Chicken Parmesan Subs

This one is for those ones of you who roast two chickens each week and are looking for new ways to use the leftovers. If you don't roast two chickens, that's okay, just cook any kind of chicken for this recipe!

Cheater Chicken Parmesan Open-faced Subs

2 c (? depending on how many servings you're making) cooked chicken: shredded or cubed
1 jar pasta sauce
1/2 c or so of bread crumbs
shredded mozzarella cheese
sandwich rolls (or loaf of french bread)

simmer the chicken in the pasta sauce until heated through. stir in the bread crumbs and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens a little bit.

split open the sandwich rolls and spoon the chicken mixture onto each half of the rolls. sprinkle with shredded cheese and put under the broiler until the cheese melts and turns a little bit brown. serve open-faced and enjoy!

Sweet and Spicy Slow-Cooker Chicken

I made this meat for the 5 de Mayo lunch at work and it was a HUGE hit and super easy. I got it from Mel's Kitchen Cafe (the same place the pb recipes came from for that April birthday party)

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (14 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Coat the inside of your crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Place all ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours, or until chicken shreds very easily with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Chicken will absorb liquid after it is shredded.) Serve in tacos or however your little heart desires.

Since I had to bring it to work with me I was a little nervous, but it worked perfectly. My mom cooked it for me (just dumped the things in the crock pot) then put it in the fridge - pre-shredding. When I got to work I turned it on high for a little bit to warm it up then literally just wiggled a fork around in it and it fell into shred. Then I left it on warm for a few hours until we were ready to eat. All of the juice was completely absorbed (but it wasn't dry at all) and, for those of you with non-tomato eating families, you can't even tell there are tomatoes.

Greek Chicken Sandwiches with Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce

*We tried this recipe last week and I really liked it. I dont do cucumbers so I left those out and added tomatoes, I used the flatbread from TJs as its softer than pitas.

This is a summery meal with cooling cucumbers and creamy yogurt. For a vegetarian alternative, use garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas) in the sandwiches instead of the chicken. Serve it with Greek-Style Green Beans (you can also peel, slice and serve the 1/2 cucumber that wasn't used in the recipe).
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or canned garbanzo beans, if using the beans, drain and rinse them
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp. black pepper, or to taste
1 cup plain nonfat or lowfat yogurt, preferably Greek yogurt
1 tsp. minced garlic, (1 - 2 cloves)
2 tsp. fresh oregano, mint or dill, chopped
1/2 tsp. honey
1/2 cucumber, peeled and finely diced or shredded (1 cup total)
4 whole wheat or white pita breads
1 tomato, diced
(If you are making the green beans, start them first.) Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch wide strips and toss it with the oil, salt and pepper. (If using garbanzo beans, warm them in the microwave or on the stovetop with the oil and black pepper, and omit the salt.)
Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken until it is browned on the outside and no longer pink in the middle, turning occasionally, 5-7 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium serving bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, oregano, mint or dill, honey and cucumber.
Warm the pita in the microwave or conventional oven (10 - 15 minutes at 300 degrees, wrapped in foil) to soften it.
Assemble the sandwiches at the table by stuffing or wrapping the chicken (or garbanzo beans) in the pita pockets and topping it with the yogurt sauce and tomato. Serve the sandwiches warm.
Scramble Flavor Booster: Use lots of fresh herbs in the yogurt sauce, and season the chicken with freshly ground black pepper before cooking it.
Tip:
If your market carries a range of yogurts, look for Greek yogurt, such as Fage, which has a much richer and smoother taste and texture than American yogurts.

Thai Chicken Pasta (or rice)

This dish seems a little complicated because it has a lot of ingredients but you dump them in all at once and I usually have all of them on hand, except for the half-and-half...and please don't try to use whole milk and cornstarch instead, it does not work!

Everyone in my family loves this and, even though it seems special, it takes hardly any time to make.

Ingredients:

1 pound any kind of noodle (or you can serve over rice)
enough chicken to feed your family, shredded/cubed/or however

Sauce:
1/2 C chicken broth
1 T minced ginger root OR 1/2 t ground ginger
3 T soy sauce
4 T peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
3 T honey
1-2 t hot chili paste**
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 C half-and-half

Cook pasta until al dente or rice according to package. Drain. Meanwhile, in medium saucepan combine all sauce ingredients. Cook and whisk over medium heat until mixture is fully incorporated and heated through. Add noodles and chicken, toss to coat. I top mine with chives if I have them and chopped peanuts "for a nice crunch!" (little food network reference there)

**In the ethnic foods/Indian section of the grocery store I found a jar of Patak's Original Vindaloo Curry Paste "hot" It says to use within six months of opening but I didn't read that until just now and I've been keeping mine in the fridge and using it for at least a year now with no problems :)

Balsamic chicken with noodles and tomatoes

*disclaimer, this is a very lose recipe as I make it different every time and never write anything down.

Chicken Breasts
Cherry Tomatoes
Balsamic Vinegar
Noodles
Basil
Salt
Pepper

Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper on both sides. Cook the chicken breasts in a frying pan over med heat until done. Once they are done take them out and deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar- about 1/3 cup?? Get all the flavor off of the bottom of the pan. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half, add them to the vinegar along with the cooked chicken and basil. Cook for a min or two just to warm the tomatoes. Serve over noodles.

** I use the frozen basil from TJ's and whole wheat angel hair pasta. You can also serve it with fresh parmesan cheese.

Chicken Fajitas, BBQ Chicken Pizza

This is a recipe that is easy, fresh, and delicious. You could also substitute the chicken for shrimp or steak. The leftovers can be morphed into bbq chicken pizza later in the week.

1-2 lbs chicken cut into strips
2-4 bell peppers, a variety of colors, cut into strips
1 med-large onion, cut into strips
taco seasoning
T oil
lime juice
salt
pepper
toppings
tortillas

In a large bowl, combine ingredients. Add any spices that you think would be tasty. Let sit for at least 10 minutes but up to 1 hour.
Heat large grill pan or skillet over medium high heat. Add fajita stuff and cook, stirring occasionally. When chicken is cooked through and vegis are tender, you're done. (if you're using a grill pan, you should get nice char marks!)

Serve with guacamole, shredded cheese, sour cream, beans, rice, fresh lime juice, etc. Roll up into a warmed tortilla and enjoy!

Bonus Recipe:
Use leftover fajitas and create bbq chicken pizza

Pizza dough
Fajita mix
BBQ sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Green onions, chopped
cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 375. Roll out pizza dough onto baking sheet or pizza stone. Spread bbq sauce over dough. Sprinkle with leftover fajitas, cheese and green onions. Bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Easy shredded chicken

In a large pot, lay as many chicken breasts as will fit snugly in one layer--with or without bones is fine. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, minced garlic (one clove per piece), sliced onion, and any other spices you like. Tip: if you plan to use in mexican food, season with cumin, mexican oregano, red pepper flakes, etc. For italian use greek oregano or mixed italian seasoning..., you get the idea. Press the seasonings down into the chicken, then carefully pour one can of chicken broth over the chicken, then add water just to cover.

Bring to a boil on high, then partially cover and reduce to low so liquid just simmers. Simmer for 7 minutes, then cover completely and remove from heat. Let chicken cool, covered, for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from liquid and hand shred.

You could freeze in one or two cup portions and use in Julie's Chicken Tortilla Soup, or I often use it in enchiladas and taco salad.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
2 cans chicken broth
1 cup shredded or cubed chicken
1 jar of salsa
1 can of black beans
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
*1 cup cooked brown rice optional
*1 can diced tomatoes optional
tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, avocado for garnish

In large pot, brown corn over medium heat (5 minutes).
Once corn is browned, add other ingredients and simmer 20+ minutes. Serve topped with crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream and avocado.

Notes: We eat this soup A LOT. It can be spicy or mild depending on the salsa that you use. We use a southwestern salsa that is kinda sweet and has corn in it.