Balsamic, Tomato & Garlic Chicken Marinade

6 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp sundried tomato pesto (get it beside the sun dried tomatoes)
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp minced garlic ((I use the jarred stuff)
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp pepper
1/2 Tbsp rosemary

Mix in your large freezer bag. Add 4-5 lbs of chicken (boneless, skinless breasts are usually what we use in this). Allow to marinade overnight, or for a couple of days in the fridge. Roast or grill chicken.

(If it doesn't weird you out...add remaining marinade to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes or so and serve on top...it's delicious - and it has cooked as long as your chicken, so you shouldn't be weirded out, but my hubby still is, so to each their own!)

Coconut Crusted Oven Baked Chicken Tenders

Coconut Crusted Oven Baked Chicken Tenders

These suckers are good...like really good! And quick, and easy!

2 lbs of chicken, cut into "tender" sized pieces
1/2 c coconut - unsweetened, I used a medium sized flake
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp paprika

Mix all the spices with the coconut in a bowl. Roll the chicken tenders in the coconut (no egg wash/dip needed) and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, flip them over and put back in for another 3-4 minutes.

Easy peasy...would go great with some honey mustard :)



PS These freeze beautifully! I like to make a double batch, cook half for one meal and then freeze the other half, raw, on a baking sheet until they are frozen, then throw them in a freezer ziplock. To cook them from frozen, just take them out of the freezer and follow directions above, adding about 5 minutes to the cooking times.

Chicken & Peppers in Cream Sauce

Easy Peeasy - for a quick weeknight meal :)

If you plan ahead, you can make your chicken more flavorful by following the marinade recipe below, however if you don't plan ahead, you can still make the recipe and it will be good.

Marinade for 8-24 hours (if you think about it) in the following:
1/8 C. Lemon Juice
1/8 C. Olive Oil
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp minced garlic
Splash of any vinegar
Any combination of the spice mix below (1 tsp of each that you want to use)
Thyme   *   Oregano   *   Peppercorns   *   Red Chili Flakes   *   Pepper    *    Onion Powder

Mix all marinade ingredients, pour over chicken and refridgerate until you are ready to cook.

Chicken Dish - A One Dish recipe for a busy night

2 Lbs chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) - marinaded if desired
1 C. Chicken Stock
1/2 C. heavy cream
1/2 C. cheese of choice, shredded parmesan, chedder, or romano would all be good
1 1/2 c. sliced peppers
1/4 c. white wine

Thickener: 2 Tbsp cream / 1 heaping Tbsp flour

Heat non-stick pan with a little bit of olive oil. Sear chicken breasts until outsides are golden brown. Add chicken stock, wine, cream, and peppers. Reduce heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Add peppers and continue to simmer for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken from pan. In a small bowl, mix flour and cream. Add flour paste to the sauce in the pan and stir to combine. Allow sauce to thicken for approximately 5 minutes then serve over chicken.

Goes well with spaghetti squash, faux-tatos, or real mashed 'taters in case you aren't lowcarbing it! YUM

Low Carb Oven Fried Chicken Tenders

Super easy and super delicious! If you are missing fried chicken/crunchy food - this could be the answer. (Also really good in a salad w/ low carb honey mustard...yum)

1.5 - 2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into tenders
2 eggs
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
1.5 bags of pork rinds

Grind pork rinds in food processor until they are the texture of bread crumbs. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl, until light yellow and add spices to egg mixture. Poour 1/2 of the ground pork rinds onto a large plate.

Heat oven to 425.

Plan to cook the chicken on a lightly oiled cooling rack w/ foil under it. This allows for airflow all around the chicken tenders = crisp crust! Dip chicken in egg wash and then lightly coat with pork rinds. Place coated tenders on cooling rack, ensuring they aren't touching.

Cook chicken tenders for approximately 15 - 18 minutes, or until opaque throughout.

Serve w/ full fat ranch dressing, honey mustard, or LC (no sugar) ketchup. YUM!

Boullion Chicken

This super easy, week night meal comes together in a flash - leaving you time for more important things, like playing with the family!

1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use 3, cut in half = 6 total)
4 Tbsp butter
1.5 tsp beef base/3 boullion cubes
1 sweet onion, sliced long

Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add beef base and stir to combine. Sprinkle chicken with black pepper and place in frying pan. Allow to cook over med-high heat until you get a nice browned color on the first side of the breasts. Flip chicken and add onions to pan. Leave chicken to brown on 2nd side, once desired color is attained, turn heat down to med-low and cover. Allow to simmer for 5-10 more minutes until chicken is opaque throughout.

Remove chicken, taste onions and add addl seasoning (usually a pinch of salt is plenty) as needed. Serve onions as the base under the chicken...

YUM!

Easy Grilled Chicken Breasts

2 lbs Chicken Breasts
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
1/2 Tbsp Grated Pepper
2 Cloves Garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp onion flakes
1 tsp minced ginger

Cut chicken breasts in half and layer in the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Cover chicken breasts with remaining ingrediants and allow to marinade for 30 minutes, or up to 3 hours in the fridge.

After marinating. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry. Grill for approximately 6-8 minutes per side, or until juice runs clear.

Easy Peasy & delicious!

Chicken Faux-sotto Milanese

This is a low carb version of a Chicken Risotto Milanese style. Milanese generally refers to a common meat dish from Peru, Argentina, Brazil and other South American countries. It was generally breaded, fried and served with a Parmesan cream sauce. So - to Lowcarbify it...I have removed the breading and substituted the Arborio Rice for Cauliflower. Enjoy!

1 Head of Cauliflower, shredded via a food processor (or grated)
1.5 - 2 lbs Boneless, skinless Chicken Breast
2 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Cup diced onion
1 1/4 Cup Dry white wine (I used Pinot Gris)
1 1/4 Cup Chicken Broth (Low Sodium, preferably)
2 tsp. Chicken Bouillon Concentrate
1 Clove Garlic
3/4 tsp Parsley
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1/3 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/3 Cup Mozzarella Cheese
Salt and Pepper

Heat Medium sized non-stick, frying pan over medium heat, add shredded cauliflower to the pan and allow to heat to remove water from cauliflower. After 8-10 minutes, add 1 TBSP of butter and a pinch of salt. Continue to allow to cook until cauliflower begins to brown slightly. This will take approximately 15 minutes and should be stirred every 3-4 minutes.

In a seperate, large skillet, add diced onion, garlic, and Olive Oil and heat over medium-high. While cauliflower and onions are cooking, cut chicken breast into 1 inch pieces. Once onion is translucent, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and 10 turns of the pepper mill. Add chicken and remaining butter to onion pan. As chicken begins to whiten, add an addl pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp pepper (15 turns of pepper mill)

Once the chicken is white all over, add the wine, chicken boullion, chicken broth and spices.
Stir until bouillion is dissolved. Allow to simmer until liquid reduces by 1/4. Add cauliflower to large chicken skillet and stir to combine. Turn up head and allow liquid to reduce by approximately another 1/4. (Approximately 8-10 minutes). After reduction, add cheese and stir to melt for approximately 6 minutes.

Three minutes before serving, turn heat off and add heavy cream. Stir to combine and serve. Top with fresh parsley and addl parmesan cheese if desired.