Greek Chicken Souvlaki

Photo from Downshiftology

In my attempt at eating healthier, it means I eat a lot of chicken. And chicken for me can be BORING. So I'm always on the lookout for marinades that add flavor, but no significant calories. 

I often order Souvlaki in Greek restaurants. It's yummy. And this recipe was equally as yummy and easy. This is a solid recipe and a good marinade. 

What really made this recipe was the tzatziki! Where has that been all my life? I know I had it before, but not as a side like this. 

Greek Chicken Souvlaki

Recipe from Downshiftology.com

Serves 4

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 recipe tzatziki sauce

Add the chicken, oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper to a large mixing bowl. Stir together. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat the grill on medium-high heat. Then thread the marinated chicken pieces onto skewers (about 8 to 9 pieces per skewer makes 6 skewers).

Cook the skewers on the grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Served the grilled chicken souvlaki with the tzatziki sauce.

Cheesy Onion Chicken

Photo from Plain Chicken

I love French's Fried Onions. I especially like them on a burger. So when I read this recipe I thought it'd make a great coating for chicken. And you know what? I was right. 

I dredged these bad boys like it says. I cooked them on a rack instead of just flat on cookie sheet. I flipped them half way through too so it got crunchy all the way around. 

These were good. I'd make them again if I had French's Fried onions in the house.

Cheesy Onion Chicken

Recipe from Plain Chicken

Serves 4

• 2 lb chicken tenders
• 1 (2.8-oz) package French’s fried onions, crushed
• ¾ c grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ c panko bread crumbs
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 T mayonnaise
• 2 T water
• ¼ cup flour

Preheat oven to 400º F. Line a baking sheet with non-stick foil. Set aside.

Combine crushed fried onions, parmesan cheese, panko bread crumbs, and garlic powder in a shallow dish.

Whisk together eggs, mayonnaise and water. Pour into a separate shallow dish.

Place flour in another shallow dish.

Dip chicken tenders into flour. Shake off excess. Dip into egg mixture and then coat in fried onion mixture. Place on prepared pan. Lightly spray chicken with cooking spray.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Au Jus Mushroom Rice

Photo from 
Plain Chicken

It's been a while since I've made a rice dish that wasn't just plain rice. If I make rice pilaf it's usually by opening a box and pouring it's contents into boiling water. 

Rice on the stove never turns out for me. I have a flat top stove and trying to regulate the heat is next to impossible for me, so the rice is usually over done (dry) or under cooked (soggy). Thus, my rice is made in a rice cooker almost all the time. Except when I've bought the Jasmine Frozen Rice from Trader Joe's. That stuff is amazing. 

This recipe was good. When/if I did it again, I'd not use beef stock and just stick to water. The au jous packet gives plenty of beef flavor. The two combined made it a little salty. 

I cooked the mushrooms for about 5 minutes before I put in the rice to cook. I wanted a bit more "char" on my mushrooms. 

Au Jus Mushroom Rice

Recipe from Plain Chicken

Serves 6

• ¼ c butter
• ½ lb sliced mushrooms
• 1½ c long grain rice, uncooked
• 3½ c beef broth
• 2 T dried minced onion
• 1 (1-oz) package au jus gravy mix
• ½ tsp oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and rice. Cook until rice is golden, about 5 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat too low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, until rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed.

Perfect Pot Roast

Photo from Life In the
Loft House

Another pot roast recipe tried. It's not my favorite, but it was good. I'm going to keep my tried and true pot roast with onion soup mix. It's the best. 

This recipe was ok. I cooked it on high for 6 hours because I forgot to put it in earlier. 

I put the carrots in when there was about 3 hours left. Those turned out perfectly soft and so mushable...I loved it. 

Perfect Pot Roast

Recipe from Life in the Loft House

Serves 6

• 2 to 3 pounds boneless rump roast
• 2 cans (10 ounces, each) cream of mushroom soup
• 1 packet dried Lipton Onion soup mix
• 1 beef bullion cube

Place all ingredients into a large, greased slow cooker (I use a 7 quart).

Cover with lid and cook on low heat for 9 to 10 hours, or on high heat for 6 to 8 hours.

Shred roast then serve with the gravy it creates. We like to serve ours over mashed potatoes or on top of toasted hoagie rolls. Enjoy!

Keto Chocolate Chip Muffins

In all the recipes I've tried that calls for Almond Flour, I've generally not been a fan. Especially bread of any type. I keep trying them though hoping that I'll stumble on a recipe that is good. 

I have found one! Yipee. 

This recipe is simple and delicious, even with almond flour. It's also the first time using sugar free chocolate chips. I had Hershey sugar free chips on hand, so that's what I used. I am amazed at how good they are. 

Overall, this one is going into the "favorites" list for this year. If you're looking to lower your sugar intake and maybe eat something low carb, I highly recommend these. 

A serving size is one muffin. 200 calories, 6.3 g carbs, 3 g fiber and 10 g protein. Not too shabby. 

Keto Chocolate Chip Muffins

Recipe from All Day I Dream About Food

Makes 12 muffins - maybe. I only got 10 out of this batch

• ½ cup sour cream
• 3 large eggs
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup Swerve Brown lightly packed
• 2 ½ cups almond flour
• ⅓ cup unflavored whey protein powder (can sub egg white protein)
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp mini keto chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a standard metal muffin pan with 12 parchment paper liners. You can also use silicone liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the sweetener and whisk until well combined, breaking up any clumps with the back of a fork.

Add the almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, and salt and stir until well mixed. Stir in ⅓ cup of the chocolate chips

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffins cups and top each with a few more mini chips. Bake 18 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch.

Remove and let cool in the pan.

Chicken Marsala

And...another chicken marsala recipe. I wonder how many I've made over the years. Let's see.

1. Chicken Marsala on the Lighter Side (2015)
2. Chicken Marsala (2019)
3. Creamy Chicken Marsala Pasta (2023)
4. Chicken Marsala Over White Rice (2021)
5. One Pot Creamy Chicken Marsala Pasta (2024)
6. Chicken Marsala Meatballs (2019)
7. Chicken Marsala (2021)
8. Quick Chicken Marsala (2021)

Wow. That's a much larger list than I thought. There are also a bunch of other proteins I've made "marsala". 

I like the flavor marsala wine adds to a dish, sweet and savory. This recipe wasn't very different from any of the others I made. I got heavy handed with the salt though. 

Chicken Marsala

Recipe from Little Sunny Kitchen

Serves 4

• 3 large chicken breasts boneless and skinless, sliced lengthwise into thin cutlets
• 1 teaspoon salt divided
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced thick
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• ¾ cup Marsala wine
• ¾ cup heavy cream

Season chicken with ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper, then dredge in flour and shake off any excess.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil and melt 1 tablespoon of butter on medium heat. Swirl pan to coat with oil and butter evenly.

Brown the chicken (do not overcrowd and work in batches if needed) for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer onto a plate, cover, and set aside

In the same skillet, melt the remaining butter, add the mushrooms and season with ½ teaspoon salt, cook and stir regularly for 3 minutes.

Add the garlic and saute for a minute or until it’s fragrant. Add the marsala wine, and deglaze the pan scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer and reduce the wine by half.

Adjust the heat to medium-low, and add the heavy cream to the skillet. Allow the sauce to simmer for a couple of minutes.

Return the chicken to the sauce to rewarm it, cook for 1 more minute then remove from heat. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve.

Panda Express Mushroom Chicken

I love the Mushroom Chicken from Panda Express. It's usually THE entre I order when (if) I go there. It's one of the lighter options they have so it's usually my go to. I haven't been there in years and this recipe made me think I needed to try it again. 

But instead of spending money on fast food, I made this instead. It was really good. Close enough to be called a "copy cat". It's definitely NOT what you'll get in Panda Express, its BETTER. 

Panda Express Mushroom Chicken

Recipe from Bake It With Love

Serves 4

• 1 lb chicken breasts (boneless, skinless - thin cut bite size chunks)
• 3 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
• 2 zucchini (medium sized - cut in half lengthwise, then into small slices)
• 8 oz white mushrooms (or crimini mushrooms - washed and sliced)
• ½ tablespoon garlic (minced, or use 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
• ½ tablespoon ginger (freshly grated, or use 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• ½ tablespoon brown sugar
• green onion (sliced - optional garnish)

In a medium size mixing bowl, add the sliced chicken and cornstarch. Coat the chicken pieces thoroughly with the corn starch.

Heat your wok (or large skillet or frying pan) with the peanut oil and sesame seed oil over medium high heat. Add the cornstarch coated chicken and cook for 4 minutes, turning to cook all sides. You should have light colored chicken pieces, with no pink showing when done.

Remove the cooked chicken from the wok, and set onto a paper towel lined plate.

Skim any debris from your cooking oil, then increase the temperature to high heat. Add the zucchini and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, or as needed.

Add the garlic and ginger once your vegetables are cooked and the zucchini is fork tender. Continue to stir fry for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

Return the chicken to your wok, and add the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice wine vinegar. Toss to coat thoroughly. Cook until the chicken is warmed through again, then serve immediately. Garnish with optional green onions.

Country Ranch Green Beans and Potatoes

Photo from Spicy Southern
Kitchen

My dad used to buy boxes of green beans when they were in season. Mom and him would pickle some, can some and then dad would make slow cooked green beans. Man, I loved them. 

He'd get a ham hock or use bacon and let them cook for several hours. The house would smell so good. It's a strong memory I have of him. 

This recipe reminded me of those green beans. They aren't slow cooked, but since you use canned green beans (which are my all time favorite) you get that same slow cooked texture. Yum. 

Don't skip cooking the bacon and using the bacon grease. That flavor is what makes this so good. 

Country Ranch Green Beans and Potatoes

Recipe from Spicy Southern Kitchen

Serves 4

• 2 T bacon grease
• 2 T butter
• 2 medium red potatoes, cut into a 1/2-inch dice
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• 1 (14-ounce) can green beans, drained
• 1 1/2 tsp Ranch seasoning
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce, optional

Heat bacon grease and butter over medium-high heat in a large pan.

Add potatoes and cook for 7 minutes, flipping them over halfway through.

Add onion and cook 3 to 5 more minutes, until potatoes are soft.

Add remaining ingredients and stir. Let everything warm through and then remove from heat and serve.

Mom's BBQ Sauce

Mom's BBQ Sauce is legendary in my childhood. It was what I asked for for my birthday dinners. Grilled drumsticks and Mom's BBQ sauce. She'd used to joke that it was a secret family recipe and I'd only get it on my wedding day. Like a dowry. 

Fast forward to me being an adult. Mom gave me the recipe and told me to not share it with anyone...ever. There was always a "secret" ingredient she'd never tell me about so if I did tell someone it wouldn't be the full recipe. I have no idea where she actually got this recipe or if she just made it up. We'll never know.

So here I am putting it on the blog WITH the secret ingredient. 

Mom's BBQ Sauce

Recipe from Jo (Mom) Wraspir

Makes about a cup of sauce

1 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon vinegar (I ended up using about 1/4 c vinegar. It was too sweet for me).

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce (the secret ingredient)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp celery seed

1/4 tsp garlic salt (I ended up using a full tsp)

1/4 c brown sugar

Combine all the ingredients. Microwave for 1 minute or cook it on the stove until it warms. Brush over meat. 

Not too surprisingly I did not cook it in the microwave or the stove. I just brushed the meat with it. 

Grilled Flank Steak

I feel like I have to have grilled steak at least a couple of times a month. Sometimes it's more often, but I really like grilled steak. And I like to marinate it. 

This was a solid marinade. Very similar to many others I've made. I marinated it for 5 hours. That seems to be the sweet spot for me for marinating. I dropped the skewer on the grill and didn't over cook it for a change. 

Grilled Flank Steak

Recipe from Carlsbad Cravings

Serves 3

• 1 1/2 -2 pounds flank steak
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 TBS EACH onion powder, garlic powder
• 1 tsp EACH paprika, pepper, red pepper flakes, dried dill weed
• 1/2 tsp EACH dried oregano, dried rosemary, ground coriander

Whisk marinade ingredients together in a freezer size ziploc bag. Reserve 2 tablespoons to use later. Add steak, press out excess air and seal. Massage marinade into the steak with your hands through the outside of the bag.

Marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours.

Preheat outdoor grill (or indoor grill pan) to medium-high heat, (450 degrees F when lid is closed).

Grill steak for 5-6 minutes per side, or until an internal thermometer reads 130-135 degrees F for medium rare or around 140 degrees for medium. Grill time will vary depending on thickness of your steak and desired level of doneness.

Remove the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Slice steak into thin strips against the grain (perpendicular to the long strands) or ½-inch cubes. Drizzle with the 2 tablespoons reserved marinade.

Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast

Photo from Cafe
Delites

I baked more times this week then I think I have in months. I rarely bake chicken. I'm more of a grill your chicken kind of girl. Yet, I did bake this chicken. 

This rub was just ok. Nothing special. If I made it again, I'd not put in the chili powder. It really overtook the flavor of the rub. 

I also didn't do the optional step with the butter, though in hindsight I wish I had. 

Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast

Recipe from Cafe Delites

Serves 4

• 1 T brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 4 large chicken breasts
• 1 T olive oil

OPTIONAL:

• 3 T butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
• 2 tsp fresh chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 425°F

Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound each chicken breast to 0.8-inch at the thickest part. Make sure your fillets are all the same thickness to ensure even cooking.

Combine sugar, paprika, oregano, salt, powders, pepper and chili (if using).

Line a baking pan with aluminum foil (or parchment/baking paper). Transfer chicken to the pan and toss chicken in the seasoning. Drizzle with the oil and rub seasoning all over to evenly coat.

Bake chicken in preheated oven for 16-18 minutes, or until internal temperature is 165°F using a meat thermometer. It should be golden with crisp edges.*

Remove parchment paper. Broil (grill) on high heat during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking until golden and crisp.

Remove pan from oven, transfer chicken to serving plates and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

OPTIONAL STEP: While chicken is in the oven, melt butter in a small skillet. Sauté garlic until fragrant (30 seconds), and remove pan from heat. Stir in parsley, then pour butter mixture into pan juices, stirring well to combine all of the flavors together.

To serve, drizzle pan juices over the chicken and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.

Mayo Parmesan Chicken

I've made something similar to this before. This one has only a couple of things different. Nothing that changed my opinion of this meal. 

It's just ok. It sounds good and it was good, but not great. I'm not a fan of putting chicken in the oven. I know, I'm weird. I'm a grill or sauté chicken kind of girl. 

I didn't have garlic (GASP! I know!) so I used garlic powder. I didn't put any salt in the mix either. Parmesan is quite salty so if you do add salt, be cautious.

Mayo Parmesan Chicken

Recipe from To Simply Inspire

Serves 4

• 1 pound chicken breasts boneless and skinless
• ½ c mayonnaise
• ½ c parmesan cheese
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 3 cloves garlic minced

Preheat oven 375° F

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray or

In a small mixing bowl, add the mayo, garlic, salt and pepper and stir to blend well.

Spread the mayonnaise mixture on top of each chicken breast.

Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over top of each piece.

Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is not longer pick and reaches an internal temperature of 165° F

Serve topped with additional parmesan cheese if desired.

Shish Tawook

Another meal being added to the favorites!  

Locally, there's a restaurant called Mediterranean Kitchen. Every time I go there I get their Shish Tawook (but no garlic sauce). And every time, I get extra hummus. They serve theirs with yellow rice that is so damn good I dream of it. The combo between a piece of chicken, some rice and a some hummus is THE perfect bite in all the bites. 

What is Shish Tawook? It's a Lebanese chicken skewer. It's got yogurt, spices, lemon juice and garlic. How could it not be good?

I marinated the chicken (as tenders not cubes) for 5 hours. I decided to not cube it since it'd be sitting in a acidic marinade for a bit and I'm not a fan of the texture chicken gets when it's been over marinated. 

I served mine with a warm flatbread and hummus. Side salad to round out the meal. It was fan-freakin-tastic. 

I've made two other recipes of Shish Tawook. One was just okay. The other was good, but not as good as this one.

Shish Tawook

Recipe from Little Sunny Kitchen

Serves 4

• ¾ cup plain natural or Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 pounds chicken breasts boneless and skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces

In a large mixing bowl, combine yogurt with tomato paste, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Give it a good mix so it's well combined.

Place the chicken pieces in the marinade, give it a mix so that the chicken is well covered, cover with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours in the fridge.

If you're using bamboo skewers, remember to soak them in water for at least 20 minutes. Thread the chicken onto the skewers, about 4-5 pieces per skewer.

Grill on an outdoor grill or a grill pan for about 4-6 minutes per side.

Korean Meatballs

Korean food is not something I eat a lot of. I like bulgogi and that's about all I've had. I like the flavors in Korean food and so when I saw this recipe I thought it'd be a fun one to try. 

And I was right!

Somewhat simple recipe but it packs a lot of flavor. The gochujang is so robust in it's flavor and it definitely puts off the heat. First time cooking with it, and I love it. 

If you don't know what gochujang is: 

"Gochujang or red chili paste is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from gochu-garu, glutinous rice, meju powder, yeotgireum, and salt. The sweetness comes from the starch of cooked glutinous rice, cultured with saccharifying enzymes during the fermentation process.

I can see why so many people get obsessed with this condiment. It's amazing. Better than, dare I say, sriracha. I suppose better isn't far, it's different and it's delicious. 

Ok. I'll stop gushing over gochujang. Make this recipe! 5 STARS! 

The sauce was spicy, the meatballs didn't appear that spicy. You can control that spice though by more or less gochujang. 

The ONLY change I made is used a keto friendly brown sugar and honey.

Korean Meatballs

Recipe from Dancearoundthekitchen.com

Serves 4-6

Meatballs

• 1 lb 80-85% lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon gochujang
• 2 tablespoon sliced green onions
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ c saltine crumbs (or panko bread crumbs)

Sauce + Garnishes

• ¼ c water
• ¼ c soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoon vinegar
• ½ c brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon gochujang
• ¼ c honey
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
• Sesame seeds and additional green onions for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl, add ground beef, gochujang, green onions, egg, garlic, ginger and saltine crumbs.

Use a wooden spoon or your hands to combine.

Scoop and roll about 1 inch meatballs; place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the center of the meatball reaches 160°F.

While the meatballs are cooking, make the sauce. In a medium-sized saucepan, whisk together the water, soy, cornstarch and vinegar. Then whisk in the brown sugar, gochujang and honey.

Place the sauce over medium heat, whisking frequently, until it reaches a boil. Let the sauce boil for 5 minutes and remove from the heat.

Once the meatballs are out of the oven, add them to the sauce and carefully stir to coat.

Garnish with additional sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

Creamy Chicken & Mushroom

Photo from Lemon Blossoms

There is nothing in this recipe that I don't like. I mean, what's not to like? Cream sauce, garlic, parmesan...Yum. 

So what did I change? Well, I put it over pasta. It just seemed right. 

I didn't use wine because I wasn't going to open an entire bottle for 1/4c, so I swapped it for chicken stock. 

Pro tip: for melting parmesan in a cream sauce, get a block of parmesan and grate it yourself. Bagged shredded or grated parmesan has drying elements to it and it just doesn't melt as well. 

Oh and I didn't dredge the chicken in flour. I figured it's not as necessary and I don't need the carbs with this carb heavy dinner. 

Creamy Chicken Mushroom

Recipe from Lemon Blossoms

Serves 4

• 2 large chicken breast boneless and skinless
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 c all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1-2 T olive oil
• 2 T butter divided
• 12 ounces mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 c dry white wine
• 1/2 c chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 c heavy cream
• 1/2 c Parmesan cheese
• Chopped parsley or finely sliced chives to serve optional

Slice the breast in half lengthwise to make 4 thinner cutlets. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season the chicken pieces with salt on both sides.

In a small shallow bowl, mix together the flour, garlic powder, and ground black pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture one by one. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken for about 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown and just cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm.

In the same skillet melt the butter and add the mushrooms. Cook stirring occasionally for about 4-5 minutes or until the mushrooms look soft and a bit golden on the edges.

Add the garlic and season lightly with salt and ground black pepper. Cook for about a minute.

Add the wine and cook scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook until most of the wine evaporates. Add the chicken stock and Italian seasoning and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until reduced by half.

Lower the heat to medium-low and stir in the heavy cream. Simmer for about 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir until incorporated in the Parmesan cheese and taste.

Return the chicken to the skillet and allow the chicken to warm up for about a minute. Season to taste and garnish with fresh chopped parsley or sliced chives and serve.

Perfect Chicken Tinga

Happy Monday. It's still hot here in Seattle so I'm trying to keep food cooking to whatever will not heat the house too much. 

I've never made chicken tinga in this form before. A thousand years ago, circa 2006, I made a Chicken tinga and papas soup. I remember it being delicious. 

This recipe was just ok. Not great. Not I've got to make it again, but just ok. 

Perfect Chicken Tinga

Recipe from The Salty Marshmallow

Serves 8

• 2 Chipotle Chilis in Adobo, *From a Can
• 1 14.5 Ounce Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
• 1 Medium Onion Cut into quarters
• 3 Cloves Garlic
• 2 T Olive Oil
• 1 ½ Pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Cinnamon
• ½ tsp Pepper
• ½ c Chicken Broth

Add the chipotle chilis, fire roasted tomatoes, onion, and garlic to the canister of a blender or food processor. Pulse for 1 minute, until smooth, set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat.

Lay the chicken breasts out on a cutting board and season evenly with the chili powder, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, cinnamon, and pepper.

Place the chicken in the pot and sear for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden.

Remove the chicken from the pot. Pour ¼ Cup of the broth into the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits.

Pour in the remaining broth, and the chili sauce from the blender.

Return the chicken to the pan and simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.

Shred the chicken in the pot and swirl around in the sauce to coat.

Serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Slow Cooker Steak and Gravy

It's been hot here and for some reason a crock pot recipe made sense. I didn't want to turn on the oven or anything that would add heat. 

This recipe was just ok. I don't know why I keep trying these. They never wow me. 

This recipe had an ingredient I've never seen nor heard of before. JUST when you think you've seen it all. 

Onion Gravy. Where has this been all my life? I had to go to a different store (Safeway) to find it. And I think I'm glad I did. It's not onion soup mix, but it is as salty so don't salt anything until you taste the gravy later. It has a nice, mellow onion flavor to it. Try it. 

I made one small modification to the recipe. See, I'm trying to eat the stuff in my freezer and I didn't have round steak. I did have stew meat that had been tenderized. So we went with that. It wasn't 3 lbs, but I never make the full recipe. I always cut it in half. (Well in this case I did not cut the gravy in half because it's impossible to do that with a packet of something.)

The tenderized cubes were too tender for this recipe at 8 hours in a slow cooker. They basically melted. I don't recommend them. 

Slow Cooker Steak and Gravy

Recipe from Butter Your Biscuits

Serves 8

• 3 pounds round steak see notes
• Salt
• Pepper
• 3 tablespoons Olive oil divided
• 1 large onion cut into chunks
• 2 packages onion gravy
• 3 cloves garlic smashed
• 2 cups water
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Heat a large skillet on medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season the round steak with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the round steaks into the skillet and brown for 2-3 minutes then flip and sear for 2-3 minutes then place into the slow cooker.

Add the remaining olive oil into the skillet then add the onions to get a brown, then place into the slow cooker.

Add in the garlic, onion gravy, water, and bouillon cube cook on low for 8 hours

30 minutes before its done mix the cornstarch with ½ cup of the gravy and mix to make a slurry. Add the slurry with the mushrooms to the slow cooker, give it a stir. Turn the slow cooker to high and cook uncovered for 20-30 minutes.

Serve over mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.

Crispy Parmesan Chicken Cutlets

I did it! I cracked the code on frying chicken cutlets and having the breading stick to it. To be fair, the Internet helped. 

The key is prepping the chicken with the coating 30 minutes before you plan on frying. The chicken is at room temp and helps the coating stick. I'm sure there's an official name for it, but there it is. 

This is a good recipe. The cutlets needed more salt, or more parmesan that is salty. Regardless, it was delicious. Left overs tomorrow are going into a salad. 

Crispy Parmesan Chicken Cutlets

Recipe from Abrightmoment.com

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 lbs. Chicken Breasts, boneless and skinless, sliced in half lengthwise
• 1 cup Flour
• 1 tsp. EACH: Salt, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, & Onion Powder
• 3 large Eggs, beaten
• 2 1/2 cups Panko Breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan
• 1 tbsp. Fresh or Dried Oregano
• 1 tbsp. Fresh or Dried Thyme
• 2 cups Cooking Olive Oil

Slice your chicken breasts in half lengthwise, or thinly slice into 2-3 pieces (depending on how thick the chicken is).

Use a meat hammer to tenderize the chicken and pound to about 1/4" thick.

Set up your station with three bowls. In the first bowl, mix the flour and seasonings together. In the second bowl, add the beaten eggs. In the third bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, herbs, and grated parmesan.

Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour mix, then the beaten eggs, then the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.

Heat up the cooking olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat to 350F.

Cook for 4-6 minutes on each side, until crispy and golden brown. Remove to drain on a paper towel lined wire rack.

Keep warm in the oven at 250F for up to 1 hour before serving.