do chickens have fingers?

I realized that from what recipes I usually post it may look like we eat nothing but cookies.

In my dream world that would be true, but, alas, it is not real life.

This is a recipe that comes from Cook This, Not That, Kitchen Survival Guide.

I’m a big fan of this book series. I feel like I’m reading a horror novel when I read about restaurant entrees that have about 1500 calories.

This is a recipe for chicken fingers which uses panko (japanese bread crumbs) which I am also becoming a huge fan of because of its wonderful crispiness without being fried.

Healthified Chicken Fingers

1 lb, boneless, skinless chicken tenders (I just slice up chicken breasts)

Salt and Pepper to taste

3 egg whites lightly beaten

2 cups panko

Preheat oven to 450. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the egg whites in a shallow bowl. Place the crumbs on a plate and season those, too. (I used some season-all here.) Dip the chicken tenders into the egg, then toss in the crumbs being sure to coat fully.

Place the breaded chicken pieces on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crumbs have browned and the chicken in firm.

ham and fresh tomato quiche

We have a great crop of tomatoes and I did an internet search for something new to put them in. We love quiche and this was savory and yummy.

My changes: I used a little skim milk instead of the half and half. I was out of parsley so I left it out. I used some onion powder instead of onions because the kids don’t eat things when they can see the onions. And I used a mexican blend shredded cheese because it was already shredded.

Ham and Fresh tomato quiche

Total Time: about 60 minutes Source: about.com

Ingredients:

• 1, 9-inch pie crust, unbaked (I just made my own)
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• dash nutmeg
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar or Swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped ham

Preheat oven to 400° F.
Pierce unbaked pie crust several times with fork; set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, and seasonings. Sprinkle cheese, vegetables, and ham over unfilled pie crust. Pour in egg mixture. Bake at 400° for 45 to 60 minutes, or until nicely browned.
Serves 6 to 8.

Balsamic Chicken with Pears

Copy and Pasted from www.whatscookingamerica.net Definitely something that will be used over and over.

6 chicken breasts halves (3 to 4-ounce each), boneless and skinless*
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot or green onion, chopped
2 medium pears, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 cup chicken broth or stock (all fat removed)
1/4 cup good-quality aged balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup dried tart cherries

* The U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as food agencies in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, advises against washing poultry. Rinsing chicken will not remove or kill much bacteria, and the splashing of water around the sink can spread the bacteria found in raw chicken. Cooking poultry to 165 degrees Fahrenheit effectively destroys the most common culprits behind food-borne illness.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. One at a time, place the chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, carefully pound the chicken breasts to a uniform thickness of approximately 1/2-inch. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and saute, turning once, for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove from heat and transfer to a platter, cover, and keep warm.

To the same pan, add the shallot and saute over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until soft; decrease heat to medium and add the pears. Continue sautéing, stirring occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes, until the pears are soft and golden brown.

To prepare the sauce, combine chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Pour over the pear mixture; add the cherries. Increase heat to high and simmer, stirring frequently for 6 to 8 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan. Bring the mixture back to a simmer; decrease heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (juices will run clear when cut with the tip of a knife). Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Remove chicken from heat.

This is the type of thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking. I get many readers asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking and baking. I, personally, use the Thermapen 5 Thermometer (show in the photo on the right). Originally designed for professional users, this super-fast thermometer is used by chefs all over the world. To learn more about this excellent thermometer and to also purchase one (if you desire), just click on the underlined: Thermapen 5 Thermometer

Place the chicken on individual serving plates or on a large platter. Using a slotted spoon, mound the fruit over the top. Spoon the sauce over the fruit and around the chicken. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Balsamic Chicken with Pears - Nutritional Information

I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the below information. All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician before starting a new fitness regimen.

Item	Amount	Fat Grams	Carbohydrate Grams	Calories	WW Points
chicken breast	6 halves	9	0	778.9	16
olive oil	1 TB	14	14	40	2.4
shallot	1	0	1.7	7	0.6
pears, medium	2	1.4	50.2	196	4.5
chicken broth	1 cup	0.5	0	20	0.9
balsamic vinegar	1/4 cup	0	2.4	20	0.9
sugar	2 tablespoons	0	24	96	2.4
cornstarch	2 teaspoons	0	3.6	26	1
cherries, dried	1/4 cup	.4	43	217	4.8
Recipe Totals		25	150.9	1400.9	33.5

Recipe makes 6 servings.

Each Serving Totals - 4 Fat Grams, 26.2 Carbohydrate Grams, 233 calories, 5.5 WW Points

crock pot sweet and sour chicken

Despite what the recipe called it. I didn't think this tasted like sweet and sour chicken. It was a good saucy chicken in its own right, but not like any sweet and sour I have tasted.

The only changes I made was to cut the breasts in half so they would absorb more sauce, and after it was done I took some of the sauce out, added some corn starch, and brought it to a boil to make it thick. The kids really liked it with that sauce on top.

Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken

from the Ivory Family Favorites Cookbook

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tblsp. vinegar

2 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce

4 Tblsp. Soy sauce

Place chicken breasts in crock pot. Combine other ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours. Serve with rice.

chicken supreme

I know that this picture is not that appetizing. I really had no idea how to style this one for a picture. Let me just say this: three kinds of meat, one of which is BACON. That got Scott's attention. This was the main course of his Father's Day dinner.

I got this out of The Essential Mormon Cookbook, and we thought it was really good. Even the kids ate it. (I halved the recipe and baked it in a 8 inch square pan)

The recipe also called for 8 chicken breasts and then says to wrap bacon around the halves. I really think that it meant to call for 8 chicken breast halves in the ingredients.

This is also a great one for after church because it bakes while you are gone.

Chicken Supreme

2 (2.5- ounce) packages smoked, sliced pressed beef (lunch meat)

8 slices bacon

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves

2 cups sour cream (I used fat free)

2 (10 3/4 -ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup ( I used the reduced fat)

Put beef slices in a greased 9x13 inch pan. Roll a strip of bacon around each breast half. Fasten with toothpick. Layer over beef. Combine sour cream and concentrated soup. Pour over chicken. Cover. Refrigerate overnight. The next day bake, covered, at 300 for 3 to 4 hours. Serves 8.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

I found this in the Taste of Home Holiday magazine. I have not tried it, but plan on using tomorrow for St. Patrick's Day. I wanted to do it since it is a Crock Pot dish, I love Crock Pot dishes.

1 Medium onion, cut into wedges
4 Large red pototoes, quartered
1 Pound baby carrots
3 Cups water
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Bay leaf
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon pepper
1 Corned beef brisket with spice packet (2 1/2 - 3 pounds), cut in half
1 small head cabbage, cut into wedges

Place the onion, potatoes and carrots in the 5 qt slow cooker. Combine the water, garlic, bay leaf, sugar, vinegar, pepper and contents of spice packet; pour over vegetables. Top with brisket with brisket and cabbage.

Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf before serving. Yield: 6-8 servings.

something green: hearty split pea soup

It would take a professional food photographer to make this soup look yummy in a photo.

I thought we should have some green recipes for St. Patrick's Day this week. This is referred to as "that green soup" around here so this fits the bill.

Besides being downright delicious let me tell you what else I love about this recipe: one serving (1/2 cup) has only 198 calories , 11 grams of fiber (wow!) and 15 grams of protein. It also only has 2 grams of fat, only a trace of that being saturated fat.

All that, plus its easy to make. I love it.

I found it in The Taste of Home Cookbook on page 75.

Hearty Split Pea Soup

Prep: 15 minutes CookTime: 1 1/2 hours

1 package (16 ounces) split peas

8 cups water

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 large onions, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 cups cubed fully cooked lean ham or cooked corned beef

1/2 cup chopped celery

5 teaspoons reduced-sodium chicken bullion granules

1 teaspoon dried majoram

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/2 - 1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

In a large Dutch oven or soup kettle, combine all ingredients; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until peas and vegetables are tender.

Yield: 12 servings (3 quarts)

(This reheats very well and I can eat it for lunch all week.)

mexican lasagna

I'm am constantly on the look-out for casserole recipes that do not include cream-of-something soup in the ingredients. I picked up the recipe for this at the grocery store and decided to give it a try.

It was good, and the kids actually ate it. Bonus. We don't normally eat corn tortillas but I really liked them as the "noodle" layer of the lasagna. The cottage cheese was also good in it. I think next time I may put in more salsa or a can of tomato sauce to make it a bit more saucy. I also put in a can of beans to up the protein and fiber.

Mexican Lasagna

1 lb lean ground beef (I always use at least 93% lean)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

2 1/2 cups thick'n'chunky salsa

1 can (11 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

12 corn tortillas (6 inch) divided

1 container (16 oz) cottage cheese (I used fat-free)

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 can (2 1/4 oz) sliced pitted ripe olives, drained (left this off mine)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375. Brown meat in large skillet on medium heat; drain. Return meat to skillet. Add onions and peppers; cook until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Add salsa, corn and seasonings; mix well.

Layer one third of the meat mixture and one half each of the tortillas and cottage chesse in 13x9-inch baking dish. Trepeat layers; cover with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and olives.

Bake 30 minutes or until heated through.

Makes: 8 servings

crock pot roasted chicken and vegetables

This is actually a picture of the leftover byproduct of this recipe. I love leftover byproducts for lunch.

This recipe is more of a method for how I make shredded chicken. I hate dealing with raw meat so I like to cook it all up at once.

By cooking it this way we eat roast chicken and veggies one night with homemade rolls, I get to eat chicken soup with what's left of the vegetables and broth the next day, and I get enough shredded chicken for about three more meals like chicken enchiladas, hawaiian haystacks, chicken pot pie, chicken salad sandwiches, etc. This makes life easier and I love that.

Here's the basics:

Like I said this is not really a recipe so the measurement isn't exact

I just try to cram as much as I can into my 6 quart crock pot

I use 1 package (about 5 lbs) of fresh boneless skinless chicken,

1 onion cut into large chunks

a couple potatoes (I think that time I used 3)

a couple carrots cut into big chunks

a couple ribs of celery cut into big pieces

Trim the chicken and put a layer in the crock pot

sprinkle with seasonings such as poultry seasoning, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,

layer veggies on it

repeat until its all in the crockpot

It will then look like this:

Pour 2 cups of broth (made from bullion) into the crock pot and cook the stuff on low all day long.

Serve vegetables and large pieces of chicken for dinner. Remove the rest of the chicken and shred and freeze for later. Add some pepper and salt to the broth, veggies and fine shreds of chicken left in the crockpot for a delicious soup for lunch the next day. Yum.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Beef (or Chicken) and Broccoli

Warning: not a kid-pleasing dish. Scott and I ate it all ourselves. I had to make a regular chicken gravy to put on their rice.

I got this recipe off of Recipezaar. (#99476) It was listed as "The Best Easy Beef and Broccoli Stirfry." It was easy and yummy.

I am lazy today so I am just going to paste the recipe right from recipezaar. I used chicken breasts instead of beef in mine.

The Best Easy Beef and Broccoli

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
• 1/2 cup water, plus
• 2 tablespoons water, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 lb boneless round steak or charcoal chuck steak, cut into thin 3-inch strips
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 1 small onion, cut into wedges
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• hot cooked rice

Directions

1. 1

   In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water and garlic powder until smooth.

2. 2

   Add beef and toss.

3. 3

   In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 tablespoon oil until beef reaches desired doneness; remove and keep warm.

4. 4

   Stir-fry broccoli and onion in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes.

5. 5

   Return beef to pan.

6. 6

   Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth; add to the pan.

7. 7

   Cook and stir for 2 minutes.

8. 8

   Serve over rice.

Slow-Cooker Turkey Breast

This is from our pre-Thanksgiving dinner with Mom and Dad last week. I am a person with Turkey phobias, but I love my slow cooker. (I made a dessert in it last night that I will post about soon.)

I found simple instructions on a blog where the author used her slow-cooker every day for a year. Awesome! Here is the link to her post for pictures and her instructions. The only changes I made was that I used apple juice instead of white wine, I added two stalks of sliced celery because I like that in broth, and I sprinkled the breast with poultry seasoning.

We thought it was very moist and had a good seasoned flavor. I'll use this recipe again for sure.

Turkey Breast in the Slow Cooker

4-6 lb Turkey Breast

2 cups apple juice (or broth)

1 stick butter

1 onion

Salt and Pepper

Poultry Seasoning

Unwrap thawed turkey breast, pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Place in crock pot, breast side down. (I used my 6 quart oval) Coarsely cut up the onion and place some into the cavity and some around the turkey. (Do the same with celery if you want) Place the stick of butter in the cavity. Pour the apple juice over it. Cover and cook on low 7-9 hours or high 4-6. Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. (170 degrees) Remove from crockpot to serve.

Chicken Pot Pie

This was always one of my favorite dishes growing up. I appreciate it even more now as the mom of the house. It's fairly quick to prepare, the ingredients are usually a stock item in my cupboard/fridge, and it's a whole meal in one dish . . . love it!

1/2 c chopped onion
1/4 c butter or margarine
1/2 c flour
2 tsp chicken bouillon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp pepper
1 3/4 c milk
1 1/2 c water
2 cans (6 1/2 oz) tuna or chicken
1 c frozen vegetables
3 Tbsp parsley
1 pkg biscuits

Saute onion in butter until tender, but not brown. Blend in flour, bouillon, salt, thyme, and pepper. Add milk and water. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in chicken (or tuna), cooked vegetables, parsley; heat until bubbly. Pour into small individual casserole dishes or into one large casserole dish. Quarter uncooked biscuits and quickly place atop the hot filling. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until biscuits are lightly browned.

Ham and Broccoli Quiche

This was a very easy dish to prepare, and though the kids had qualms at first, once they tried it they liked it. Though the pie crust makes this so its not as healthy as it could be, we all agreed that was the really tasty part. I found this recipe through a google search for a ham and broccoli quiche and it didn't have any credits. Thank you to whoever.

Ham and Broccoli Quiche

1 package pillsbury prepared pie crusts

1/2 lb. ham

1 cup chopped onions

16 oz. frozen broccoli

5 eggs beaten

1 cup milk

1 cup swiss or monterey jack cheese (I had neither of those so I used cheddar)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray 2, 9" pie pans with Pam and press in the pie crusts. A 9X13 also works, you just have to trim the crusts to fit into it.

Brown onions in a large skillet.

The recipe didn't say anything about thawing the broccoli so I stuck it in with the onions for a while when I beat the eggs and grated cheese.

Stir the onions and broccoli together with ham and cheese.

(I also made one addition at this point by putting in a layer of sliced zucchini at the bottom)

Layer ham/broccoli mix in next.

Stir together beaten eggs and milk and pour over the top.

I pressed the crust down to the level of the filling at this point so it wouldn't get to crisp.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. (Mine came out great at 45)

Sorry if my instructions are a little muddled because I only copied the ingredients and basics down and gave you instructions of what I did.

We served it with ketchup and salsa to convince the kids to eat it, but I liked it just the way it was.

Try it, you'll like it.

Fettucine Alfredo

I did not take photos of this one as I went. Mostly because I was stirring two different pots with both hands at the same time for most of it. Talk about being ambidextrous...I'm not really that good, but I'd like to think I am.

I am a Fettucine Alfredo addict and the bottled sauce just isn't good enough for me. Mom's Woman's Day magazine has a "better than bottled" recipe for alfredo sauce, so she tried it. I love it!!! But I was leery about how easy it would actually be for a simple person such as myself to cook. So I tried it. I stand before you today as an accomplished alfredo sauce maker.

ALFREDO SAUCE

2 tsp butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp flour

2 cups fat-free half-and-half

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp nutmeg (the bottle we had was almost empty and looked like it had maybe just over 1/4 tsp nutmeg. I just dumped it in, and it was great. So if you go heavy on nutmeg that's okay)

Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Add the garlic; cook over low heat 1 minute or until fragant (since Mom can't smell she sticks to the minute, I just waited until I could smell it.) Whisk in the flour, then whisk in the half-and-half until well combined. Finally, whisk in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until thickened.Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Serve with 1 lb cooked fettucine.

For the fettucine, follow the instructions for the Al Dente option for this meal.

Now compare the nutrition of bottled sauce versus this recipe's sauce and you'll be shocked!

another slow cooker pork chops

This recipe is a little more simple than the one I posted before, and also very yummy

PORK CHOPS FOR THE SLOW COOKER

Serves 6

6 boneless pork chops
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and pepper

1. Place pork chops in slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over pork chops.
2. Cook on low setting for 6 hours, until internal temperature of pork has reached 160 degrees F.

Italian Crock Pot Chicken

This is a get-together favorite at my inlaws. The chicken turns out very yummy and spiced just right. It is good with rice or egg noodles. We multiply the recipe when we get together.

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 package Good Seasons Italian dressing mix

Combine soup, cream cheese and dressing mix. Pour over chicken in crock pot and cook all day on low-heat. Serve over noodles or rice.

Mini Pizzas

Here you go, Elizabeth. Its finally making it on here. This came out of a kid's cookbook. It is fast because the crust is like a biscuit dough=no yeast. I make it to use up leftover spaghetti sauce or ham or other toppings. This is the recipe exactly how it reads. I always double it for my family and use wheat flour for half of the flour.

1 1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbl oil
1/2 cup milk

pizza sauce
meat toppings
veggie toppings
1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1. Heat oven to 425. Grease cookie sheet. Stir flour, cheddar cheese, baking powder, salt, oil, and milk in medium bowl until a soft dough forms. (I have found that this is easiest to do with my hands.) Divide dough into 6 parts. Press each part into a 6-inch circle on cookie sheet. Pinch edge to form rim.

2. Spread pizza sauce on dough. Top with meat and veggies. Sprinkle with cheese.

3. Bake 11-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Makes 6 pizzas.

Chicken Enchilada

You need cubed chicken, tortilla shells, shredded cheese, sour cream, a can of cream of chicken and mushroom (they come mixed in a can now), milk, enchilada powder.

I cook the chicken about 3 chicken breast
in a bowl I mix the soup and about a 1 1/2cups of sour cream with a can of milk (using the can the soup was in) add half a package of enchilada powder, mix together if you need it a little thinner add some more milk, you can add the cheese to this mix or keep it out and add it as you go. (If I am using this for enchilada pie I make it thinner and don't add the cheese to it until after I have put some on the bottom of the pan.) Cook for about 25-30 min on 350

This is a recipe that I came up with on my own and so I don't really have measurements for you sorry, If I am making regular enchilada's I add rice in the tortillas along with the chicken and cheese, you could also add green chilies (the kind you get in the can) to the soup mixture. Enjoy

Sloppy Joes

We just ate this a few nights ago. It is my absolute favorite Sloppy Joe recipe.

Sloppy Joes
1 lb. hamburger
1 chopped onion
3/4 c. ketchup
1 T. prepared mustard
1 can chicken gumbo soup

Brown hamburger and onion. Stir in ketchup, mustard, and soup. Simmer 1 hour and serve on hamburger buns.

Carbonara

I found the inspiration for this recipe on the back of a dried ravioli by DaVinci.

Pasta of choice
1 chicken breast
3 slices of bacon, cooked, crumbled
1 small garlic clove (minced)
1 1/2 tsp. Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. white vinegar
2/3-3/4 cup of whipping cream

I cooked the pasta as directed, and drain well. Then cut the chicken breast into bite-size cubes and put in hot fry pan. Took chicken out of pan. Then cooked the bacon in the same fry pan until crispy, remove and crumbled. Then place oil in same fry pan and put garlic in and cook (it is quick). Turn down heat. Then add chicken, bacon, whipping cream, and vinegar, and let it simmer down, until desired sauce consistency. Then put well-drained pasta in a serving bowl and pour sauce over the top and toss. This is not the recipe on the back of the box, but it is what Tory and I came up with and it turned out so yummy, not so healthy, but very yummy.

It made 3-4 Tory and Elizabeth servings.