A Cooking Baker

This is my new favorite meal, and I made it for everyone I brought meals to this summer - a refreshing alternative to tacos and pasta dishes. It's super easy, and really tasty.  It's perfect for summer when you have a bounty of fresh cukes and tomatoes in the garden, but I've been keeping it in the rotation all year long. This is less a recipe and more of an ingredient list - eyeball the quantities and adjust to the number of people you're feeding - it's easy to make for 2 or 20. Tip: Costco has these fab packages of mini Naan bread - get it, freeze it, and you can heat as many as you need in the toaster - so easy!) Greek Chicken Boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips Fresh lemon juice Oregano (dried) Garlic powder, salt and pepper for seasoning (Roma) tomatoes, diced (Seedless) cucumber, diced Red onion, minced Italian flat-leaf parsley, minced Feta cheese (use real, regular Feta - no need for fat-free or reduced-fat - just don't

I LOVE Angelic Bakehouse products (nope, I didn't even get paid to say that!).  The Flatzza Buddy is the perfect size for a quick lunch or dinner.  I whipped up a BBQ Chicken Flatzza the other day for lunch with some leftovers I dug out of the fridge.  It was pretty fab. BBQ Chicken Mini Pizza 1 Flatzza Buddy per person BBQ sauce Monterey Jack cheese, shredded Red onion, thinly sliced Grape tomatoes, halved and quartered Cooked chicken, chopped Ranch dressing (optional) Cilantro, chopped (optional) OR: Just use your favorite pizza toppings! Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spread a light layer of whatever BBQ sauce you have on hand (I think it was Mrs. Renfro's in my case), then sprinkle a layer of Monterey Jack cheese on (use whatever you have on hand - mozzarella, cheddar, gouda, jack, etc.).  Add some thinly sliced red onion, chopped grape tomatoes, and chopped, cooked chicken.  Drizzle a little more BBQ sauce over top, and bake it until the cheese is golden

I needed to use up some leftover chicken, broccoli, and cheese fondue from New Year's, and this is what happened!  The kids are not giant fans of casseroles - they're more of the "keep my food separate" school of thought, but they ate it and didn't die.  The adults enjoyed it - a simple comfort food dish.  Broccoli, Chicken and Rice Casserole 2/3 cup milk ( 2% or skim)  1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1 recipe cream soup mix 1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese (I used the fondue here) - some people prefer more cheese 1 c. cooked rice 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli, thawed (I used fresh I had on hand, and steamed it) 2 c. chicken, cooked, chopped (I used leftovers - rotisserie chicken works great here, too) Cooking spray 1 (1-ounce) slice white bread (or use some pre-made bread crumbs - I had some Panko in the pantry) Optional: Sauté some chopped mushrooms (1/2 c. or so) and 1/2 diced onion in a little butter, and stir into mi

I rarely wing it with a new recipe when I am cooking for anyone other than the immediate family, but I broke the rules and tried this one over the 4th of July weekend.  I think it turned out pretty well!  I was inspired by the coconut bacon, yes, coconut bacon, from Ney's Big Sky that we had picked up from the farmer's market. Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Kebabs with Veggies and Pineapple 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1-2 green bell peppers, cut into 1-1/2" pieces 1-2 red bell peppers, cut into 1-1/2" pieces 1 large red onion, cut into 1-1/2" pieces 1 medium zucchini, sliced 1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks 1 lb. bacon (coconut or otherwise), uncooked Cut the chicken into kebab-sized pieces - try to make them close to the same size so everything cooks evenly.  Cut the bacon slices in 1/2 or 1/3, and wrap one piece of bacon around each piece of chicken.  Thread the wrapped chicken pieces onto the skewers to secure the bacon (I used m

I whipped this up in about five minutes today for lunch, using leftovers I found in the fridge - half a Roma tomato, part of a bunch of spinach, some diced onion leftover from another recipe, leftover noodles from the other night and some rotisserie chicken.  It will take longer if you need to cook your noodles and/or chicken, but it will still be super fast, and really, really tasty. As always, I am guesstimating with my quantities, since I sort of scooped, sprinkled and tossed here.  Enjoy! Speedy Chicken & Spinach Pasta  1 pkg. penne pasta, cooked and drained (whole wheat, quinoa, whatever you like - I used a high fiber one we had in the cupboard) 2 c. (ish) rotisserie chicken, torn/cut into pieces (more if you have a hungry teenager) 1/2 a small to medium onion, diced (I like onion in everything, so I tend to go heavier) 2 good-sized cloves garlic, minced 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 c. chicken stock 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded & diced 1 bunch (or

Pizza?  Burgers? Again?? Even my teenage boy gets sick of those from time to time.   It's true.  We're having a bunch of teenage dudes over tonight, and I decided to go outside the comfort zone of cheap, take-out pizza and do a build-your-own taco or nacho bar. This works out really well, since we have a variety of tastes and dietary restrictions - everyone can customize their own!  Here's what I did - it's so very easy: Shredded, seasoned chicken (a bunch of breasts in the crock pot with some garlic, onion, broth and taco seasoning, then shredded when cooked until tender) Seasoned beef (a.k.a. taco meat!) hard and soft tortilla shells, as well as tortilla chips and lettuce for alternatives (you can also do rice for a rice bowl or "naked" burrito) cheese - shredded cheddar, jack and cotija (you coudl also use a nacho cheese sauce) sour cream shredded lettuce sliced black olives diced Roma tomatoes taco sauce/Tabasco/salsa sliced jalapenos black

I love comfort food.   With some caution, I'm going a little comfort food-crazy in the kitchen this weekend.  I feel the desire to prep some freezer meals and do some cooking, so I need to take advantage of that feeling, as it has become more rare recently.  I'm making 2 chicken pot pies a la my friend Amy, some skinny chicken parm, some more apple sauce, some cranberry sauce, some soup(s), and maybe a loaf or two of bread.  Then I want to try to find some dessert recipes to use up some of those trick or treat remains - not too much traffic at the door this year, so we had a big stash leftover. I'll be balancing the heavier meals with some lighter fare, so I'm prepping veggies and ingredients for stir fry, some light broth-based soups, and some open-faced sandwiches and things.  I'm going to attempt a meal plan for TWO weeks, and see what happens.  I'm not a fan of planning out the whole month, but I'll see if 2 weeks is the happy medium. Here's

Spinach + Tomato + Feta = DELISH. I needed some dinner inspiration this afternoon, so after whipping through my Pinterest food board, I found one, but the link was gone.  So I Googled "Spinach, Feta, Tomato Chicken" and clicked on the first recipe that came up, and voila!  Dinner!  Here's my adapted version of that recipe . BTW, I really stink at making any sort of "package" with chicken - pretty much fails every time.  So yeah. Good thing ugly still tastes good! Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Spinach, Feta & Tomato For breading:  2 large eggs, lightly beaten  2 c. bread crumbs (seasoned are fine, or season plain with a little salt & pepper and some dried herbs) 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (not garlic salt!) a dash of cayenne powder (optional, but we like the kick) For chicken: 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded thin (or not, if you're lazy like me)   1-2 cloves garlic, minced 1 c. feta cheese, crumbled (I us

I apologize for the cheesy basil garnish.... :) Chicken Parm can be messed up.  It can. Ever had a reeeaally thick chicken breast, with a heavy, soggy breading and a thick, chewy covering of cheese?  Yeah....  not my favorite.  We made this version last week, and it was awesome - just the right amount of tender chicken, crisp breading, a taste of cheese and bright sauce in each bite.  This was so light, and we all really enjoyed it.    Ridiculously Easy, Lighter Chicken Parm   2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half for 4-6 thin cutlets EVOO to mist or brush onto chicken (you can also melt some butter and brush that on - about 2 tbsp. or so) your favorite marinara sauce (1-2 c. ) grated parm for garnish if you like - or if you need more cheese, mozzarella or provolone fresh herbs for garnish if you like, minced For the breading: 1/2 - 3/4 c. breadcrumbs (make your own, use store-bought, Panko, whatever) 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 tsp. garlic po

Ever grill your food in a foil packet? It's an easy way to grill things quickly, and with minimal mess.  I purchased a big box of pre-cut foil sheets at Sam's a long time ago, since I use foil a lot in my freezer meals and such, so I can just pull out a 12" x 12" sheet, which is perfect for making a foil packet.  You can do a packet of veggies, potatoes, meat, etc.  Here's one combination (a full meal all in one!) to try - then get creative and see what happens!  I'll post a photo soon - we always end up eating the goods before I remember to whip out the camera... 1-1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces 2 c. brown rice or quinoa, cooked 1/4 c. onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 c. tomato, diced (Roma, or whatever you have) 1/2 c. bell pepper, diced (any color works - red, yellow, green, orange) 1/4 c. fresh basil, chopped 1/4 c. of your favorite dressing - Caesar, Greek, Italian (make your own - even better!) Kosher s

Have you ever realized you're missing an ingredient after you started making dinner? I usually take stock of ingredients before I start, but tonight I swore I had BBQ sauce, and I planned to make BBQ Chicken Caesar Wraps.  Well, chicken's on the grill, and I have no BBQ sauce.  Oops...   So, I finished grilling the chicken and the asparagus I had on, and then I went inside to brainstorm.  I found some quinoa, but since it takes about 20-25 minutes, I needed something faster - the husband was on the way home, and the kids were hungry!  Ah-ha!  Couscous!  It's quick (under 10 minutes), so I threw some water on, and got that going.  I dug in the fridge and found a little bit of feta cheese and some sun-dried tomatoes hiding in the back of the fridge.  I chopped up a handful of the sun-dried tomatoes, and threw those into the couscous with a big clove of garlic I squished in the garlic press.  Then I sliced up the grilled chicken and asparagus and tossed that in.  I ground i

I love the Internet! It's 4:30pm, and I forgot to marinate the chicken for the "naked" (no tortilla) chicken fajitas I had planned for dinner.  I'm at my computer, so I Google "chicken fajita recipes" and find some I like, and here's what happened - an easy, delish marinade I was able to make with ingredients I had on hand that the whole family liked. Perfect! You can do them "naked" too, or wrap them in a tortilla, or top a salad, etc.  I actually had tortillas out, and no one went for one - not even the kids!  It's great to see everyone getting on board with healthier changes.  This could easily be done for a freezer meal - just throw it all together in a bag, knead to coat, and freeze.  Thaw in the fridge, throw on the grill, and dinner is ready! Chicken Fajitas 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2 tbsp. olive oil 2 big cloves of garlic, minced juice of half a lemon (I'd say 2 tbsp. worth, so maybe a whole one if

I don't like to veer TOO far off the beaten path with pizza. But occasionally, I see something I just have to try - or give another try!  I've had BBQ Chicken Pizza before, and not been wowed, but I gave it another shot, and it was pretty tasty, actually.  This works great as an appetizer, dinner tonight, or as a freezer meal. I'm guessing on amounts here - I kind of just sprinkled ans tweaked as I went.  This made 1 pizza that was about 9" x 12". BBQ Chicken Pizza 1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked & diced 1 cup-ish fontina cheese, shredded 1/2 cup provolone cheese, shredded 1/2 cup to 1 cup your favorite BBQ sauce (I don't like it too sweet) 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped red pepper flakes, if you like 1 par-baked pizza crust (make your own, or purchase) I lightly brushed some BBQ sauce on the crust, but you can skip that if you like, and drizzle some over top instead, or whatever floats you

I'm on the hunt for new, lighter recipes for summer. This one is freezer-friendly and great for the grill!  We picked up a package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, and so that's what we used, served over some rice noodles I had on hand - you could marinate whole breasts, cutlets, or cut up meat for kebabs.  Asian-Inspired Marinated Chicken 1 to 1-1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-2" pieces for kebabs) or thighs 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and minced 2 scallions, minced 1/4 c. soy sauce (we prefer low sodium) 1/4 c. teriyaki sauce 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1 tbsp. honey 1 tbsp. sesame oil 2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds Combine all ingredients in a bowl, or right in a freezer storage bag.   Add the chicken, and toss to coat.  Refrigerate overnight, or for as long as you can (a few hours, at least).  You can throw the whole package in the freezer if you're doing a freezer meal, or put the meat on the

We're always up for Chinese - especially a healthier version.  Here's a recipe for Sesame Chicken I ripped from a magazine and tweaked a bit.  The whole family enjoyed it. You could do it as a freezer meal, too - maybe whip up enough for dinner tonight and one for the freezer or a friend! Sesame Chicken 5 tbsp. soy sauce (we prefer low-sodium) 4 tsp. toasted sesame oil 2 tsp. honey 1-1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into about 1" chunks 6 tsp. canola oil 3 scallions, thinly sliced 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and grated 3 cloves garlic, minced 1-1/4 c. chicken broth (we prefer low-sodium, organic) 1 tbsp. sugar 3 tbsp. cornstarch 1 tbsp. rice vinegar 1 tsp. chili paste 2 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted Whisk together 3 tbsp. soy sauce, 2 tsp, sesame oil, and honey in a bowl.  Add the chicken pieces, and toss to coat.  Marinate at least 20 minutes.  Remove chicken from marinade (using a slotted spoon to let excess marinade drip off).  Heat 2

Our chives are back, and I can't wait to use them!  There's nothing like walking out into the garden and snipping some fresh herbs while you're cooking.  I love it!  I have rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, basil, dill, parsley, cilantro, and of course, chives.  They're the only ones showing up so far.  Here are a few of our favorite recipes with chives, and a few we have on the "to try" list.  I don't like fish - sorry, I know that's lame, but I don't.  If you do, just google chive recipes or check out www.foodnetwork.com, etc. and you'll find lots of fish recipes with chives.  Chive Lime Butter This one is fantastic on sweet corn, or even on grilled chicken or pork.  1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon finely grated lime peel 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/4 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika (optional) Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) When

At Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY this past summer. My teenager could consume a bottle of Frank's Buffalo sauce every week. I love me some Buffalo sauce, but in MODERATION.  That's why when I see recipes for crock pot Buffalo chicken, I hesitate, thinking, could a family with varying loves of hotness do a whole batch?  Our family, YES, with the bottle on the table to add more sauce for those who needed it.  Yours, you decide.  Here's my solution for the family with varying tastes: Prepare a batch of shredded chicken in your crock pot - I like to buy a large number of breasts, toss them all in with a cup of broth or water, a diced onion, and a little salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Then I let it go on medium or low, and check mid-day to make sure it's not drying out.  When it's cooked through, I shred it with 2 forks. THEN, you can reserve some of the plain chicken for the littles or those who don't do Buffalo, and either mix in a little BBQ sauce, or keep

Quick and easy – these are sooo good! These are a favorite meal in the summertime.  My mom and I went to a cooking class years ago by Stacy Joers, and this was one of the recipes - definitely a keeper.  I've often served them for a larger gathering, and had platters arranged so people can build their own wraps.    We're doing these tonight on the grill, unless the rain forces us inside to the grill pan. BBQ Chicken Caesar Wraps   3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts Salt & Pepper to taste Barbeque sauce to taste (use your favorite BBQ sauce) 1 head romaine lettuce Caesar dressing (make your own or use store bought) 6 10” flour tortillas Red onion (optional) Season chicken breasts with salt& pepper to taste.  Grill or broil until done.  During the last 5 minutes of cooking, brush chicken breasts liberally on both sides with BBQ sauce.  This is important - if you go slathering the sauce on right away, you lose a lot of it to the grill, and t

It was so nice out today - grilling season in WI is near! Here's a fresh take on marinated, grilled chicken - definitely trying this as a freezer meal, probably as kebabs, with 2 per person.  The original recipe said the cilantro was optional, but in my world, that's not an option.  This weekend, we were in a hurry, since we had somewhere to be after church, so we skipped the "kebabbing" and just grilled the breasts whole.  Then we sliced the meat and ate it with the pita bread warmed up on the grill with some veggies.  Everyone liked it! Key West Grilled Chicken (Kebabs) * 3 tbsp. soy sauce * 1/4 c. honey (needed a little more since we had 5 large breasts) * 1 tbsp. EVOO * Juice of 1 lime (I had small ones, so did 1-1/2) * 2-3 cloves garlic, minced * 1-2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped * 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts In a small bowl combine soy sauce, honey, vegetable oil, lime juice, and garlic.  Either marinate the breasts whole, or cut into 1-

I am getting tired of shredded meat. We've had a few meal swaps recently where we've done carnitas, Italian beef, shredded BBQ chicken, BBQ pork, etc.  On their own, all are awesome.  When that's all you have left in your freezer, you get sick of shredded meat.  So tonight, since I forgot to thaw the pork chops and they were rock solid, I grabbed some BBQ chicken, and I made something delish!!  Check it out: I tossed some mixed greens on a plate, then added some diced Roma tomatoes, red onion, red bell pepper, a little sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese, cranked on some freshly ground black pepper, and then added some of the shredded BBQ chicken (heated through) and topped with a teeny bit of homemade Ranch dressing.  IT. WAS. AWESOME.  The kids and husband had some BBQ chicken on a roll for a sandwich, but I think mine was way better...