Herbed Chicken Breast with Tomatillo Salsa and Queso Fresco

Wow! It seems like it's been ages since I've updated the ol' blog here. I suppose that is because we really have not had anything new and/or notable lately; with the exception of this chicken dish. We did have a couple other new dinners, but they were 'meh' and not worth the time it would take to post. We are really watching our budget, so I have been limited on the types of ingredients I can buy. Pricy foodstuffs just aren't in our plan right now. It really hasn't been a huge imposition either; I am falling back on old standards rather than new and exciting stuff. I can only be so creative on a strict spending moratorium. However, old standard recipes usually means more family-friendly dinners and getting food on the table faster...so that's an unexpected bonus. We have a big (exciting) family change coming up, so I am focusing more on life right now and not cooking as a hobby.

For now, I am posting when I feel like it and leaving it at that. I will update here and there; but probably not as frequently going forward. My blog is just going to have to be on the back-burner again for awhile. I'm okay with that.

Anyway, here is the latest new dinner we tried and really liked. This recipe is a Claire find from a Cooking Light cookbook. I didn't have Queso Fresco, so we made due with Monterrey Jack cheese. Either way, it was really yummy and post-worthy.

Chicken Breasts with Tomatillo Salsa and Queso Fresco
From: Cooking Light, January 2005 (The Best of Cooking Light Everyday Favorites cookbook)

Ingredients:
Salsa:
2 quarts water
1/2 pound tomatillos (about 10 small), husks and stems removed
1 garlic clove
1/2 to 1 serrano chile
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Chicken:
3 (1-ounce) slices white bread
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled queso fresco cheese
Cilantro sprigs (optional)
Lime wedges (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare salsa, bring water to a boil. Add tomatillos, garlic, and chile; cook 7 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Combine tomatillos, garlic, chile, chopped cilantro, onion, lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor or blender; pulse 4 to 5 times or until coarsely chopped. Set aside.

To prepare chicken, place bread in a food processor, and pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 1/2 cups. Arrange crumbs on a baking sheet; bake at 350° for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, cumin, and red pepper; sprinkle evenly over chicken.

Place breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Place egg in another shallow dish. Dip chicken in egg; dredge in breadcrumbs.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Top chicken with salsa, and sprinkle with queso fresco cheese. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and lime wedges, if desired.

Nutritional Information:
Amount per serving (yield 4 servings)
Calories: 364
Calories from fat: 26%
Fat: 10.7g
Saturated fat: 3.2g
Monounsaturated fat: 4.5g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1.6g
Protein: 47.1g
Carbohydrate: 17.7g
Fiber: 2g
Cholesterol: 162mg
Iron: 3mg
Sodium: 770mg
Calcium: 169mg



The Result:
This review is kinda superfluous, since I am only posting stuff we like; but I am going to do it anyway. This was really good and my kids loved it. We has a bunch of the salsa leftover, which kept well in a sealed container in the fridge for a couple of weeks. It was the perfect condiment with chips and lunchtime bean burritos that I often make up on the fly. Great recipe!!!

Grilled Mac and Cheese with BBQ Pulled Pork Panini

(Warning: This recipe should not be considered "health food" or "healthy" in any way, shape, or form.)

This. was. decadent. Ooey-gooey, melty, saucy, sandwich-y perfection. My friend, Claire found the recipe on a website we both love called Panini Happy. She made this sandwich a week or so ago; and once she reported back on the sheer deliciousness I knew it had to be ours, too. The husband and I fed the kids first, and then oohh'ed and aaahh'ed over each bite.

Grilled Mac and Cheese with BBQ Pulled Pork Panini
From: Cooking Claire via PaniniHappy.com

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
4 cups prepared macaroni and cheese, warmed
2 onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup barbecue sauce
2 cups prepared pulled pork
8 slices sourdough bread
12 slices sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)

Directions:
Spread the macaroni and cheese in an 8-inch-square baking dish to about 3/4 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 45 minutes. Cut the macaroni and cheese into squares that are slightly smaller than the bread slices.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine the barbecue sauce and pulled pork in a saucepan over low heat and cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes.

Preheat the panini grill to medium-high heat.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and brush on one side of each bread slice. Flip over half of the bread slices; layer 1 slice of cheddar, 1 macaroni-and-cheese square and another slice of cheddar on each. Top each with one-quarter of the pulled pork and caramelized onions and another slice of cheddar. Top with the remaining bread slices, buttered-side up.
Working in batches, cook the sandwiches until the cheese melts and the bread is golden, about 5 minutes.



The Result:
In a word...YUM!

(PS- It may be a good idea to consult a Cardiologist before consuming this sandwich.)

Lasagna Cupcakes

This was a cheap, easy, and DELICIOUS version of lasagna that
my friend, Claire posted on her blog a week or so ago. The recipe seemed so family-friendly I knew I had to try it right away. Oh man, I am glad I did...we LOVED these fantastic lasagna cupcakes!


Lasagna Cupcakes

Source: CruftBox.com via the Cooking Claire

Ingredients:
24 won ton or gyoza wrappers
Marinara sauce
1 lb. Italian sausage or ground beef
Ricotta cheese
Mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Spray or wipe a cupcake/muffin tin with olive oil. Place one wrapper in the tin form it into a cup shape. Add a small dollop of pasta sauce then some sausage. Add a spoonful of ricotta cheese. Once you filled in the first layer, gently press another wrapper on top of the ricotta layer, forming another cup. Repeat the filling and top each with shredded mozzarella.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.





The Result:
As I said, these are awesome! I deviated from the instructions a little and just combined my Italian sausage and sauce together. I don't think it really made much of a difference, because our cupcakes turned out great! Yum, yum, yum!

Marinated Grilled Chicken Legs

Our local grocery store had chicken legs on sale this week. Usually, I'm kinda stumped when it comes to chicken legs, but I remembered my friend, Claire had just posted this recipe on her blog not so long ago. How fortuitous! I had something new to do with chicken legs and an inexpensive dinner idea. Score!!!

Marinated Grilled Chicken Legs
From: Cooking Light, June 2005; By: Marie Meyer

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons basil oil
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
8 chicken drumsticks (about 2 1/4 pounds), skinned
Cooking spray
Green onion strips (optional)

Directions:
Combine the first 11 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill.

Remove chicken from bag, reserving marinade. Place reserved marinade in a small saucepan; cook over medium heat 3 minutes. Place chicken on grill coated with cooking spray; grill 30 minutes or until chicken is done, turning and basting occasionally with reserved marinade. Garnish with green onion strips, if desired.



The Result:
This marinade was fantastic! Seriously, these were probably the best chicken legs I have ever made. The marinade could be applied to other chicken pieces, I'm sure; but it was great on the legs. Admittedly, my two little chicken legs look kinda forlorn and misshapen sitting in the glass dish all by themselves. We had plated up our dinner and I almost forgot to take a photo. Rather than hold everyone up I decided to snap a quick pic of the remaining chicken legs...which were not the beauties of the bunch. They may have looked a crazy, but they tasted awesome!

Turkey Reuben Burger with Jen's Thousand Island Dressing

This is a Cooking Light recipe that was supposed to be a meatball sub of sorts. I decided to morph their sandwich into a burger, since I forgot to buy hoagie rolls during my weekly grocery shop. Thankfully, I did have some sandwich thins on hand and I find a burger is easier for my kids to eat anyway. Win-win!

Turkey Reuben Burger
Adapted From: Cooking Light, December 2010; Alyson Haynes

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons paprika, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1.25 lbs. ground turkey
Cooking spray
4 whole wheat hamburger buns
1 1/3 cups packaged coleslaw
1/4 cup reduced-fat Thousand Island dressing (I made my own--see below. Adjust the quantity based on how saucy you like it.)
4 slices of Swiss cheese

Directions:
Preheat broiler.

Combine 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, coriander, and next 6 ingredients (through turkey). Shape into 4 hamburger patties. Place burgers on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray, and broil for 6 minutes on each side, or until done.

While the burgers cook, combine the coleslaw, dressing, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon paprika in a separate bowl. Set aside.

Arrange the cooked burger on a bun with 1 cheese slice (leave the top of the bun face up). Place the sandwiches on broiler pan, and broil for 1 minute or until cheese melts and bread is toasty. Divide coleslaw mixture among the sandwiches for topping and finish with the toasted bun lid.

***************************************************

Here is my recipe for the dressing/sauce:

Jen's Thousand Island Dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of light mayo
1/4 cup of dill relish
1/3 cup of ketchup
1/4 cup of diced onions
1 or 2 tablespoons of chili sauce (Adjust the amount based on how spicy you like it; I used an Asian chili sauce.)
1 teaspoon of paprika
a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate. This dressing should keep for about a month in a sealed container in the fridge.



The Result:
These burgers were fantastic!!! I really love a good Reuben sandwich, and this recipe totally satisfied my Reuben fix. I had to substitute chopped Napa cabbage for the coleslaw mix, so I did some tinkering. I used the cabbage like lettuce, and just used our dressing as a condiment. These burgers were pretty darn perfect.

Mary's Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

Now that the weather is getting hot, I start thinking about recipes that don't require me to use our regular oven as much. Anything that can be cooked on the grill, or in the slow cooker, comes in handy in the depths of the scorching Arizona summer. The last thing I want to deal with when it is 467 degrees outside (and my kids are crazy from being cooped up inside all day) is a warm kitchen. I seriously don't know how people coped with living in this climate before air conditioning was invented. I guess they were a lot tougher than I am...I don't think I would have made it.

Thankfully, my friend Mary passed along this tasty and easy soup recipe that fits into my idea of summer cooking. Whenever one of our friends needs a dinner, Mary takes them this fantastic meal in a bowl. It has become a meal support staple among our mom's group. I love that it is made from all things that we usually have on hand; which is a bonus on a busy night. Just throw it in the slow cooker and dinner makes itself without fuss...and without making the house unbearably hot.

Mary's Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts (frozen are okay)
2 cans corn (I used frozen corn)
2 cans chicken broth (14oz)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can stewed tomatoes (blended)
1 can cream of potato soup
1 can green chiles
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 can tomato sauce (8oz)
16 oz light sour cream
1 handful of chopped cilantro, for garnish
tortilla chips, for garnish
diced avocados, for garnish
additional shredded cheese, for garnish

Directions:
Put all ingredients in the crock pot, with the exception of the sour cream, cheese, and cilantro. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Take out the chicken and shred it. Add the tub of sour cream (***temper in the sour cream so it doesn't curdle***). Garnish the soup with cilantro, cheese, avocados, and chips.

The Result:
I forgot to take a photo, but this soup looked and tasted delicious. I actually used frozen, precooked chicken strips that I found in the waaaaaaaaayyyy back of my freezer. Seriously, I don't even remember buying these chicken strips. Anyway, we all loved this creamy soup and this is something that I will make again and again.