Chicken Parmesan Pizza

I know, noodles on pizza? Believe me, its great!!

I love it when I throw leftovers together and discover something delicious! I had a leftover grilled chicken breast, and some homemade marinara (love fresh tomato season). Eldon loves chicken parmesan but there wasn't enough chicken for individual, so......

My stand by pizza crust, either make a half batch, or divide in half for two pizzas.
Thinly slice grilled chicken breast (I warmed in microwave before putting on pizza)
cook 1/4 pound angel hair pasta, drain and mix with enough red sauce to coat.
2-3 cups mozzerella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
spaghetti sauce (about 1 1/2 - 2 cups)

Pat dough into pizza size crust (I used a foil pizza pan for size). Preheat grill. Put pizza crust on preheated grill (about 400 degrees). YOu can leave it in the pan, but I like the grill stripes on it. Let cook about 5 minutes--it will puff up, but still be white. Take off grill and flip onto pan or plate, so cooked side is now up. Spread sauce coated angel hair on crust. Sprinkle half cheese over noodles. Top with chicken slices, then remaining sauce, sprinkle with parmesan (I didn't measure, just sprinkled over top), then remaining mozerella. Put back on grill for another 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. EAT and ENJOY. You could also cook this in the oven as you would a regular homemade pizza, spread crust, put on toppings and bake until done.

PIZZA CRUST
2 pkg yeast
2 C warm water
5 C flour
4 TB olive oil
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
Dissolve yeast in water, stir in remaining ingredients (by hand or in mixer). Beat vigorously 20 strokes, let rest 5 minutes. 425 degrees 15-20 minutes (in oven)

Bacon-Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

Here is another "Best Bites" winner! Delicious! (I cut the chicken chunks first, then figured out how much bacon I needed from that...easier to deal with unused bacon than unused chicken breast)

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

About 8 oz. lean bacon, NOT thick-sliced (thick bacon is too hard to work with in this recipe)

1 large can pineapple chunks (you won't use all of them)

Homemade Teriyaki sauce (the best!) or Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste and Glaze

Kebab skewers or toothpicks

The easiest way to handle the bacon situation is to remove it from the package and while it's still all stuck together, stretch it out a little (lengthwise). If you're using center-cut bacon (and the "slab" is not as wide as regular bacon), just cut it in half. Otherwise, use kitchen shears to cut the slab into thirds. Refrigerate until ready to use, partially because it's easier to work with cold bacon and partially because you don't want to kill any dinner guests with dead pig germs.

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. You can gauge about how many pieces you'll need by how many pieces of bacon you have; you probably won't use all the bacon, but you'll need about 8 oz. or 2/3 of a standard-sized package of bacon. So count the bacon pieces and keep that in mind when cutting up your chicken.

Drain the pineapple and set up a little work station with skewers, bacon, chicken, and a 9x13 baking dish (for big skewers) or a sturdy Ziploc bag (for toothpick skewers). Wrap a piece of bacon around a chicken piece, secure with toothpick/skewer, and top with a chunk of pineapple. Repeat twice if using large skewers.

When all chicken pieces have been sufficiently staked, pour Teriyaki sauce over everything, reserving about 1/4 c., and marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, no longer than about 8.

Preheat grill; when about 350-400 degrees, place skewers on grill and baste with reserved Teriyaki sauce. Cook about 7 minutes and flip skewers. Baste again and cook another 7 minutes.

*If serving at a party, you can keep the appetizer-sized skewers warm in a crockpot set to low or an electric roaster set to 170 degrees.

**If cooking in oven, preheat oven to 400 and bake about 20 minutes, turning once, following the same basting instructions.

Roast Chicken with Olives and Potatoes

Lately I have had a thing for Kalamata olives.  I LOVE them.  So when I found some whole chickens on sale for 77 cents a pound, I couldn't pass them up and went looking for a way to combine my love of olives with the chicken.  I found this recipe and it is delish.  Not so pretty, but the olives and potatoes together melt in your mouth and the chicken if fabulous.  I also love the easiness of roasted whole chicken.  I used dried thyme leaves because I didn't plan ahead and it turned out good too.

Ingredients:

• 1 7-pound roasting chicken
• 6 tablespoons olive paste (olivada) - Recipe Below or you can buy already made.
• 2 bay leaves
• Olive oil
• 4 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 4 medium russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives

• Fresh thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 450°F. Slide hand between chicken skin and meat over breast and legs to form pockets. Spread 4 tablespoons olive paste over breast and leg meat of chicken. Spread remaining 2 tablespoons olive paste in cavity of chicken. Place bay leaves in cavity. Tie legs together to hold shape. Rub olive oil into chicken skin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons thyme. Place chicken in large roasting pan.

Place potatoes in large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons thyme. Add potatoes to pan with chicken. Roast 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and roast 1 hour longer. Add olives to pan. Continue roasting until juices run clear when chicken is pierced in thickest part of thigh, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 10 minutes.

Transfer chicken to platter. Surround with potatoes and olives. Sprinkle with additional thyme. Pour chicken pan juices into large cup and degrease. Serve chicken, passing pan juices separately.

Olivada:

1 1/2 cups pitted Kalamata olives (about 8 ounces)

4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Combine olives, rosemary, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper in processor. Blend until olives and garlic are chopped finely. With machine running, add 4 tablespoons oil through feed tube and blend until coarse paste forms. (Olivada can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to small bowl, cover, and refrigerate.)

Apricot Chicken

Sorry no picture. This is another fast, easy and very delicious recipe. Portions are for two to three people.

1 pound chicken tenders
3/4 cup apricot preserves
1/2 envelope onion soup mix (use the other half to mix with sour cream and make chip dip!)
1/8 cup mayo

Combine preserves, onion soup mix, and mayo. Place chicken in 13x9 pan and spread preserves mixture over top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Serve chicken and juices over steamed white rice. Try a green salad and hot rolls on the side.

Poblano Chicken Chowder

Thank you Paula Deen for your love of butter, cream and all things yummy! This is a good one.

1/4 cup olive oil
3 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 large onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
5 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/8 cup minced garlic
2 to 3 small poblano peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, or more to taste
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
3 quarts chicken broth
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, minced
3 cups diced (large pieces) grilled chicken
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or more to taste
1 cup heavy cream

Directions
Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, poblano peppers, salt, white pepper, cumin, and thyme. Saute for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.

Stir in the chicken bouillon. Add the chicken broth and cilantro, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Stir in the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chowder is thick and the chicken is heated through.

Shortly before the chowder is done, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes to cook the flour. Do not allow the mixture to brown! Ladle 1 cup of the hot liquid from the stockpot into the skillet, whisking constantly. When the first cup of liquid is incorporated, add another 2 cups of liquid, 1 at a time. Pour the mixture in the skillet into the stockpot, whisking to blend.

Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes longer, or until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the hot sauce, then the cream, and serve.

Chicken Noodle Pasta Toss - Rachel Ray

Serves 4

Kind of like chicken noodle soup without the soup part. For some reason there were no herb seasonings in this recipe. I added fresh thyme and dried marjoram to taste and it turned out great.


Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt and ground black pepper
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
4 ribs celery from the heart, cut into matchsticks
2 small zucchini, cut into matchsticks
1 pound extra-wide egg noodles (I used Pennsylvania Dutch brand)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 box frozen peas (10 ounces), defrosted

Preparation
Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil for the egg noodles. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with the EVOO. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 6-7 minutes.

Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pan, and cook until the veggies start to soften, 3-4 minutes. Toss the zucchini into the pan along with some salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook another 2-3 minutes until all the veggies are tender.

While the meat and veggies are cooking, drop the noodles into the boiling water and cook to al dente according to package directions. Drain the noodles and return them to the pot they were cooked in. Add the butter to the pot and give everything a good toss to melt the butter and coat the noodles. To serve, spoon some noodles into bowls and top with the chicken and veggie mixture.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Here's a quick recipe for great tortilla soup. I'm so excited it's getting cooler outside because this is outstanding and warms you up!

INGREDIENTS:
1 small onion - diced
1 T. oil
2 garlic cloves - minced
1 T. chili powder
2 t. cumin
1/2 t. oregano
1 bay leaf
6 C. chicken stock
1 t. sugar
1/4 t. pepper
1 14.5 oz can chopped tomatoes
2 chicken breasts - chopped and raw
1 1/2 C. corn

DIRECTIONS:
Saute onion in oil. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and bay leaf. Saute one minute. Add chicken stock, sugar, pepper and can of tomatoes. Bring to boil. Add chicken and corn. Simmer until chicken is cooked.

May be made the day before and refridgerated. Heat through before serving.

Garnish with sour cream, tortilla chips, red onion, avocado and monterey jack cheese.

Chicken Caesar Wrap

This is one of my favorite Body For Life super fast summer meals. For added kick I slice up tomatoes and throw them in too!

Serves 2

Prep time: 10 min

2 portions of grilled chicken breast, sliced (to save boatloads of time buy the "pre-grilled" fully cooked strips at the store)

2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

2 Tablespoons low-fat Caesar salad dressing (or not low-fat)

2 Tablespoons reduced-fat Parmesan cheese

spinach tortillas

1. Toss together the chicken, lettuce, Caesar dressing, Parmesan cheese and tomatoes (if desired)

2. Microwave tortilla for about 20 seconds to soften. Spoon chicken mixture onto tortilla

3. Wrap tortilla around filling and cut in half. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken, Broccoli, & Cashew Stir-Fry

This is a good recipe if you don't overcook it. Lots of flavor and textures. Some may want to add regular soy sauce because this is lower in sodium and some don't like that.

3 c sm broccoli florets w/ short stems
2 lg carrots, cut into thin diagonal slices (2 c)
5 oz soba noodles (or whole wheat thin spaghetti)
1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP minced fresh ginger
3 lg cloves garlic, minced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced crosswise
1 TBSP reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
3 med scallions, thinly sliced (I used green onions)
1/2 c reduced-sodium, fat free chicken broth
1/2 c raw, unsalted cashews, lightly toasted

Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add broccoli, carrots and noodles. Cover and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, 3-5 min. Drain, transfer to medium bowl, and cover loosely w/ waxed paper.
Heat olive oil, ginger, and garlic in wok or large nonstick sillet over med-high heat. Cook, stirring until garlic starts to turn golden, 1-2 min. Add chicken, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Stir fry 4-5 min or until cooked through. Add scallions and stir fy 1 min.
Stir in noodles, veggies, and broth and heat through. Sprinkle each portion w/ 2 TBSP of the cashews.

Croissant Chicken Sandwiches

This is like the chicken sandwiches at Arby's, so you don't really have to put them on croissants, but it sure does taste good!

INGREDIENTS:
1 C Mayonnaise
1 C Miracle Whip
1/2 C Ranch
4 C Chicken cooked, chopped

Following to taste:
Apple peeled, chopped (any sweet apple)
Celery sliced
Almond Slivers
Grapes (seedless) cut in half (either red or green, red tends to be sweeter)
salt and pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients together and serve on croissants. May add a leaf of lettuce.

Baked Chicken Picadillo

I can't take credit for this one...it comes from a woman in our ward, China Garcia. She is originally from Cuba and this is so very delicious. I was a little wary about the raisins, but they definitely added something and would be missed if left out.

3-4 lbs. bone-in chicken pieces, skin removed
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil (I found one to be enough)
Salt and cracked pepper to taste
1 cup chopped white onion
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup diced red bell pepper
6 garlic gloves, peeled and crushed (oh yeah baby)
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 1/2 tsp. mild curry powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (I used dry and it tasted great too)
1/2 tsp. cracked pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. raisins
1 16 oz. can whole tomatoes, squashed
1-2 cups chicken stock or defatted canned broth

Preheat oven to 350. If you have a 3 qt. pan that can be used both on the stove top and oven, that works great...otherwise you'll need a pan for stove top and 3 qt. casserole dish for the oven. Melt butter in 1 tablespoon olive oil over moderate heat. Brown chicken pieces, sprinkling sparingly with salt and pepper. Set browned chicken aside.

In remaining 1 tablespoon oil (I just used whatever was left in the pan and didn't add more), cook onion, peppers and garlic until translucent. Add the rice, stirring to coat well. Add the curry, cumin, thyme, pepper, sugar raisins and tomatoes. Put the chicken back in the casserole and bake for about 1 hour until done. Add chicken broth as needed to keep the casserole moist.

Chinese Chicken and Wild Rice Salad

This salad is SO delicious. All of the flavors combined make it taste like it belongs in a fancy restaurant but it is so easy and quick! You will love it.

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 orange
2 cups cooked California wild rice, cooled
2 cups snow peas, blanched, cut in 1/2 diagonally
1/4 c slivered sweet red bell pepper
1/4 c cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1/4 c roasted cashew pieces
lettuce or shredded Chinese cabbage

Dressing:
1 clove garlic, minced
2 TBSP low sodium soy sauce
2 TBSP sesame oil
2 tsp sugar
Grill or pan fry chicken breasts, cool slightly and cut into thin slices.
Remove peel and white membrane from orange. Slice and cut into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, combine chicken, orange, wild rice, snow peas, red pepper and cilantro.
Whisk together dressing ingredients. Pour over salad mixture and toss lightly to combine. Serve on lettuce or Chinese cabbage. Sprinkle with cashews.

Southwest Chicken Wraps

This isn't quite as good as the chicken wraps at PF Chang's China Bistro, but this recipe is DELISH!

2 tsp. olive oil

1 lb ground turkey or ground chicken breast meat

1 med red pepper, chopped

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

salt

1 C mild salsa

1 15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Boston lettuce leaves

1/2 C plain nonfat yogurt or Greek yogurt

In a 12 in skillet, heat olive oil on medium 1 minute. Add chicken or turkey meat, red pepper, chili powder, cumin, and 1/8 tsp salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat loses its pink color throughout. Stir in salsa and beans; cook 5 minutes to blend flavors and heat through.

Arrange lettuce leaves on dinner plates. Divide meat mixture evenly among lettuce leaf cups. Top each lettuce cup with a dollop of yogurt. Fold leaves over mixture and eat wraps out of hand.

NOTE: I couldn't find Boston lettuce at my local grocery story, so I just used regular Iceberg lettuce. I guess it wasn't strong enough because the wraps fell apart and were very messy. You definitely need the stronger Boston lettuce leaf to make this meal. Still tasty though.

Curried Chicken Salad

I got this recipe out of the Good Housekeeping magazine that comes to my office. Wasn't too sure about it, but both my husband and I loved this new twist on chicken salad. Of course, I am pregnant and eat anything and everything, so keep that in mind! It really is pretty good though.

1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast

1 med. onion, cut into quarters

Salt

1/4 C. plain nonfat yogurt

1/4 C. light mayonaiser

1 Tbsp lime juice

1 1/2 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. grated, peeled fresh ginger (I used ginger powder & it was fine)

1 1/4 C. seedless red (or green) grapes, cut in half

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

Romaine lettuce

Place chicken breasts in deep 12-inch skillet. Add onion quarters, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and enough water to cover chicken; heat to boiling on high. Remove skillet from heat; cover and let chicken sit in poaching liquid 20 minutes or until chicken loses its pink color. Transfer to cutting board & dice when cooled.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, curry powder, ginger & 1/4 tsp salt until well blended. Stir in grapes and celery.

Add diced chicken to mixture in bowl; toss to coat. Serve salad right away, or cover and refrigerate to serve chilled. Spoon chicken salad onto romaine to serve.

Chicken and Rice with Cilantro-Poblano Sauce

I just made this recipe. It is very flavorful but not too spicy. The huge chile looks scary but it is mild. It seems like a lot of steps but it goes together quickly and is YUM.

Chicken and Rice with Cilantro-Poblano Sauce

½ c chopped green onions, divided

¼ c fresh cilantro leaves

½ tsp sea salt, divided

¼ tsp black pepper, divided

1 (14 oz) can fat free, less sodium chicken broth, divided

1 poblano chile, seeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced and divided

2 T olive oil, divided

1 (8 oz) package sliced cremini mushrooms

1 cup uncooked long grain rice

½ c water

1 tsp ground cumin

2 T chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1 T butter

4 (6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch chunks

Combine ¼ c green onions, cilantro leaves, ¼ tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, ½ c broth, chile and 1 garlic clove in a food processor; process until blended.

Heat 1 T oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ¼ c onions, mushrooms and remaining garlic to pan, saute 2 minutes. Add cilantro mixture, remaining 1 ¼ c broth, rice, ½ c water and cumin to pan; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 min until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 min; Add parsley to rice mixture.

While rice is cooking Heat remaining 1 T oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle chicken with the remaining ¼ tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Add chicken to pan and cook until brown all over. Remove chicken from pan and add to the rice mixture. Fluff with a fork.

Thai Chicken Pizza

O.k., I'll start this all off with one of my all time favorite recipes...Thai Chicken Pizza by Rachel Ray. It's delish!

Thai Chicken Pizza

1 pizza dough, any brand

1/2 cup duck sauce or plum sauce

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 package (2 cups) shredded provolone or Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 rounded tablespoonful peanut butter

2 teaspoons hot sauce

2 teaspoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning) eyeball it

4 chicken breast cutlets, 1/2 pound

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar

1/4 seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks

4 scallions, chopped

1 cup bean spouts,

a couple of handfuls Palm full cilantro leaves, chopped

1/4 cup chopped peanuts, 2 ounces

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Form pizza crust on pizza pan or cookie sheet. Top with duck or plum sauce - spread it around like you would pizza sauce. Sprinkle the pizza with some crushed red pepper flakes then top with cheese and peppers. Bake until golden and bubbly, 15 to 17 minutes.
Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine vegetable oil, soy sauce and peanut butter with hot sauce and grill seasoning. Use the microwave to loosen up peanut butter if it is too cold to blend into sauce, 10 seconds ought to do it. Add chicken and coat evenly with mixture. Let stand 10 minutes then grill chicken cutlets 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until firm. Slice chicken into very thin strips.
While chicken cooks, mix honey and vinegar and add the cucumber. Turn to coat evenly.
Top the hot, cooked pizza with chicken, scallions, sprouts and cilantro. Drain cucumbers and scatter over the pizza. Garnish pizza with peanuts, cut into 8 wedges and serve.