Clean Plates for a “Mommy Win”

In my search for different yet quick meals to serve my family, Pintrest has become my “Go To”.  However, Pintrest excelled on the meal suggestion for last night.  My daughter named this meal her 2nd favorite…1.  Jambalaya  2.  Spanakorizo & Greek Chicken 1 Pan Dish  3.  Mexican.  Someone write this down in history!  I have successfully beaten Mexican cuisine in her book!

The main course came from tasteandsee.com.  It is called Greek Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner with Green Beans and Feta, and it typically serves 6.  However, I used 2 packs of chicken strips, so I altered the recipe amounts.  This is the recipe as written by #tasteandsee

2 lb chicken breasts

1 lb baby yellow Dutch potatoes.  My recommendation is to dice them fairly small so they will cook quicker.

8 cloves garlic

1 lb fresh green beans with snapped ends.  I used a pack of frozen French green beans.

2 1/2 lemons.  I only used 2 lemons.  One for the chicken & one for the veggies.  I did not use any lemon zest or the lemons after they were juiced.

1 large onion, quartered & separated

2 Tbsp. fresh oregano

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley

1 15 ounce can plain petite diced tomatoes, undrained

1 tsp. Smoked Paprika

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. black pepper

4 oz. Feta Cheese

12 Kalamata Pitted Olives (or black olives if you can’t find kalamata)

Preheat oven 450

Cut chicken into strips (I diced mine so it would cook quicker) evenly

Add 1 juiced lemon, garlic (I used garlic powder to save time), 1 tsp. salt & pepper, paprika, 2 Tbsp. olive oil to chicken.  Let this sit together while you prep the veggies.

Rinse the green beans if they are fresh.  Add them to a sprayed pan along with the onion, potatoes and tomatoes.  Add 1 juiced lemon, oregano, parsley, 1 tsp. salt & pepper, 2 Tbsp. olive oil.

Add the chicken, spreading it out evenly over the top.  It is optional to add lemon zest or space out the quartered already juiced lemons, but I did not.  Add 4 garlic cloves & 1 dozen Kalamata olives.

Roast on 450 for 20 minutes or until chicken (165 degrees) & potatoes are fully cooked.  Add feta cheese.  Cook for 5 more minutes.

Garnish with chopped parsley & bacon bits.

If you wish to cook your potatoes separately, you may want to try this recipe for Greek Roasted Potatoes that serves 4-6 people.

1/2 tsp. dried basil

4 cloves minced garlic

1 Tbsp. dried oregano

2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, wedged

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 Tbsp. French’s Mustard

sprinkle with salt & black pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil.

Spray a baking pan.  Fully coat veggies in mixture.  Place evenly in the pan.  Preheat oven 400.  Top pan with aluminum foil.

Bake 50 minutes.  Remove foil.  Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Spanakorizo (Greek Rice)  #afamilyfeast recipe with my modifications

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 small finely chopped onion

1 tbsp. garlic minced

1/2 lemon juiced

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 lb. baby spinach

1 cup basmati rice (I used brown rice)

1 box chicken broth

4 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped & divided

1/2 tsp. salt

a pinch black pepper

Salt to taste

I fried my rice first in a little olive oil.  Then I slowly added chicken broth to it until it was fully cooked.  I added my spinach & other ingredients so they all cooked together.

 

Hope you enjoy!

 

Pan Seared Chicken with Balsamic Cream Sauce, Low Carb

I tried this recipe last night. It is a close kin to Chicken Marsala & Chicken Fettuchini, but the Balsamic puts a different twist to it. The original recipe was pulled from Pintrest #peaceloveandlowcarb & only made 4 servings. Of course, I tweaked it a bit to suit our tastes and needs.

Cook Time is estimated at 20 minutes.

I used a whole hen that my local butcher cut up for me, so I did not stick with the measurements on the sauce. As most of you know from previous posts, I prefer Springer Mountain Farms chicken. Taste it & you will never buy another brand again. I do not remove the skin or the bones simply because of the flavor & juices they provide. #springermountainfarms

I also chose to go light with the amount of balsamic vinegar simply because it is not my favorite flavor.

Lightly season the chicken with salt and black pepper on both sides. A little garlic salt & Cavenders helps reduce the “bland” chicken seasoning this recipe called for.

In a large pan over medium heat, add 2 Tbsp. of real Salted Butter & 1 large sliced onion. Cook around 20 minutes until the onion has carmelized. Remove the onions from the pan & set aside.

Pan sear the chicken (on both sides) in the remaining butter. Rememer, you are only lightly browning the chicken at this point. Remove the chicken & set aside with the onions.

Deglaze the pan with 3/4 large box of chicken broth. With a wooden spoon, scrape the pan & mix the “stickings” with the broth. Reduce your heat down to low.

Add 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream or creamed milk (if you prefer a thinner sauce), 1 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar, 8 ounces sliced mushrooms, then add salt & pepper to taste. Let this simmer for around 10 minutes.

Add the chicken back into the pan. Simmer until the chicken has fully cooked. This should take around 15 minutes. Remove the chicen from the pan & set it aside.

Add 1 cup fresh grated parmesean cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted. Add the chicken back into the pan.

Granish with fresh chopped parsley & serve.

The only thing I can think of that it lacks is a bowl of cooked pasta to pour the extra sauce over & then serve the chicken on top. However, this will throw Low Carb out of the ballgame, even if you use most gluten free pasta brands. So, if low carb is your preference, be sure to read the labels before you buy.

With green beans & butter peas on the side, we had 100% clean plates. That is a big win, especially with small & picky children!!!

Be sure to leave comments & suggestions on all these posts. I love to hear from each of you. 🙂

Chicken Marsala

This is one of my fave dishes!

1/4 cup All Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved & pounded 1/4 inch thick

4 Tbsp. butter

4 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 cup sliced or diced mushrooms

1/2 cup marsala wine

1/4 cup cooking Sherry

In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together the flour & dry seasonings. Coat the chicken well with this.

In a large skillet, melt the butter in olive oil over medium heat. Place chicken in pan & lightly brown. Turn chicken. Add mushrooms. Pour in liquids.

Cover skillet. Simmer 10 minutes. Only turn chicken once. Cook until no longer pink & juices run clear.

Chicken Fettuccini

While in college, I worked part time at a local restaurant. My boss made Chicken Fettuccini from scratch & asked me to try it. This was the first time I had ever tried this dish & I was hooked! Fast forward 25 years, I decided to try and make it from scratch. All the supper plates were clean, so I feel it is safe to assume it was a hit.

Boil egg noodles (Jovani Brand Gluten Free)

Thaw 1 bag Tyson pre-cooked frozen grilled Chicken strips & dice.

Partially drain the egg noodles. Add the chicken.

Then add the following:

3 cloves minced garlic

1/2 & 1/2 or Heavy Whipping Cream (choose your preference & add as much as you would like for the volume of your sauce to be)

Diced mushrooms, green onions & fresh parsley

Grated fresh parmesan cheese

Mozzarella Cheese (add to your preference)

If too thick, thin it out with chicken broth.

Salt & pepper to taste.

Garnish with diced roma tomatoes and parsley.

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