Simple.Chicken and Asparagus Soup

12 cups chicken broth or water
4 chicken breasts
2 leeks, chopped
2 Tab. Parsley, minced
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 bunches asparagus, chopped into bite-sized pieces

In a large pot, put broth or water on to boil. Add breasts and cook until done (@10-15 minutes). Shred breasts.
Add leeks and cook 5 minutes. Add parsley, salt, black pepper and asparagus and cook 2 minutes. Serve with crusty bread. Serves 6-8.

Peanut Wraps

This recipe, from Little Birdie Secrets is SO good! You just have to try it to believe it!

1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 tbs canola, olive or sesame oil.
1 bag broccoli slaw
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
Tortillas

Peanut Sauce:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
3 tbs soy sauce
5 tbs water
3 tbs cooking oil ( I used 1 tab. sesame, 2 tab. canola)
1 tsp. garlic powder

Season chicken strips with garlic salt and pepper. In a large skillet cook chicken in hot oil on medium-high until no pink left. Put aside and keep warm.
In same skillet add broccoli mix, onion, and ginger. Cook until crisp but tender.
Make peanut sauce while veggies cook. In a small saucepan combine sauce ingredients, heat and stir until dissolved.
Serve by layering the veggies, chicken, and sauce in a tortilla. Wrap it up. Enjoy.

Sesame Chicken Salad

4 cups water
4 slices of ginger, about 1⁄4 in  thick

1 medium onion, sliced
3 boneless chicken breasts(1 lb)
1 cucumber, cut into chunks
2 large tomatoes, cut into eighths
6 green onions ( or scallions), finely chopped
1⁄4 cup sesame oil
Vinegrette dressing (see below)
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Mixed Salad Greens

(Ahead of Time) Bring the water, ginger, and onion to a boil in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Lower the heat to a simmer and add the chicken breasts. Cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let chicken sit in the hot liquid 
for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the stock, and when it is cool enough to handle, shred the chicken with your hands. Place the chicken back into the stock in a bowl and refrigerate until you are ready to use.


Layer a bed of mixed salad greens on the serving plate. Arrange a layer of cucumbers around a large serving platter. Remove the cold chicken from the stock and place it down the center of the platter. Surround the chicken with the tomato wedges and top it with green onions.
In a small pat, heat the sesame oil over a low flame until bubbles appear (approximately one minute.) Turn off the heat and pour the oil evenly over the green onions and chicken. Drizzle vinaigrette over the chicken and vegetables.

Vinaigrette
1⁄4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
salt & pepper to taste

To make the Vinaigrette, mix the soy sauce, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for one minute and set aside.


Adapted from this recipe at Steamy Kitchen Recipes

Curried Mango Chicken

source: April Harris

2 tablespoons olive or canola oil, divided
1 onion, red or mild white, finely sliced
1 red pepper, finely sliced
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 generous tablespoons flour (gluten free if you need that)
1 teaspoon mild curry powder
pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup mango chutney
¼ to ½ cup chicken stock (you may not need it all)


Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
Sauté the onion and red pepper until it begins to soften.
Meanwhile, put the flour, curry powder, salt and pepper in a large plastic bag. Add the chicken breasts, seal the bag and shake until the chicken is coated in the floury mixture. You may need to do this in batches.
When the vegetables have begun to soften, remove them from the frying pan and keep warm.
Add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan and when it has heated up, add the flour and spice coated chicken breasts.
Cook the chicken for about five minutes on each side, until it has begun to take on a bit of a golden color.
Mix together the mango chutney and ¼ cup of the chicken stock.
Turn the heat up on the chicken breasts and add the chutney and stock, allowing it to bubble up around the chicken breasts.
Return the heat to medium and return the onions and peppers to the pan with the chicken. Continue to cook, turning the chicken once or twice, until the meat is cooked through with an internal temperature of 165°F and no pink remains inside.
Check the sauce. If it is too thick you can add a the remaining ¼ cup of chicken stock, a bit at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
Carefully taste a bit of the sauce (it will be hot) and add more pepper to taste if necessary.
Serve the chicken with rice, a green vegetable and some warm Naan bread.

source: April Harris

Chicken Pesto Sandwiches

Pesto Sandwich -Vegetarian version

1 loaf of sourdough, whole wheat or rye

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, (or use kettle cooked turkey breast or rotisserie chicken)

salt and pepper

olive oil

2 medium red bell peppers

1 1b. thin sliced Swiss cheese, provolone or mozzarella

1/3 cup prepared basil pesto (You can also mix this with equal amounts of mayo for a pesto mayo, if you prefer)

2 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed and stemmed

Cut bell peppers into 1/2 inch strips. Grill chicken and bell pepper slices with olive oil; salt and pepper to taste, turning as needed until chicken is cooked and bell peppers are tender.

To assemble sandwich, cut bread in half horizontally. Spread half of the presto (or pesto-mayo mixture) over cut side of bread bottom, cover with spinach leaves. Arrange chicken evenly over spinach; top with slices of Swiss cheese and bell pepper strips. Spread remaining pesto over bottom half. Cut each loaf into 4-8 sections.

chicken-pesto sandwich with the works

This is a variation of the recipe at The Sisters Cafe.

Simple Sesame Noodles with Chicken and Snow Peas

photo and recipe from Mommy's Kitchen

1 lb. thin spaghetti noodles or 12 - ounces, fluid thin noodles (soba noodles)
3 boneless chicken breasts, sliced into thin slices
1 bag fresh (about 1 cup) snow peas (you can use frozen in a pinch)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoon sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
3 Tablespoons sesame oil
½ teaspoons hot chili oil or chili garlic sauce
4 Tablespoons canola oil
2 whole green onions, sliced thin

Start the noodles in a pot of boiling water. Cook until al dente.
Whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, rice vinegar, sesame oil, hot chili oil and canola oil together in a bowl and set aside.
 While the noodles are cooking, saute the chicken pieces. When the chicken is cooked through add the snow peas and cook for an additional 3 - 5 minutes.
Drain the noodles and add to the chicken and snow peas. Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat. Sprinkle with green onions and toss again.

Mediterranean Salad

Romaine lettuce
Chicken chunks
Cucumbers
Red onions
Cherry tomatoes
Kalmata Olives
Roasted Red Peppers
Feta Cheese
Mediterranean Vinaigrette made from olive oil, Red Wine Vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper

Thai Chicken Mango Salad

1-2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 mango, peeled and diced
mixed salad greens
1/2 red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced

Fry the chicken breast bites until done. Combine the chicken with the rest of the ingredients. Serve with Thai dressing.

Thai Peanut Salad Dressing

3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp chopped fresh chili pepper or crushed red peppers
1 Tbsp Thai garlic chili pepper sauce
a few drops of sriracha sauce

Mixed all together thoroughly.

source: Just a Pinch Recipes

OR, Peanut Sauce
2 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons 'lite' coconut milk
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste

Whisk peanut butter, coconut milk, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper until smooth.

Malaysian Honey-Turmeric Wings

Malaysian Honey-Turmeric Wings served with White Bean Tagine and Basmati rice

2 lbs. Wings or drummies
2 Tab honey
2 Tab soy sauce
1/2 tea salt
1 tea turmeric
1/4 tea Chili powder
1/4 tea black pepper
1 1/2 Tab ginger paste

Marinate wings in the rest of the ingredients for 1-2 hours.
Grill or bake in 375 degree oven for 40-45. If baking, you can brown under the broiler for a minute or two.

Source: slightly adapted from the recipe at Rasa Malaysia

Greek Salad with Marinated Grilled Chicken and/or Feta Cheese Crumbles

source

Greek Dressing

1 cup White Wine Vinegar
1/3 cup Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Crushed Capers (optional)
Zest & Juice of 1 Lemon
1 tablespoon Greek Seasoning
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper

Combine all ingredients together in a large measuring cup and stir well.

Greek Marinated Grilled Chicken

(Skip if using Feta Cheese Crumbles)

2 pounds Chicken Tenders
1 cup Greek Dressing

Put all chicken tenders in a large Ziploc bag.
Pour half the dressing over the chicken and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Using either an outdoor grill or an indoor grill pan, grill the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side. The cook time will vary depending on the heat of your grill. Cook until they’re finished but avoid too much char. Set aside.

Greek Salad

4 cups Chopped Romaine
1 ½ cups Tomato Chunks (half or quartered tomatoes depending on how large they start off)
1 ½ cups Cucumber Chunks
¼ cup Chopped Purple Onion
¾ cup Kalamata Olives (deseeded)
¾ cup Pepperoncini Peppers
1 cup Greek Dressing

Crusty bread or pita pockets (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the salad dressing.
Plate with the Greek Marinated Grilled Chicken or Feta cheese crumbles. Serve with crusty bread or pita bread.

Source: Fed and Fit

BBQ Chicken Salad

Favorite Family Recipes

3-4 chicken breasts
1 1/2 c. BBQ sauce, divided
3 hearts of romaine, chopped
1 c. frozen corn, thawed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
5-6 green onions, chopped
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 c. tortilla chips, crunched up into pieces

In a plastic bag, combine chicken and 1 c. BBQ sauce. Seal tightly and refrigerate for at least an hour. Remove chicken from bag, discard marinade, and grill chicken on BBQ grill until cooked through. Use remaining BBQ sauce to slather over chicken while grilling. Remove from heat cut chicken into slices of cubes. Set aside.
In a large serving bowl, toss romaine with corn, black beans, and green onions. Top with shredded cheese and tortilla chips. 

source: Favorite Family Recipes

Green Bean Salad

2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/8 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tea. salt

1/4 tea. cayenne pepper

1/2 cup red, yellow or orange bell pepper diced
 4 oz deli turkey, chopped (optional: use if serving as a lunch, not if as a vegetarian or side dish)

Place green beans in a pot of boiling water and cook for 2 min. Remove from heat and rinse with cold water. Stir together mayonnaise, yogurt, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice and seasoning in a large bowl. Add green beans and bell pepper. Toss well to coat.(Top with deli turkey, if you are using it.)

Poultry

Perfect Portion : 3 oz a meal or 6 oz a day
Typically 2-3 chicken breast strips equals about 3 oz.

• Very low glycemic index 
• Good source of selenium, which helps control blood sugar, giving protection against cell damage and helping diabetes 
• Good source of B vitamins, helping to prevent asthma and nerve damage, and supports the immune system 
• Chicken soup can boost levels of immune cells, lessening inflammation