Whole30 Day 14 and 15

Still no weird dreams but halfway baby!!!

Day 14

Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 bacon slice, sausage patty
Lunch: leftover chicken and confetti cauliflower
Dinner: Homemade chili, half an avocado, sauteed kale and strawberries.

Easy Sauteed Kale!

2 small bunches of lacianto or Dinosaur Kale
2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
ghee or olive oil
juice of half a lemon

Wash and tear your Kale leaves, saute garlic in your ghee or olive oil. Add Kale leaves and stir several times and cook for 5-7 minutes, salt and pepper to taste.  Shut off heat, squeeze lemon all over leaves and stir.  Cover and let rest for 5 minutes.  Enjoy!  This was my first try at eating cooked Kale.  Loved it!

Day 15

Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs, bacon slices, banana and blackberries
Lunch: chicken salad in a lettuce wrap.
Dinner: Chicken Poppers, guacamole, salsa, mixed greens salad, strawberries

 

 Noteable Notes:  Still feeling great, I think a lot about this new plan and how it's hard to not call it a diet but I am really committed to eating organic and grass-fed, etc from now on....I've been on so many diets and they were mostly torture but this isn't.  So I visualize always, will I stay on whole30 or will I go Paleo....that kinda stuff. Have you tried Kombucha? I highly recommend it.  I had heard much about it but never knew why people were drinking it.  It is fermented tea and many companies sell it and their own flavors.  This is good because for the same reason we want to eat yogurt for the probiotic effect we knew in our tummies that those who can't eat dairy, should drink Kombucha.  Unless you are going to eat sauerkraut and kimchi....drinking is easier. I have only tried this company so far and I am going to stick with it.  I know I have heard others try others and have been disgusted but these are offset with natural juices which is compliant for whole30.  If you want to get fancy and place it in a wine glass and pretend you are getting alcohol (it does have a certain tang.) Start slow with flavors you know you will like like strawberry, citrus or cranberry....one of my friends tried the one with chia seeds and she said it was slimey.....lol.  I think I may skip that one....

Here's Kombucha in your eye! Ouch!

Whole30- Day 8 and 9

NOOOO! my pants are tighter? Due to our body adjusting to new intake of meat and vegetables and the lack of easy-access sugar I am bloated? Since my ankles were looking like grapefruits before Whole30 and they became normal again....I look down to my ankles now at the end of a long day and see that my ankles are a little bloated.  But they aren't the old grapefruits at least. Seems like I am on target then....well, at least for this day.

Day 8-

Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 1/2 pieces of bacon and 1 banana and black coffee.
Lunch: Chicken salad and spinach leaves, some leftover poppers, a few strawberries.
Snack: Nuts, carrots
Dinner: Oven Barbecued Chicken with Tessemae's Barbecue Sauce, sweet potato hash with peppers and onions.

Day 9- Happy Birthday to ME!

Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs, 2 pieces of bacon and about 8 cantaloupe pieces and coffee with coconut cream.
Lunch: Leftover sweet potato hash and chicken.
Dinner: Night off from cooking and had a burger from Elevation Burger. Organic, Grass-fed Double burger with tomato, onion, guacamole and mushrooms in a LETTUCE wrap.  Ordered it carryout, so I could use my Tessemae's Ketchup and homemade mayo and add my own side of squash at home.

Coupla Notes: I am hesitant to eat out only because I cannot control knowing what is in the ingredients for something like ketchup.  I had heard from my Whole30 partner in crime Jessica and friend that Elevation Burger was Whole30 compliant by lettuce wrapping their burgers and frying their potatoes in olive oil, that was cool to hear however it's all the things you take for granted like condiments that can contain SUGAR even if they are organic!  We were forced to bring the dinner home because we took off so late that I had forgotten to bring my own Tessemae's Ketchup and homemade mayo with me. I was so distracted by getting my burger order right, that I had forgotten to get a side salad....again, you can't necessarily trust their organic salad dressing unless you go to basic vinegar and oil. BTW, the french fries are NOT compliant. Notice I did not mention that I had any.  The book specifically says that frying a potato stick or chip in olive oil does not make it whole30 compliant just as they say to not blend a banana with an egg to make pancakes.  We are trying to break some of these old habits such as the expectation of when a burger or sandwich happens....then come the fries or chips. My friend Jessica when there last week and ate a burger and fries and was happy how compliant she was....I did this....😳 When you start a plan like this you can just scan a few parts to 'get the jist' you have to commit to reading the whole book to understand how these bad habits start and this plan operates to break them.  I also suggest to also read It Starts with Food because it give all the science background of this plan.  I know I am....my friend Jess, not so much.  I now wear the coach whistle!

Yes, I am experiencing the return of bloating as predicted due to my body adjusting to this different food intake and that is okay only because I am not experiencing any cravings or feelings of quitting.  Especially on a special day like a birthday when I should be drinking wine and eating a big slab of chocolate cake!!! Wine and cake will still be around when I finish the initial 30 days.  I am cool with this.

Tight, ain't right!

Kick'N Chicken with Mango Salsa

Ooooohhhh, you're gonna like today's post.

Our second recipe to make this month for Allrecipes.com Allstars was Sweet and Spicy Salmon with Grapefruit Salsa. Unfortunately since that recipe was not possible I opted for another recipe from Mazola® Corn Oil.  Aside from chicken being one of our favorite proteins but I really enjoy the "sweet and savory" combination.  This recipe rings some bells.

This recipe came at a good time.  Remember the big rain Los Angeles was having before the Oscars?  That same Monster storm swept across the US and pounded our eastern area with SNOW.  One the day it was supposed to hit...it started to drizzle and I cranked up the grill before the snow developed from the rain.  Best snow day ever GRILLIN'!

Kick'N Chicken with Mango Salsa 
from Allrecipes and Mazola®

4 (4 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons chicken seasoning

1/4 cup Mazola® Corn Oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

Mango Pepper Salsa:

2 cups diced fresh mango

1 cup diced red bell pepper

3 tablespoons minced red onion

1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat grill to medium heat, or between 350 degrees to 450 degrees F.
2. Trim excess fat from chicken, rinse and pat dry. If necessary, pound chicken to 1/2-inch thickness. Place chicken into a 1-gallon size resealable plastic bag. Add seasoning, oil and lemon juice to the bag. Seal bag and turn to thoroughly coat chicken.
3. Grill chicken over direct high heat for 6 to 8 minutes. Turn chicken and continue to cook for 6 to 8 minutes until cooked through. Transfer to a serving plate.
4. Combine salsa ingredients in a bowl; stir and season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made up to 8 hours ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve.)
5. Top grilled chicken with mango salsa and serve immediately.


Cook's Notes:
1. I bought two regular organic breasts.  They were almost about 8 oz. apiece.  I sliced them in half horizontally. If you buy the breasts that are already sliced thinly keep in mind...they will cook QUICKLY.
2.  My husband prefers thighs and I cooked four breasts and several thighs.  I didn't follow the amount of the chicken seasoning because I spread out all the chicken and just seasoned away my favorite Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning.
3.  I used 3 mangoes, half red pepper and two thick slices of red onion, chopped.  I don't chop and measure things like fruit and veggies.  I don't want a 1/4 cup of anything leftover until I have a use for it.  This salsa provided enough for two dinners for two.

I am an Allrecipes Allstar brand ambassador (a voluntary position) and I'm not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com.  Products received from the advertiser are only used for experienced-based reviews on Jenny Mac's LipSmack.  The reviews, content, and opinions expressed in this blog are purely the sole opinions of JennyMac.  To learn more about the Allrecipes Allstars program visit, Allrecipes Allstars.

#AllstarsMazola®

LipSmack this,

Cheesy Chicken and Yellow Rice

Time for my second Goya Recipe review.  I find that I really have to play with rice when it comes to K-man.  He is not a fan of plain rice at all and any flavored rice has to be really good for him to finish what is on his plate. 

My tweak on this recipe was adding a little cream of chicken soup.  That made this a winner to K-man.  Clean plate. 

I also didn't want to mix all the veggies and chicken in with the rice because K-man likes to have his food somewhat separate.  Although, personally I don't care K-man perhaps thinks he gets more of a variety through eating a bite of the chicken and pepper then the rice.  Not rice coated chicken and peppers.  It's not like he is OCD and the chicken can't touch the vegetables and the rice can't touch them either.  He's not THAT bad! 

All in all, I felt this was a pretty good recipe and would do it again.

Cheesy Chicken and Yellow Rice
by Goya on Allrecipes.com

1 (8 ounce) box GOYA® Yellow Rice

2 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, and finely chopped

2 tablespoons GOYA® Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in 3/4-inch pieces

GOYA® Adobo All-Purpose Seasoning with Pepper, to

taste

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

 

In small saucepan over medium heat, bring 2 cups water to boil. Add contents of yellow rice mix, tomatoes and 1 tbsp. oil; return water to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook, covered, until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with Adobo. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add bell peppers and onions to skillet. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are soft and chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes more; remove from heat.

In skillet with cooked chicken, stir in cooked rice until combined. Mix in cheese, stirring until melted. Serve warm. (I did not stir in my rice with chicken as shown above but you can do what pleases you most)

Cook's notes:  I added 1/2 cup cream of chicken soup in with the step with the cheese and it made the rice so much creamier!

Roast Chicken

Best Chicken Evah!  A-MAY-zing!  I've certainly done a few roasted chicken before but this one is different.  You've seen the Beer Can or Beer in the Butt Chicken recipes?  We went to a craft show and found the Chicken Roaster.  You put in your own 'liquid' and herbs, maybe some veggies in the base.  DINNER!  What I enjoyed most about this is that when I've done the Beer Can chicken it was so wobbly, afraid it would tip over.  Not even an issue with this ceramic roaster.  There is so much liquid involved in this there is no way you can have dry chicken meat.  We ate chicken for 3 days after this roast and with each 'reheat' the chicken was still moist. (we didn't reheat the whole chicken each day.  I cut it up into parts-breast, wing, thigh and leg and reheated the part that was going to be eaten) Give this recipe and roaster dish a try....you'll be eating more chicken for sure!

Orange Thyme Chicken
a JennyMac's Lipsmack creation

3-4 pound (or larger)chicken
1 cup your favorite wine (or 2-3 cups and forgo the broth)
1-2 cup chicken broth
Several sprigs of thyme
1 orange sliced
1 clove garlic, slightly mashed.
olive oil
salt and pepper
onions, carrots, potatoes (or other vegetable to roast of choice)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Pat chicken dry.  Rub the outside of chicken with olive oil and salt, pepper and some thyme leaves remove from their stems.  Put remaining sprigs of thyme in the chicken cavity.  Line the inside of the cavity with the orange slices, reserve one.

3.  Place the one orange slice in the roaster cylinder with the garlic clove.  Pour the wine in the cylinder.  It's okay if it over flows into the bottom of the roaster.

4.  Place the chicken on the cylinder.  Add veggies beneath chicken on bottom of roaster.

5.  Add enough of the broth/wine to the bottom to fill the base by 1/3.  Not putting enough liquid can cause hot spots and break or crack the roaster dish.

6.  Roast chicken until internal temp reaches 170 degrees.  You can follow your packaging directions per pound for time to know when to 'test' your chicken temperature.

I made a little pan gravy with this "just in case"....but it really wasn't needed.  I was just enjoying the gravy with the chicken just because the flavor was awesome.

If you have an artisan festival coming by your town soon look for one of these to purchase.  If you don't have a source, you can order one online from the people who made mine:  Wizard of Clay, mine was $50, because we bought it there at the booth.  Not sure what shipping will cost you to inflate the amount. 

Well worth the purchase....gonna try next time how I can put a turkey breast on this!  Some butcher's twine may be involved!

Enjoy!

Fried Rice Fake Out

 Oh my little friend cauliflower who fakes mashed potatoes, you about to become 'fried rice'.  Thankfully K-man loves cauliflower so this offering was pretty easy for him to accept...PLUS he can't stand plain rice.  "Come here my pretty..." (rubbing hands)

This does NOT need to be a labor-intensive recipe.  You can use leftover chicken, the packaged chicken strips (near the deli sliced meats) or you can take your raw chicken marinate it Asian style and cook it yourself.  WHATEVER works for YOU! 

As for the veggies that goes into my little fried rice fake out...that depend on what I have on hand or what I like.  Who SAYS I have to follow some recipe or commonly do what the Chinese take out does???  Who's the boss here?  Me.  When you make this at home....YOU are the boss for veggie choice.  This recipe is for two, feel free to double it or use it more like a side dish for four if you like.

Chicken Faked Fried Rice
by JennyMacsLipsmack

2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed (suggested marinade below)
half head of cauliflower, grated (directions below)
1/2 cup chopped onion (red onion pictured)
2 jalapenos, seeded and deveined, minced (we likey spicy)
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten
1 green onion, sliced (set aside for garnish)
oil of choice (sesame- if you REALLY want an Asian fla-vah)

Whenever you do stir fry....get everything ready to go first.  Everything chopped, beaten and ready to go?  Proceed.

Heat skillet to medium high.  Add oil.  When a drop of water sizzles in the oil you are ready to stir fry, baby.

Add your onions and pepper and season with S/P to taste.  STIR....When the pepper and onion start to soften add the cauliflower.  SIZZLE. 

Add your meat now if it needs to heat through.  Stir constantly....that is why it's called STIR fry!!!  The next step will be fast one....It is critical to taste your cauliflower for you don't want it raw but you don't want it mushy either.  Just when it is over the raw stage (about 2 min) push all the stir fry to the edges and pour your beaten egg in the middle of the skillet.  Let set for a minute and push it around as though you would scrambled eggs.

Dish onto plates, top with green onion garnish.  OH YUM.  K-man told me this beats any fried rice he's eaten out.....YAY!

Cook's Notes:

1.  Chicken Marinade:  In a  ziploc bag put 2 chicken breasts, (butterflied if they are full sized), 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 tsp grated ginger,  1 Tbsp sesame oil,  1/4 cup soy or tamari sauce and 2 Tbsp vinegar.  Red pepper flakes for heat if you'd like.  Marinate in fridge for 2 hours or more.

2.  Do not use a box grater for the cauliflower!  So old school.  Get out that food processor, put in the grating blade.  Break the cauliflower into chunks that will fit into feeding tube and push away!  A whole head of cauliflower makes ALOT.  Enough for two meals.   I used half of the grated cauli and put the other half in the freezer.  Got me about 1/3 of a gallon ziploc bag.  Press out air, ZIP!  So easy and I saved your knuckle skin too!

3.  The veggies in your fried rice can be fresh or frozen (ack- not canned!).  If you want EASY, just toss in two handfuls of frozen mixed veg....It's summer and we have a plethora of fresh veg.  Use them!

4.  Don't think it's redundant or overkill to have chopped onion AND green onion in this.  AU contraire, mon FRERE!  The chopped onion whether white or red is essential to flavor the cauliflower and will soften in the process.  The green onion for garnish renders the typical 'oniony' zing plus with crunch.  Don't go thinking you will need a breath mint after this dish.

5.  I am all about herbs and cilantro would be FAB here.  We've had unfortunate heat wave of 11 days 90-103 degrees and most of my herbs became toast.  The sun just killed them.  Fill free to go 'herby' on this if you'd like.


BONG! Dinner's served,

White Chicken Pizza with Caramelized Onions

Surprise!

Another Tweak with the garlic breadsticks dough recipe from a few days ago....

White Chicken Pizza with Caramelized Onions
adapted from Recipe Shoebox

2 Tbsp. butter
3 cups thinly sliced sweet onions
1 tsp. thyme
2 oz. garlic herb cream cheese (I used Boursin light)
1 pre-baked pizza crust (breadstick recipe just NOT cut before baking)
1/3 cup prepared Alfredo sauce
1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
1 lb. grated FRESH mozzarella cheese

Directions: Prebake Crust from link above (press into jellyroll pan and bake for only 10 minutes)

Melt butter in a skillet and cook onions for 20-25 minutes, until deep golden brown and caramelized; stir in thyme leaves.

Stir cream cheese and Alfredo sauce together.

Spread over pizza crust.

Top with chicken, then onions, then cheese.

Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until heated through. Enjoy!

Creamy, dreamy...HEAVENLY. I just love white pizzas. The original recipe used sugar with the onions...but it made it too sweet for my taste. Didn't need it.

I am not sure if a premade thin crust could handle this....the thick dough of the breadstick recipe held up with the moist Alfredo goodness. Not only is this easy recipe awesome for breadsticks as in this original recipe....it also holds up well for pizza too. Gonna have to play with this recipe for my classes since it's so quick!

Pizza-licious!

Spinach Stuffed Chicken

I love when I can get my protein and veggies in one dish. One stop cooking is ideal some days. The versatility of this recipe is that you can change up the cheese or seasoning to tailor the dish to your tastes.

Spinach Stuffed Chicken
by JennyMac Lipsmack

olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped or 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced (make two piles: 2/3 and 1/3)
10 ounces boxed spinach, thawed
1/2 cup cheese (feta, monterry jack, cheddar, swiss -your preference)
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. butter
1 cup breadcrumbs (italian, plain, panko, cracker- whatever you have on hand)
1 tsp. oregano (basil, rosemary, sage- whatever floats your boat)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (split in half lengthwise)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in small pan on medium heat. Add the onion and 2/3 of the reserved garlic, cook until softened 3-4 minutes. Place cooled onions in bowl with thawed spinach, cheese and season with salt and pepper. Melt butter in pan used for onions, turn off heat and add crumbs, herbs and remaining garlic. Toss around to mix herbs, crumb and butter.

Drizzle a baking dish with another 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Split each chicken breast lengthwise but not all the way (like a book). Stuff with spinach and cheese mixture, letting the stuffing overflow at the edges. Place the chicken pieces in the baking dish and top with breadcrumbs. Bake until juices run clear or internal temperature is 165 degrees or about 20 minutes.

Serves 4.

Serve with a some bread and a leafy salad and you are good. This was delicious. I can't wait for the leftovers tomorrow!

Go stuff yourself!

Easy Crock Chicken

Do you like Beef Stroganoff? Well let me introduce it's distant poultry cousin....It's quite yummy and easy to put together.

Easy Crock Chicken
JennyMac Lipsmack creation

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts or use a combo of breasts and thighs
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
2 pints sliced mushrooms, sauteed
8oz. sour cream
salt and pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder

Pat dry chicken (either leave whole or cut into cubes....you decide how you like them). Sprinkle with salt and pepper and garlic powder. Place in crock pot. Mix together undiluted soups. Pour over chicken. Add mushrooms that have been already sauteed/cooked. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours. When ready to serve, stir in sour cream. Serve over rice or broad noodles.

Garnish with chopped chives or K-man's suggestion is to add French's Onion Rings on top.
Delish!




Enjoy!

Chicken and Mushroom Rotini

You saw that beautiful roasted chicken yesterday? Here is it's leftovers! Don't ya just love that. Sliced Roast Chicken one night....totally different chicken the next!

Chicken and Mushroom Rotini
by JennyMac Lipsmack

2 cups leftover cooked chicken
1 package fresh sliced mushrooms
half onion, chopped
drizzle oil
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1 cup leftover chicken broth
1 cup cream
Half package rotini pasta
chopped chives for garnish

Cook pasta according to directions, drain and set aside.
Saute onions and mushrooms with drizzle of oil until cooked. Add butter and melt, add flour. Cook for about a minute until flour starts to smell 'nutty'. Slowly add chicken stock and cream. Stir until thickened. Add chopped/shredded leftover chicken. Mix in cooked pasta.
Garnish with chopped chives.

Easy leftover chicken dish, you'll love it. We did!

Sage and Garlic Chicken

A roasted chicken cooking in our house just makes me want to float in the air instead of walking...come to think of it...so does bacon, cookies, fresh bread, tomato sauce. Ok get a hold of yourself Jenny, clearly you love food smells.

Sure I like the ease of boneless chicken parts to cook with mostly but on the weekend I can appreciate the slow roasted chicken when I have more time to spend on preparing it and cooking it.

Sage and Garlic Roasted Chicken
by JennyMac Lipsmack

1 whole chicken roaster
handful of fresh sage, finely chopped (my last from the garden)
2-3 garlic cloves
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 Tbsp vinegar
1 onion quartered
8-10 whole carrots, washed and peeled

Wash and peel your carrots and line your roasting pan with them. Your chicken will cook on top of them. Unpackage your chicken and be sure to read the directions how long per pound. Don't totally rely on those pop up timers! I've have them not POP before. Be sure to remove the 'chicken stuff' on the inside of you chicken. Dry off chicken and thoroughly salt and pepper it all over inside and out.

Grind up your sage, garlic and olive oil and vinegar in a blend, food processor or mini food chopper (just perfect). Rub mixture under skin, over skin and inside chicken. Place quarter onions inside chicken. Bake in a preheated oven @ 350 degrees.

BEFORE:

*I know this picture does not depict how the carrots were instructed to be used in the recipe but after a few attempts, the recipe above rendered more tender and tasty carrots. This picture was attempt number one....I preferred attempt #2's carrots.

AFTER:

I know I should have trussed or tied my chick's legs together, but oh well I figured she'd endured enough animal cruelty! LOL. I made this one afternoon for dinner and something came up and didn't get home in time to cook it. It was great to pop into the oven the next day, already to go. The garlic really was infused throughout the chicken....so juicy too. Don't forget to let your chicken sit for about 10 before carving to let the juices redistribute!

Great lazy Sunday dinner choice!

Good Earth Giveaway

I've returned! LOL Anyone notice I was gone? Well not gone but crazy busy and no energy to snap pix and blog. Well I've missed you and ready to kick off my summer vacay with a GIVEAWAY!

The generous people at MyBlogSpark and Good Earth sent me this fun package. A reusable grocery bag, a bamboo cutting board, 2 sets bamboo flatware and two small plates and a box of Good Earth of Mediterranean Chicken with Angel Hair Pasta to try out. I love the bamboo! So cute. Made with 100% whole grain, no trans fat, no artificial flavors, no artificial preservatives, no MSG. Gotta love that!

I gave the package dinner a try one night when I wasn't in the mood to coordinate a full dinner. All I had to do was add my own chicken and all the sauce, seasonings and pasta was provided. Dinner in a snap. Very tasty too! I am sad that I didn't get more flavors to try to compare because sadly Good Earth has not shown up in our stores yet.

Do I pass? Does it look like the picture on the box? Well perhaps it would have if there wasn't a random clump of 'something' in the front there. Oh well. I am by far the pro photog!

I know the 4th of July holiday weekend is coming up and perhaps you want an easy meal to prepare after all your hard work from your holiday prep! Won't you put in a comment how you are a package dinner queen or what you'd like to do with your new bamboo products or just a quick comment about how much you missed me!

Just in case you are going away this giveaway will be held for one week! Give you plenty of time to enter.....

Thanks again MyBlogSpark and Good Earth!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! THANKS FOR STOPPING BY.

Enjoy!

Mean Green Chicken

When you have the abundance of something from your garden have you considered how you could use it for a marinade for your chicken instead of throwing it away?

When I went to the farmer's market I usually store the green onions soaking in water in a glass. In order for them to fit on the shelf in the fridge I have to WHACK off a good 1/3 of the greens. I can't get over how almost double in length they are compared to the ones at the store. All those green onion ends are too much for a salad yet those flavorful goodies aren't not going to waste! Go grab some of your other favorite fresh herbs some garlic and POW some mean green marinade.

Lookee, what I made....

Mean Green Chicken
JennyMac Lipsmack

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 full cup of chopped green onions
2 garlic cloves, pressed
handful of chives, chopped
One sprig of oregano, leaves plucked
3 sprigs of thyme, leaves slid off
one handful of parsley, chopped
salt and pepper (tsp of each)

Put olive oil and lemon juice in food processor or food chopper. Place the green onions and puree coarsely. Add the garlic cloves, pulse. Add the chives, do a few more pulses. Add the oregano and thyme. Pulse a few times again. Lastly parsley, pulsing a few last times.

The mixture doesn't need to be finely blended like pesto. It's okay for it to be chunky....gives it character! Place mixture in ziploc bag. Salt and pepper the chicken. Place chicken in bag and smoosh it around. Place bag in fridge for a few hours or overnight.

Grill as you would your boneless chicken normally. Approximately 7 minute per side. I find that if you take it off earlier than when you THINK its ready....it will continue to cook (carry over cooking) as you are plating the rest of your dinner.

These mean green beauties practically melted in our mouth. AWESOME. They were great reheated as slices on my salad the next night too.


Enjoy!

Lime Thyme Chicken

Need another recipe idea for an easy grilling marinade? Here you go....

Lime Thyme Chicken

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. lime zest
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts
2-3 tbsp. melted butter
sliced avocados

Directions:
Combine the lime zest, lime juice, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper in a large zipper-lock plastic bag. Seal the bag and shake well to blend. Place the chicken in the bag with the marinade, pressing out excess air and sealing once more. Refrigerate and let marinate for 2 hours.

Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and place on grill, reserving the leftover marinade. Brush the top of each piece of chicken with melted butter.

Grill chicken until juices run clear. Halfway through grilling, pour/brush the remaining marinade over the chicken. Once fully cooked, cover loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes before serving. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with slice avocados and serve.

Sprinkle a bit of lime on top of your avocados as well....great flavor of chicken with the creamy avocado. YUM!

Enjoy!

Winner, winner Chicken Dinner!

I've posted for recipes on here about my using my "Sunday Special roasted chicken that my grocery sells for 4.99". Now I realize...BIG WHOOP!

When my store has whole chickens on sale for 49 cents a pound. This chicken was 2.49! Divide THAT for 2 dinners for 2 people and my roasted chicken for dinner is 62 cents per serving instead of $1.24. I am seriously getting a freezer for the basement now! Stocking UP!

Then I was making something yummy that needed lots of lemons.....they are zested and all juiced. How oh How can I still utilize these fragrant lemons.....? How about....

Lemon Herb Chicken

1 whole chicken (check for bag of "innards" and a neck in its cavity)
5-10 whole garlic cloves, peeled (how garlicky do you want it?)
4-6 lemon halves (they can be zested and juiced)
preferred herb mix (italian, herbes de provence, Mrs. Dash, etc)
salt and pepper to taste
canola or olive oil for rubbing

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Rinse and blot dry your chicken.

Use a 11 X 7 baking dish instead of a 13X9 (if you can). I like how 'secure' my chicken is in the pan rather sliding all around in the TOO large 13X9. But use what you have!
Rub your chicken with "used" lemons. (I had a recipe that needed lots of zest and juice and I wanted to utilize these) Put half of the garlic inside your chicken. Slide some of the cloves underneath the skin where the hip joints are. Put some garlic in the neck cavity. Anywhere, everywhere! Put the lemon halves inside the hollow cavity and a few underneath your chicken.
Rub your chicken with oil and lightly salt and pepper. Cover with herbs of choice (use fresh if you have them, mine are covered with snow) until heavily coated. Tie your chicken legs together with twine.

If chicken is cold let sit for 1/2 hour on counter so the salt will permeate the skin and tenderize. Bake in 325 oven for 1 and 1/2 hours or until temperature registers 180 degrees in the leg meat.

Now for the fun part!!! Making parts instead of slicing like the T-day turkey!

You DO own a pair of sharp kitchen shears right? OXO are awesome, if you don't own a pair. Turn over your chicken and cut close to each side of the chicken backbone.

See my garlic inside?

Put a paper towel under your chicken to absorb grease and so it won't slide on you when you cut the next part.





If you want to use your shears again go ahead, now cut through the cavity in the middle of the breastbone. Or you can use a large chef's knife for this. Here you have 1/2 a chicken. I can't get over how some restaurants make this a dinner....too much for me!









Take your shears/scissors and cut the leg off from the breast at the thigh. Now you have two quarter chickens. One white meat and one dark meat. Perfect. I like white meat, K-man loves the dark. See how we are made for each other?











Quarter of a chicken is still too much for me. I cut off the wing and give it to K-man with his leg and thigh. I still can barely eat a chicken breast depending on the 'sides' I have.

I peel off my skin and slice my breast piece. K-man likes and wants the crunchy seasoned skin on his pieces.


So there you have it. Making your own roasted chicken is REALLY not that difficult. We pay SO MUCH for the convenience of some Perdue chicken part herbed and injected with chicken broth (and the breast is sliced in half, you know!). Once I paid attention to the price I was paying and the effort I am putting into it...on a weekend it's not a big deal. You could prep this on Sunday for a week night as well. It's awesome. TRY IT!

Enjoy!

Give your measuring spoons a rest!

I was in the spice section of my grocery store and I saw....

Hmmmm, looks like McCormick's been busy making something new. What is THIS about?

It's pretty cool if you ask me.

You see the spices pre-divided in the bubble card. When you pull off the perforated recipe card on the back, you will have access to the spices (which are MARKED in case you are 'spice recognition deficient')

On the recipe card, it tells you the other things you need and the directions. So what is the gist here? Think of the millions of premade spice mixtures in a bottle....that you are supposed to sprinkle on your foods. Most people would use them to marinate or grill things and that's it. There is no real recipe to use those bottles of spices unless you are creative or visit their sites to look for suggestions.

The added bonus here is that IF you like the dish made, you get to keep the recipe card from the back and do it again with your own spices. Who doesn't have paprika, garlic, thyme, red pepper and black pepper? Great to send with your college student who perhaps doesn't have all those spices in jars but a kitchen to cook in!

Here's how the recipe went:

Spanish Chicken Skillet

2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. granulated garlic
red pepper flakes (add to your taste)
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs boneless chicken breasts (I used tenderloins)
1 red or green pepper (I used a whole bag of frozen pepper in red, green and yellow)
1 whole onion, chopped
14 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth

Mix seasoning in small bowl with flour and salt. Heat up skillet with olive oil. Sprinkle seasoning on chicken. You are not using it all up as I thought....

Cook chicken on each side for 3 minutes and set aside on a plate. Saute your onions and peppers until the start to soften, add your tomatoes and chicken broth, bring to a boil. Place chicken back in skillet with pepper mixture and simmer for 10 minutes.

You can serve over rice, with pasta or load up a tortilla and eat fajita style. This was pretty easy and perfectly seasoned. They have about 5 different flavors available (that I've seen so far) and I have one more to try. If it passes muster like this one did...perhaps you will see Quesadilla Casserole as a future post.

Look for it in your grocery and give it a try if you want to give your measuring spoons a much needed vacation!

Enjoy!