of the recipe.

Scramble the two eggs in a small nonstick skillet until cook. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet or a large wok over high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon oil then the chicken. Stir fry the chicken just until cooked through. Remove the cooked from the pan and set aside.

Return pan to the high heat and add another tablespoon of oil. Add the mushrooms, onions, and cole slaw mix. Stir and cook just until the cabbage begins to wilt. Add the chicken, egg, and the reserved sauce not used in the marinade.

Toss all the ingredients together until everything is coated in the sauce and serve immediately over steamed rice, or inside Mandarin pancakes or flour tortillas.

Lover's Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce (Recipe 33 of 150)

I have had many, many tomato based cream sauces over pasta. You'd think they'd all taste the same, but they never do. A classic tomato cream sauce is always a favorite of mine. So simple, and often so delicious. 

Tomato cream sauce is not difficult to make. It is a basic staple that most cooks learn and master. I've made many myself. Most are ok, edible, but write home to your Italian grandma worthy.

If I had an Italian grandma, I'd write home to her about this recipe. Unbelievably delicious. THIS recipe is definitely making it to the favorites list. I'm going to keep this one close.

I made a few modifications; naturally. I did because it's what I had in my pantry. See notes below.

Also, keep in mind I cut this recipe in half and it easily made enough to serve 4-6 with a lb of pasta.

Lover's Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

Recipe from Modern Honey

Serves 6

• 2 T extra virgin olive oil or any oil
• 2 T butter
• 1 onion diced
• 4 garlic cloves; finely diced
• (1) 28-ounce can diced tomatoes [JW: I used a can of fire roasted crushed tomatoes]
• ¼ c tomato paste
• 1 c chicken broth
• ½ tsp red chili flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• [JW: I added about a tsp of oregano]
• 1 c heavy cream
• ¼ c fresh basil torn or cut into ribbons [JW" Oops...missed this step]
• 1 c parmesan cheese
• 1 lb. pasta of choice

In large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook until softened, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken broth. If using whole plum tomatoes, break up with back of spoon or in blender. Stir in red chili flakes, salt and pepper.

Let simmer for 15 minutes (or longer if time allows).

Meanwhile, boil water for pasta. Once boiling, cook according to package instructions.

Stir in heavy cream.

Toss with with cooked pasta. Top with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Chimichurri Chicken (Recipe 32 of 150)

I haven't had chimichurri with chicken before so this recipe intrigued me. The marinade also serves as a sauce to pour over the chicken once it's grilled. So when you marinade it, but sure to take half out for the sauce. 

I highly recommend using fresh oregano for this. Dried is a bit too harsh. Chef de Home blog has a further explanation: 

My secret (no so secret as you see it often on the blog) for delicious marinade is Oregano. Oregano gives Chimichurri Chicken that extra punch of meaty grilled flavor. In-fact, when I don't have fresh oregano in-hand, I often replace it with dried. Only thing is; I don't mix dried oregano in the whole marinade. Instead, make Chimichurri sauce without oregano, take half out to serve as pour-over sauce, and mix dried oregano in remaining sauce (used as marinade). 

I marinade the chicken for about an hour and served it with these amazing Sautéed peas.

Chimichurri Chicken

Recipe from Chef de Home

Serves 4

• 1.5 lbs Chicken (3-4 boneless, skinless breast or 12-14 chicken tenders)
• 1 c Parsley (fresh leaves)
• 1/2 c Oregano (fresh leaves)
• 6 Garlic (large cloves, peeled)
• 1/2 Jalapeno (de-seeded)
• 1/2 c Olive Oil
• 2 T Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 T Lemon (juice)
• 1/4 tsp Chili Flakes
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• For Serving
• Lemon (cut into wedges)

Prepare Chimichurri Marinade/Sauce: To make the Chimichurri Marinade, in a food processor/blender jar, add all of the ingredients, except chicken, listed in the ingredient list. Blend until herbs are fine chopped, oil is emulsified. Remove half of the marinade in a medium container with lid. Reserve other half for serving with grilled chicken.

Marinate Chicken: Slice chicken breast into small 1-2 inch pieces. Add to the bowl with marinade. Sprinkle generous 1-2 pinch of salt on the chicken. Next coat chicken into the marinade. Cover with lid (or close the bag), refrigerate until ready to use. Marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Sautéed Peas (Recipe 31 of 150)

Photo from Jo Cooks

Peas are not a go to vegetable for me. I like them but they aren't my favorite. This recipe may have changed my opinion of them. This simple combination of ingredients really makes this dish something to write home about. It takes less than 30 minutes from pan to table. And what put this over the top for me was the dill. Who knew dill and peas go together?

Sautéed Peas

Recipe from Jo Cooks

Serves 4

• 4 T butter (unsalted)
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 pound frozen green peas
• ¾ c chicken broth (or vegetable broth, low sodium)
• ¼ tsp salt (or to taste)
• ½ tsp pepper (or to taste)
• 2 T fresh dill (chopped)

Melt the Butter: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Cook Onion and Garlic: Add the onion to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until aromatic.

Add Peas: Add the frozen peas and chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has cooked off.

Garnish and Serve: Garnish with lots of fresh dill. Serve with fresh lemon wedges, if preferred.

Inside Out Bacon Burger (30 of 150)

I love a good burger. I blame my mom for that. She loved a good burger too. And together we'd search and try burgers everywhere. We were both "traditionalist" in that just give us a good old fashion cheeseburger and sometimes add bacon. 

But trying to eat healthier means the bread part of the burger is "off limits" sorta. So tonight I tried a burger that was turned inside out. 

Basically a bacon burger without the bun. Simple recipe, delicious ingredients to add to burger. I actually pan fried these. In fact, in the middle of it the power went out for about a minute. Long enough for me to go out and start the grill. By the time I opened the back door to come back inside, the power came back on. 

I didn't change anything really in this recipe. I took a short cut with the bacon and used the zap in the microwave for 30 seconds type. I just didn't want to buy a lb of bacon for a couple of slices. 

In rereading the ingredients I completely missed the soy sauce in the burger. Oh well. Next time. I used a Mexican blend shredded cheese instead of cheddar (it's what I had on hand). And put a couple of dollops of sugar free BBQ sauce. 

All in all, I'd make this again. I didn't miss the bun and really enjoyed the onion, burger, BBQ combo (secretly I thought it needed fried onions on it - next time maybe). 

The photo from Ruled.me looks so much better!

Inside Out Bacon Burger

Recipe from Ruled.me

Serves 6

• 1.5 lbs Ground Beef
• 8 Slices Chopped Bacon
• 1/4 c Cheddar Cheese
• 2 T Chopped Chives
• 2 tsp Minced Garlic
• 2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 T Soy Sauce
• 1 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Worcestershire

In a cast iron skillet, cook all your chopped bacon until crisp. Once cooked, remove and place on paper towel. Drain grease separately and save.

In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, 2/3 chopped bacon, and the rest of the spices.

Mix meat and spices together well, then form into 9 patties.

Put 2 Tbsp. Bacon Fat into cast iron and place patties inside once fat is hot.

Cook about 4-5 minutes on each side (3-4 patties at a time), depending on the doneness you want.

Remove from pan, let rest for 3-5 minutes, and serve with cheese, extra bacon, and onion if you'd like.

Carne Asada Burrito Bowls (29 of 150)

Bowl shows two portions

When ever I go to a Mexican restaurant I order one of two things: Chili Colorado or Carne Asada. I rarely branch out from those two meals. I've tried many a Carne Asada recipes and each one is never quite like what you get in a restaurant. I've given up that dream for the most part. 

This recipe for a bowl isn't exactly low carb. But I was watched it all week and I felt this was ok. I need to be able to eat carbs, and I have to learn to live with them. I was careful with my portions and am ok with this choice. 

The great thing about this recipe is it's excellent for meal prep. I made enough for at least two more lunches. Each one has less rice and beans then dinner did, but more meat. I can't wait. 

I didn't make the cilantro lime rice. I just made the Trader Joe's frozen basmati rice. It's simple and is enough for three servings. I think in hindsight the cilantro and lime would have boosted the flavor. Next time. 

Carne Asada Burrito Bowls

Recipe from Baking Mischief

Serves 4

Carne Asada

• 1/2 c orange juice bottled is fine
• 1/2 c soy sauce low-sodium is fine
• 1/4 c lemon juice bottled is fine
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 2 T lime juice bottled is fine
• 2 cloves garlic pressed or diced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground chipotle chili pepper OR 1 tsp finely chopped canned chipotle pepper optional
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro chopped about 3/4-1 cup very loosely packed
• 1 1/2 pounds skirt, flank, or flap steak

Rice

• 1 1/2 to 2 c chicken broth
• 1 c long-grain or extra-long-grain rice
• 1 lime zested and juiced keep juice and zest separated
• 1 T (14g) butter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 c chopped loosely packed cilantro divided

Burrito Bowls

• 1 15-ounce can black beans drained
• 1 15-ounce can corn drained
• 1/2 c shredded Mexican-blend cheese
• 1 large tomato diced
• 1/2 c guacamole
• 1/4 c sour cream

Carne Asada Marinade

Stir together all marinade ingredients. Place meat in a gallon plastic bag or large container and pour marinade over the meat. Marinate for at least 4 hours, up to about 24*, flipping the meat once halfway through.

Cilantro Lime Rice

In a saucepan or rice cooker, cook rice according to package instructions, replacing the water with chicken broth and adding lime juice, butter, and salt when you add the rice.*

After rice has finished cooking, stir in half of the lime zest and cilantro. Taste and add more lime and cilantro to taste.

Burrito Bowls

Adjust top oven rack so it is about 4 inches from the heating element. Heat broiler on high and place meat on a foil-lined heavy-duty baking sheet or broiler pan. Broil for 4 to 6 minutes per side, until done or an instant-read thermometer reads 135°F for medium-rare, 145°F for medium.

Allow meat to rest for 5 to 10 minutes while you heat the rest of your burrito bowl ingredients. Slice carne asada across the grain into strips.

Divide cilantro rice between bowls or food prep containers. Top rice with meat and the rest of your burrito bowl toppings. Serve and enjoy.

Greek Chicken Kabobs (28 of 150)

More chicken. It's the food of healthy eating. I get really tired of chicken and so I have to find yummy marinades to make it more interesting and yummy. Did I already say yummy?

Greek chicken is one of my favorite marinades. This one was interesting in that I don't recall using red wine vinegar in other Greek marinades. The combo with Greek yogurt and vinegar made this a very delicious and savory marinade. The Greek yogurt really gets into the chicken and keeps it moist.

I had it marinading for 2 hours though. The recipe only says 30 minutes and that just doesn't seem like enough.

And I find it amusing the one recipe that actually calls for kebabing, I don't kebab. I'm a confusing person. 

I didn't make the Tzatziki sauce. I figured it would be fine without it. And besides Tzatziki makes me want to put it on piece of pita. 

Greek Chicken Kabobs

Recipe from Modern Honey

Serves 4

2 lbs. Chicken Breast (cut into large bite-size pieces)

1/2 c Greek Yogurt

3 T Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

3 T Fresh Lemon Juice

1 T Red Wine Vinegar

2 tsp Dried Oregano

1 1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

Tzatziki Sauce:

1 1/2 c Greek Yogurt

2 T Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1 T Fresh Lemon Juice

1 T Red Wine Vinegar

3 Garlic Cloves (finely minced)

1 large Cucumber (peeled, grated, and squeezed to release water from cucumber)

1 T Fresh Dill (chopped)

1 tsp Salt (or more to taste)

Cut chicken breast into large bite-size pieces. In a medium bowl, make the marinade by mixing Greek Yogurt, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, oregano, spices, and red wine vinegar.

Toss the chicken in the marinade and refrigerate and let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes - 2 hours.

Once the chicken is marinated, thread the chicken on the skewers. Add peppers and onions, if so desired.

Preheat the grill to a medium- high heat. To ensure the chicken kabobs don't stick to the grill, lightly brush the grill with olive oil. Cook until chicken registers 165 degrees, about 6-10 minutes, turning at least once.

To make Tzatziki Sauce:

In a medium bowl, mix together Greek Yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, cucumber, dill, and salt. The key is to squeeze out as much water from the grated cucumber as possible. I used Fage 2% Greek yogurt but the fat-free version works well too. Taste for seasoning and salt accordingly. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Serve with warmed Naan bread and a Greek Salad.

Carne Asada Marinade (27 of 150)

Carne asada recipes are a dime a dozen. Every cooking blog I follow seems to have one or two. I, myself, have 9 recipes that involve carne asada in some way. 

I am always looking for that perfect carne asada recipe that makes it taste like it does in the restaurant. And I'm starting to think it's like the DoDo Bird...it doesn't exist.

It hit me tonight that instead of trying to find "THE" recipe, just keep going out for carne asada and be happy when you do. 

That being said, I'm still going to make these recipes because you never know. 

This recipe was easy and delicious. I used tritip because that's what I had in the freezer. I cut it in cubes and skewered it. I did add salt to the recipe because I used low sodium soy sauce and sometimes it needs a little something. 

I marinaded the beef for 3 hours and I feel like that was the right amount of time. 

 Carne Asada Marinade

Recipe from Baking Mischief

Serves 4

Marinade

• 1/2 c orange juice bottled is fine
• 1/2 c soy sauce low-sodium is fine
• 1/4 c lemon juice bottled is fine
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 2 T lime juice bottled is fine
• 2 cloves garlic pressed or diced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground chipotle chili pepper OR 1 tsp finely chopped, canned chipotle pepper optional
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro chopped, about 3/4-1 cup very loosely packed

Combine and stir together all marinade ingredients. Transfer meat into a large plastic bag or container and pour marinade over the top. Marinate for at least 4 hours, up to about 24, flipping the meat once halfway through.

Heat grill to medium-high heat and cook to your desired doneness.

Grilled Italian Lemon Garlic Chicken (26 of 150)

Another night eating low carb. Another chicken marinade. I do love a chicken marinade and kebab'ing it so more flavor per chicken piece is available. 

This was just an average marinade to me. It was good, but not great. Would I make it again? Maybe? With so many other marinade recipes I have yet to try, it's unlikely I'd go back to this one. 

But the nice thing with this one is most the ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. 

Grilled Italian Lemon Garlic Chicken

Recipe from The Country Cook

Serves 4

• 1 gallon Ziploc bag
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 T fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Place all the ingredients (minus the chicken breasts) into the Ziploc bag.

Seal it up and mix all the ingredients together by shaking the bag.

Then add in the chicken breasts and seal the bag again (removing as much air as possible), then massage the marinade into the chicken.

Refrigerate for at least two hours.

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (to about 350f degrees.) Make sure your grill grates ar eclean so the chicken doesn't stick.

Place marinated chicken on the grill and discard any excess marinade.

Close lid on grill and cook each side of the chicken for about 7-9 minutes per side. Keep an eye on the grill temperature that it doesn't get too hot.

Chicken is cooked when it reaches 165f degrees (measure the thickest part of the meat.)

The Best Hot Dog Chili (25 of 150)

Every  now and then a good hot dog sounds yummy. I know! I know! Hot dogs aren't that healthy, but man, they just need to fill a craving once in a while.

I've been trying to eat more low carb lately and so I made these and did not include the bun in my meal. I sooo wanted to, but I had to be an adult about it. I still dressed it with diced white onion and cheese though. Tomorrow's lunch will have dill pickles diced over it along with the onion and cheese.

This was an easy meal to make and I suspect the leftovers tomorrow for lunch are going to be really yummy. This is the first time I've ever made chili without beans. I know some Texans out there would say this is the ONLY real way to make chili, and they might be right. 

The only modification I made was WAY less cumin. I'm not a huge fan of cumin so 1 tablespoon seemed like over kill to me. I used 1 teaspoon and it felt like too much for me. I did add an extra tablespoon of chili powder too. Spicy! I used El Tapatio hot sauce instead of cayenne. 

The Best Hot Dog Chili

Recipe from South Your Mouth

Serves 8

• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 T olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 6-oz can tomato paste
• 2 c water
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 T cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 1 lb lean ground chuck (90/10 or leaner) - If you use anything like 80/20 your chili is going to be greasy. Find the leanest you can. I used 90/10 and it had more grease than I would prefer. 

Sauté onions in oil (just enough to cook them in) over medium heat in a saucepan for 5 minutes or until golden.

Add garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes.

Add tomato paste then stir and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the paste just starts to brown on the bottom of the pan.

Add water then stir well to deglaze the pan. Add chili powder and remaining spices then whisk until smooth.

Add ground beef then stir the meat into the liquid with a whisk or fork. Once the meat and sauce are uniformly combined, bring to a low boil.

Cover and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Remove lid then continue simmering, uncovered, for 30 additional minutes or until chili has reached desired thickness.

Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

Beef Vegetable Soup (24 of 150)

Its been a blustery winter day today in Seattle. I had hail and some serious torrential downpour. News said we might see a skiff of snow. So when the weather is like this, I like a hot bowl of soup. 

This Beef Vegetable soup fit the bill perfectly. It's a easy, no fail recipe that your cupboards probably have all the ingredients.

The original recipe over at The Cozy Cook has this soup thick. Almost stew like and she serves hers over mashed potatoes. 

For me, I'm trying to cut back on the carbs, so opted to keep this soup like instead of stew like. We'll say more brothy. 

Her recipe uses frozen veggies, which to be fair some of you may have a half of a bag in your freezer. I did not, so I pulled a can of Veg All and a small can of green beans out of the pantry. 

I didn't dredge my meat in flour since, again, I'm trying to keep the carbs lower. I really don't think that would have made too much difference in this soup at all. If you want to thicken it, her recipe includes a cornstarch slurry.

Finally, I didn't put brown sugar in my seasoning mix. Mostly because I skipped right past it, but I also am...say it with me...cutting down on carbs.

This recipe makes A LOT. It serves 10. I cut my by 1/4 and I still have enough left overs for two or three more meals. 

Beef Vegetable Soup

Recipe from The Cozy Cook

Serves 10

Beef Seasoning

• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/3 tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ tsp garlic powder
• ¾ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• ¼ c flour

Soup

• 2 lbs. chuck roast, see note 1
• 3-6 T olive oil
• ½ c dry red wine, See Note 2.
• 4 T cold butter, separated
• 1 c yellow onion, diced
• 3 T Tomato Paste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig rosemary, or ½ tsp dried
• ¼ tsp ground sage
• 7 c beef broth, or 6 for crock pot to account for liquid reduction on stove
• 1 tsp better than bouillon, or 1 beef bouillon cube
• 2 ½ cups frozen peas/carrots/corn/green beans
• ¼ cup Cornstarch + ¼ cup cold water
• 2-3 drops Kitchen Bouquet Browning + Seasoning Sauce, (Optional)- Adds an even richer darker color.
• Chopped parsley, to garnish

Season and sear the meat on each side until just browned on the outside, leave the middle red and cold. Transfer to a plate.

Deglaze the pan with red wine and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot. Let the liquid reduce by half.

Add butter and onions and soften for 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add browned beef, rosemary, bay leaves, sage, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and beef bouillon. Cover and leave a small crack for steam to escape. Simmer gently for 2 hours.

Bring to a boil and add cornstarch + cold water mixture. Reduce heat and add frozen vegetables. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and remove bay leaf + rosemary stem. If desired, swirl in 2 tablespoons cold butter for a smooth, velvety finish. Serve with Mashed Potatoes or Biscuits.

Chopped Italian Salad (23 of 150)

This is the second dish I brought to Sunday dinner tonight. The first being bread that was delicious. I rarely get to bring salads to Sunday dinner, so I figured since it was at the Pantry Goat's house it was a perfect time to do just that. 

I used this Chopped Italian Keto Antipasto Salad from Wholesome Yum as the inspiration for my salad. 

My version of this recipe turned out pretty good. In fact I have leftover ingredients that it may be lunch tomorrow.

Chopped Italian Salad

Made up by me

Serves 6

8 oz Hard Salami (chopped)

8 oz Fresh mozzarella balls - I used the small pearl size balls

2 c Grape tomatoes (halved)

1/2 c Kalamata olives

6 c chopped romaine lettuce

Dress with Olive Garden Italian dressing.

In a large bowl, mix it all together.

Carbone’s Garlic Bread (22 of 150)

Photo from Plan
Chicken

Sunday dinner tonight. Theme was Italian. It was at The Pantry Goat's house. I opted to bring bread and
a salad. 

This bread was fantastic. I'd make this again in a heart beat. 

I don't know who Carbone's is, but I have to say they make good garlic bread apparently, if this recipe is even close to what their bread is like.

Carbone’s Garlic Bread

Recipe from Plain Chicken

Serves 8

1 (12-oz) baguette, sliced lengthwise

6 T unsalted butter, softened

1 T olive oil

1 tsp crushed red chili flakes

1 tsp dried oregano

4 cloves garlic, smashed into a paste

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

⅓ c grated parmesan

1 T finely chopped fresh chives

Heat oven broiler on HIGH.

Place baguette cut side up on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Stir together butter, olive oil, chile flakes, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Spread evenly over cut sides of baguette and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Broil until golden and slightly crisp, 2–3 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with chives. Cut into 2-inch slices.

Roasted Cauliflower (Low Carb) (21 of 150)

Photo from Kicking Keto

You know I've learned that cauliflower is often a love or hate kind of vegetable. If I polled my friends I'm sure half would make a face and half would love it. 

I have to like cauliflower. At least, cooked. Not a fan of raw cauliflower. I don't cook it as much as I'd like. More often I buy it and it sits in the fridge and starts stinking the place so I have to toss it. 

But this time I made sure I used it. I'm trying to eat healthier and so I have to really expand my vegetables. Especially low carb ones. 

This recipe was yummy. I have a feeling it'll make the rotation. I wasn't sure about the mayo Dijon combo, but it turned out to be delicious. And what isn't good with parmesan cheese, butter and lemon? I mean, really. As with every time I use I use parmesan I highly recommend NOT using the pre-shredded. Get a block and shred it yourself. It melts so much better.

Roasted Cauliflower (Low Carb)

Recipe from Kicking Carbs

Serves 6

1 head cauliflower

1/3 c mayonnaise

1 T Dijon Mustard

Salt and Pepper

2 T butter melted

1/4 c fresh grated Parmesan

1 T lemon juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 420 degrees.

Cut cauliflower into florets and place in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and Dijon Mustard. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the mayonnaise over the cauliflower and toss to combine.

Spread in a single layer on a roasting pan or on an oven safe cooling rack sitting on a cookie sheet.

Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until tender.

Transfer to a bowl. Top with melted butter, Parmesan, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir and serve warm.

In case you're keeping track:

Calories: 161kcal

Carbohydrates: 5g

Protein: 4g

Fiber: 2g

Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Tenders (20 of 150)

I have no idea why this is called Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken. I mean, maybe Cracker Barrel has something like this on their menu. 

This wasn't a great recipe. I thought for sure this would have more flavor with the Italian dressing, but it really didn't. 

Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Tenders

Recipe from Plain Chicken

Serves 4

• 2 c Italian dressing
• 2 T lime juice
• 6 T honey
• 2 lb chicken tenderloins

Whisk together Italian dressing, lime juice, and honey.

Place chicken in a ziplock freezer bag. Pour marinade over the chicken and refrigerate a few hours to overnight.

Prepare the grill.

Remove chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade.

Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.

Sweet Heat Chicken (19 of 150)

Sweet heat indeed! I think my mouth is still confused. I like the sweet and savory combination and I think I expected that from this recipe. 

I'm not sure what drew me to this recipe when I found it on the interwebs. When I put the marinade together today I kept thinking I better have a back up meal planned because this was just weird. 

Hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce? It made me think of a throw back to BBQ shrimp from New Orleans. Bottom line, this recipe was awesome! Awesome. It's a perfect flavor combination. Super easy marinade to throw together and most people have these ingredients in their pantry. 

The hot sauce part of this recipe I didn't think through ahead of time. I should have bought something like Frank's. Instead I used El Tapatio, which was fine in my opinion. Franks would give a different flavor profile for sure. Tabasco would be too vinegar-y I think, I'd stay away from that.

Sweet Heat Chicken

Recipe from Plain Chicken

Serves 4

1 c hot sauce

¼ c Worcestershire sauce

2 T white vinegar

2 T minced onion

2 T minced garlic

2 T olive oil

6 T brown sugar (I used Swerve Low Carb Brown Sugar as a replacement)

2 pounds chicken tenders

Whisk together first 7 ingredients. Pour over chicken and refrigerate for 4 hours, up to overnight.

Remove chicken from marinade and grill until done, approximately 4 minutes per side.

Slow Cooker Texas Chili (18 of 150)

Photo from Food Network

What could be better on a winter day than chili? I have a great chili recipe that I use when I make Frito Lollies.  But every now and then I want to try another chili. Today was jus that day.

Food Network recipes are usually solid. And this one is too. It's easy to make, you just need 7 hours to do it in.

I swapped out Swerve Brown Sugar (low carb) for the brown sugar in this recipe. Every little bit helps right? Other than that, I kept the recipe the same. 

Slow Cooker Texas Chili

Recipe from Food Network

Serves 8

2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes

2 T packed light brown sugar

Kosher salt

2 T vegetable oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, smashed

2 4 .5-ounce cans chopped green chiles, drained

1 T ground cumin

3/4 c chili powder

1 14 -ounce can diced tomatoes with chiles

1 to 2 T green hot sauce

Sliced scallions, fresh cilantro and/or sour cream, for topping

Tortilla chips, for serving (optional)

Toss the beef with 1 tablespoon each brown sugar and salt in a large bowl. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the beef in batches until browned on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes (do not crowd the pan). Transfer to a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion to the skillet and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chiles, cumin and chili powder and cook 3 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water and the tomatoes and simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker, cover and cook on low, 7 hours.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar and the hot sauce to the chili. Serve with scallions, cilantro and/or sour cream for topping, and chips, if desired.

Per serving: Calories 482; Fat 29 g (Saturated 11 g); Cholesterol 117 mg; Sodium 1,227 mg; Carbohydrate 11 g; Fiber 0 g; Protein 36 g

Use the leftover chili to make Chili-Corn Casserole.

Smothered Chicken (17 of 150)

Photo from
Salt & Lavender

Tonight's recipe was a birthday dinner for the beasties. I realize they won't be eating dinner, but when I asked what they wanted, they said Smothered Chicken. 

Ok, not really. Smothered Chicken just came up in the random selection. 

This is a good recipe. Very comfort-y. I had a potato left from another meal so I made mashed potatoes to go with the gravy. I mean, what else would go with that thick, luscious gravy? 

I made no substitutions. The only thing I did, like all my recipes, is cut it in half. 

Smothered Chicken

Recipe from Salt and Lavender

Serves 4

• 2 large chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 c flour
• 1 T garlic powder
• 1 T onion powder
• 1/2 T paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper see note
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T butter
• 1 medium-to-large onion sliced
• 1 c chicken broth
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 c heavy cream

Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have 4 thinner cutlets. Season each piece with salt & pepper on both sides.

Add the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper to a bowl and give it a good stir. Measure out 2 tablespoons of this seasoned flour and put it in a small bowl - you will use it later to thicken the gravy.

Add the oil to a skillet over medium-high heat.

While the pan heats up, add the flour from the larger bowl to a plate and then coat each piece of chicken it (you will have some leftover flour to discard).

Add the chicken pieces to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes/side (golden but not quite fully cooked through). Transfer chicken to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter to the skillet. Once it's melted, add in the onions and cook until softened and golden (about 15-20 minutes. It'll depend how thin the onions are sliced and vary from skillet to skillet - I use cast iron). Stir every couple of minutes, and if the onions appear to be burning vs. slowly browning, turn the heat down.

Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of flour into the pan. Cook for about a minute, stirring constantly.

Add in the chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce and stir until the flour has dissolved and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan, then stir in the cream.

Add the chicken back to the pan and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through (165F) and the gravy has thickened a bit. You may need to increase the heat a bit to get it going again.

Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately.

Chicken Shawarma Bowls (16 of 150)

I have a fond memory of shawarmas. The first one I ever had was in Saudi Arabia. Mom and I had just gotten there and Dad took us out to this little hole in the wall shop. We were excited to try something new. Dad explained to us what a shawarma was and how they were made. 

He grabbed the three wrapped bundles and we headed back to the car to eat them. We took our first bites and all you heard was "mmmm". Then more bites. Then, "WTH? There's a cold French fry in mine," says my mom. And sure enough, I had a cold fry in mine as well. Dad chuckled and said, "You never know what you'll get in them." That would have been useful to know before. 

This recipe was so very yummy. After my first bite, I heard myself saying, "MMMM".  Now, I didn't make bowls for this. I had some Middle Eastern Naan that I had found and so I wanted to use that instead. 

I grilled the chicken after marinading it for 3 hours. I chopped it into smaller bite size pieces, like what you'd see in a street taco. I warmed the naan, spread the bottom with Tzatziki, layered shredded lettuce and diced cucumber (I would have put tomatoes, but they had gone bad) and topped all that with the chicken. Wrapped it and ate it. 

Oh man. I will be dreaming about this one. 

Chicken Shawarma Bowls

Recipe from Taste Better From Scratch

Serves 6

Marinade:

• 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 2 lemons , juiced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
• pinch ground cinnamon
• crushed red pepper flakes , to taste
• 1 red onion , roughly chopped

For the Bowls:

• 1/2 cup hummus , or whole chickpeas
• 1 English cucumber chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes , halved
• 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
• fresh parsley leaves , chopped, for garnish
• feta cheese crumbles , for topping, optional

Tzatziki Sauce:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 small piece English cucumber , peeled and diced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper , to taste

Mix the shawarma marinade ingredients together and marinate the thighs for at least one hour or overnight.

Cook the jasmine rice according to package instructions. Make the tzatziki sauce by combining all the ingredients in a bowl.

When ready to cook the chicken, preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a baking pan, remove the chicken from the marinade and place the chicken thighs and chopped red onion on the pan.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until baked through. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before slicing thinly.

To serve, add a scoop of cooked rice to the bottom of your bowl. Top with chopped chicken and red onion, a few cucumbers and tomatoes, and a scoop of tzatziki sauce and hummus. Top with fresh chopped parsley, feta cheese, a little crushed red pepper, if desired.

Cheddar Green Olive Dip (15 of 150)

Photo from Dinners, Dishes
and Desserts

As a kid, my Grandma Spaid used to give me a half of a bagel with cream cheese smeared on it and then topped with chopped green olives. Mom ate it too. And now, as an adult, I've had it on occasion. It's one of those things that I crave. Eat it for a week and then I'm done.

This recipe took that simple cream cheese and olives to the next level.

I made this for book club and there were leftovers. Today, instead of crackers, I stuffed some left over celery with it...oh man. That was tasty. I also think using this with carrots, or GAH, on an apple slice! 

Cheddar Green Olive Dip

Recipe from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts

Serves 8

• 1 (8 oz) block of cream cheese, softened (1/3 less fat is fine)
• 1/2 c mayo, (I used light)
• 1 1/2 c cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 (7oz) jar STAR Pimiento Stuffed Manzanilla Spanish Olives, drained and coarsely chopped

In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients. Mix until everything is evenly distributed. Pour into an air tight container. Let set for at least 3 hours before serving.

Serve with crackers either hot or cold.