I have made lots of different dishes with quinoa but this recipe is one of my favorites. It really incorporates all the yummy flavors you expect of buffalo chicken - the heat from hot sauce, nice chunks of chicken and to cool things off some goat cheese. Blue cheese would also be a great substitute if you don't like goat cheese and my friend Julie, who came over and ate this dinner with us said that slices of celery in it would also be a yummy addition and I agree. I am not sure it's the healthiest of quinoa recipes (loads of cheddar cheese) but it sure is delicious.
Buffalo Chicken Quinoa
From Iowa Girl Eats
Printable Version
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 chicken breasts
garlic powder
onion power
salt and pepper
smoked paprika
2 tablespoons of flour
1 1/2 cups of milk, dived
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chevre (goat cheese) crumbled
Directions
Preheat broiler. Cook quinoa according to package directions and set aside. SEason chicken breasts on both sides with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Cook in a nonstick pan sprayed with cooking oil over medium heat until cooked all the way through. Chop into bite sized pieces.
Whisk together flour and 1/2 cup of milk in a separate large pan over medium heat. Pour in the remaining milk and green onions. Using a spatula bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for one minute while boiling.
Remove from the heat and add in the hot sauce and cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese is completely melted. Add in the quinoa and chicken and stir to combine.
Pour into a non stick spayed casserole dish and top with the chevre. Broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese is golden and the sauce is bubbly.
This dish is by far the best thing I have made in a LONG time. My neighbor AnnMarie and her family just moved from Okinawa and gave me a bunch of canned pumpkin. I asked her how she used pumpkin and she shared with me this amazing recipe. I am so thankful she did because it was seriously delicious. You can't go wrong with the flavor combinations in this one pot meal - pumpkin, curry, coconut milk, red onion, cinnamon, cilantro, cashews. I added in carrots for additional flavor and veggie content and this dish could easily be adapted for vegetarians if you substituted more veggies for the chicken. After I made it I put it in my crock pot to hang out on warm for several hours and I think it really intensified the flavors.
This is my new favorite recipe and one I will put into our regular dinner rotation.
Pumpkin Cashew Chicken Curry
Modified from PaleOMG and recommended by AnnMarie (thanks AM!)
Serves 4-5
Printable Version
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons ginger
1 red onion, sliced
2 large carrots, sliced
1/2 can coconut milk
1 large can of pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup cashews
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon olive oil (or coconut oil)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Pinch of cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro, for garnish
3 cups of cooked rice (I used Jasmine)
Directions
Heat large pot or Dutch Oven to medium and add in oil. Add minced garlic and ginger and once fragrant add in chicken and carrots. Cook until chicken is white on all sides.
Pour in coconut milk, all spices, red onions and pumpkin.
Raise heat until mixture becomes bubbly, stirring frequently. Allow to cook until onions have softened, about three minutes.
This is when I transferred everything to my crock pot but you can also serve it immediately. When ready to eat place on top of rice and garnish with cashews and chopped cilantro.
This meal is one of the best I have made in a very long time. It was so good that no pictures of the finished product were taken because my husband and I scarfed it up so quickly! The chicken was juicy, oh so wonderfully garlic-y. My husband was literally drinking the gravy that I made with the juices. With fresh herbs and a ton of garlic (40 cloves, to be exact) this chicken was out of this world delicious. An added bonus is your house will smell divine as it cooks! Do yourself a favor and serve it on top of some mashed potatoes.
40 Garlic Clove Chicken
Found on The Crepes of Wrath
Serves 3-4
Printable Version
Ingredients
3 1/2-4 pound fryer chicken (I used a whole chicken but recommend chicken that is already cut into serving pieces)
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
40 cloves of garlic, peeled but still whole (about 3 cloves of garlic)
3/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon thyme (I used way more because I had fresh on hand)
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon butter
Directions
Spray the inside of your crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Rub the chicken generously with salt and pepper and place in your crock pot.
Heat the olive oil in a small skillet and add the peeled whole garlic. Cook for 5-8 minutes over medium heat until the garlic is golden.
Then add the white wine and stir until the liquid has mostly evaporated, another 3-5 minutes.
Pour the garlic and white wine over the chicken and sprinkle the thyme and rosemary over top of everything. Add in the bay leaf. Turn on the crock pot to low and cook for 3-4 hours. Set aside. Pour the juices from the pot through a mesh sieve into a saucepan. Press the garlic through the mesh sieve, scraping it off to form a paste. Cook with a tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat until slightly thickened and serve over the chicken and whatever else you happen to be eating (cooked vegetables, potatoes, crusty bread, etc). Enjoy!
And because I don't have a finished product photo for you here is something pretty for you to look at -- this view is from my front yard (and what I often see out my kitchen window) - an amazing sunset over the East China Sea!
I made my first batch of homemade chicken noodle soup when one of our good friends and her daughter was sick recently. There really is nothing better than a steaming hot bowl of good old fashioned chicken noodle soup when you aren't feeling well. This recipe made a huge batch so hubby and I also enjoyed it even though we weren't sick! And like most soup recipes, this soup tasted even better the next day. It will be hard to eat chicken noodle soup from a can after discovering how easy and delicious it is to make myself!
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Printable Version
Modified From Food Network.com
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch thick clices
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock
8 ounces dried wide egg noodles
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups of cooked chicken, shredded
1 handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes until the vegetables are softened but not browned.
Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer for five minutes until tender. Fold in the chicken and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle with the chopped parsley before serving.
Here is a wonderfully easy and super yummy chicken recipe for the crock pot. Most likely you have almost all of these ingredients already in your kitchen too! I served this over rice but it would also be good on buns. It was great warmed up as leftovers the next day too!
Easy Shredded Crock Pot Chicken
From Fake Ginger
Printable Version
Ingredients
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ginger (I used fresh but ground would work too!)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce
Directions
Place chicken into the bottom of a crockpot. Cover with all the other ingredients. Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours then remove and shred chicken or cut into chunks.
Return to crockpot and stir to combine and warm through. Serve over rice.
Here's a recipe for one of the easiest week night meals I have made in a while. In less than 20 minutes you will have a very yummy melt in your mouth sandwich. I jumped on this recipe from my friend Siggy's blog when I saw it incorporated salsa verde. I just loooooove salsa verde. The mingling of the salsa, onions, and sour cream make this a tangy, juicy meal. If you don't like using rotisserie chicken I think using shredded boiled or baked chicken breast would work just as well, it might not be as juicy though!
Chicken Suiza Melts
From Siggy Spice
Makes 6 sandwiches
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 cups tomatilla salsa or salsa verde
1/2 cup sour cream
1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded and meat shredded
6 sandwich rolls, split
6 slices Monterey Jack cheese (I also used provolone and it was yummy)
Directions
Preheat the broiler. In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and honey, then add in the salsa and heat through.
Mix in the sour cream. Add the chicken and mix to coat.
Place the buns on a cookie sheet. Pile the chicken mixture on the bottoms of the rolls. Top the chicken with a slice of cheese.
Place in the oven and broil to melt, about 4 minutes.
Good Mexican cuisine has been hard find on Okinawa. Since hubby and I both love Mexican and refuse to go two years without it, I have resolved to make it at home. One of my favorite Mexican dishes is Enchiladas Verdes. I love the tanginess of the verdes sauce, the creamy filling with tender chicken and bursts of cilantro, and of course the melted cheese.
This recipe is wonderfully easy and great for a weeknight meal. With a dollop of sour cream and homemade guacamole on the side, hubby and I happily got our Mexican fix!
Chicken Enchiladas Verdes
From Yummly
Printable Version
Makes 6 enchiladas
Ingredients
2 cups rotisserie cooked chicken, shredded
2 cups verdes (green chile) enchiladas sauce
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used the Mexican blend)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 white onion, chopped
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
6 flour tortillas
4 jalapenos, chopped (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread 1/4 cup of the enchiladas verdes sauce in the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish. In a large bowl combine the shredded chicken, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese, cilantro, sour cream, lime juice, onion, chili powder and chicken stock. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Place tortillas on a plate with a moist paper towel over the top and microwave for 45 seconds. Working one tortilla at a time, spoon about 1/4 cup of the chicken filling onto the middle of the tortilla and place seam side down in the baking dish. Continue until all of the filling is gone.
Drizzle the remaining enchilada sauce on the top of the tortillas and then cover with the rest of the cheese.
Bake about 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven and garnish with chopped jalapenos. Serve with additional sour cream and guacamole if desired.
While most of you are enjoying cooler weather the temperature here on Okinawa remains a balmy average of 86 degrees. Irregardless, I've been wanting fall type foods lately and soup is the quintessentail fall food to me. I had bookmarked this recipe from How Sweet It Is months ago, waiting for the next time I was craving soup. I knew this would be a winner because hubby and I are cheese fanatics and Brie is among our favorites. With sauteed peppers, onion, spinach, chunks of chicken and swirls of melted Brie this soup was comforting, filling, and perfect with crusty bread. If I enjoyed it on a tropical island I know you will enjoy it too!
Creamy Chicken and Brie Soup
From How Sweet It Is
Printable Version
Makes 4-6 bowls
Ingredients
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
3 cups raw spinach, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk
1/2 cup half and half
8 ounces brie chopped into small pieces
Directions
Heat a large pot to medium and add olive oil. Add in onions and peppers with a sprinkle of salt and saute until soft about 7 minutes.
Stir in spinach and garlic. Add butter and once it melts whisk in flour to create a roux.
Continue whisking until all ingredients are combined.
Add chicken to the pot along with milk and chicken stock.
Allow soup to come to a simmer then add Brie.
Stir until it melts for about 5 minutes. Stir in half and half. Turn heat up to high and let soup come to a boil, stirring every few minutes. Once soup boils turn it down to a simmer and allow to cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot!
