Rosemary, Garlic & Olive Oil Chicken for the Crock Pot

Yesterday I was on a mission to find a healthier Crock Pot recipe using chicken. So many of my chicken recipes for the Crock Pot seem to be bathed in delicious, heavy cream sauces and that was just not going to work for me. I haven't eaten as healthy as I should for the better part of a week now and I wanted to get back on track. I didn't feel like spending hours in the kitchen, either, so the Crock Pot seemed the best solution. Throw it in and forget it!! Now just to find a healthy recipe! I went straight to Google (what would I do without that marvelous search engine?) and found what looked to be a great recipe in a relatively short time. By the time I found my recipe it was already 1:45 in the afternoon and I still needed to make my near-daily trek to the grocery store. Here is the recipe I found. Just click here

It was so easy to make, and cooks on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

The chicken was very moist and tender and the house smelled delightfully of the fragrant Rosemary, with just a hint of the garlic. It also tasted like it smelled - delicious! For a fast, healthy meal, you can't beat this one. I served it with a side of steamed Brussels Sprouts and a nice salad with my homemade Ranch dressing.

Grilled Lemon Chicken

I really am trying to eat better. After my recent health scare I realized that, as much as I love rich sauces, red meats, rice, pasta and potatoes, I must make a change for the better. Now don't get me wrong - I am not planning to boycott all my favorite foods, but I am going to show more restraint than I have shown in the past! lol.

Here is a simple, quick, easy, and most tasty dish.

6 Chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2" thickness
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
garlic powder
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
Olive oil

I use a grilltop that goes over my gas burners. I brush olive oil thoroughly on grill and heat over medium-high heat. Dip chicken into the lemon juice and then season chicken with the garlic powder, salt & pepper. Place and grill and cook until juices run clear when cut into (about 5-7 minutes per side). Easy breezy sneezy peezy! Enjoy!!!

Beer Lime Grilled Chicken

This was the main dish last night and it was really good! I don't know why I find myself SO surprised when something so simple tastes so good. For years I felt if I didn't slave for 3-4 hours in the kitchen, I was cheating my family. I think this comes from my belief that I show my love for my family via my cooking. My mom always told me, growing up, that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach. I think that adage stuck with me and that is why I feel the way I do about cooking. Or maybe I just love cooking and don't mind spending hours on a meal. I think it would take a shrink to figure me out...and I'd rather spend my money on quality ingredients!

I found this reicpe at AllRecipes.com. Just click on the link below.

Beer Lime Grilled Chicken from Allrecipes.com

Here is a photo of the plated dish:

Lemon Chicken Piccata

This is going to be tonight's dinner. It is a new recipe that was found on allrecipes.com.

Lemon Chicken Piccata
5 large skinless, boneless chicken brest halves, cut into 1/2" pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 TBSP vegetable oil, or as needed
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
3 TBSP capers, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup + 1 tsp butter
3 TBSP minced Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

Preheat oven to 200°F (95°C). Place a serving platter into the oven to warm. Season the chicken beast pieces with salt and pepper and dredge them in flour. Shake off excess flour. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet; pan-fry the chicken pieces until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Work in batches and do not crowd skillet, added oil as needed. Place the chicken pieces onto the warmed platter in the oven. When finished with all the chicken, drain most of the oil from the skillet, leaving a thin coating on the surface of the pan. Cook and stir the minced garlic in the skillet until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Pour in the chicken broth. Scrape and dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, until the sauce reduces to about 3/4 cup, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the lemon juice and more. Drop the butter into the skillet and swirl it into the sauce by tilting teh skillet until the butter is melted and incorporated. Add the parsley; removed from the heat and set aside. Arrange the chicken medallions on serving plates and spoon sauce over each portion to serve. I am going to serve this over linguini.

Chicken Kiev

Good evening!!! Tonight I am making something I haven't made in quite a while...Chicken Kiev! It is so yummy! You cut into it and the cheesy butter filling oozes out....wonderful, yummy goodness! Without any more ado, here is my recipe:

Chicken Kiev
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts-
¾ cup fine dry bread crumbs
¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp oregano, separated
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
½ cup butter, softened
1 TBSP chopped parsley
8 oz Monterey jack cheese, cut into 8 strips
½ cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425°. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place one piece at a time between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a flat surface mallet until each breast is about 1/8” thick. In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder and salt and 1 tsp of the oregano and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the ¼ cup butter, remaining oregano and parsley. Spread about ½ TBSP of the butter mixture across each piece about an inch from one of the long sides and place a strip of the Jack cheese over the butter. Fold the short ends over the filling and then fold in the long sides and roll to enclose the filling. Dip each bundle into the melted butter and roll in the bread crumb mixture until coated evenly. Place bundles, seam side down and slightly separated into a 10x15” rimmed baking pan. Drizzle with the remaining butter. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or over overnight. Bake, uncovered, until chicken is no longer pink when slightly slashed, but be careful not to cut into the filling, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately. Bon Appetit!

Chicken Piccata

For tonight's dinner I made Chicken Piccata. YUMMY!! I think I love Chicken Piccata because of the capers. I like capers...no, wait, I LOVE capers. I have a love affair with capers. I can't get enough capers. I love their salty goodness when they pop in my mouth. They add such a great flavor to so many dishes. I truly feel this little flower bud is under-utilized in cooking.

Chicken Piccata
8 boneless chicken breasts halves
6 TBSP butter, room temperature
2 TBSP all-purpose flour, plus additional flour for dredging
1 TBSP olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup chicken broth
¼ cup drained capers
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley


Mix 2 TBSP butter and 2 TBSP flour in small bowl until smooth. Set aside. Lightly pound chicken between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap to ¼” thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place additional flour in shallow baking dish. Dredge chicken in flour to coat; shake off excess. Heat 1 TBSP oil in large heavy skillet. Add 2 chicken breasts and cook until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a platter; tent with foil to keep warm. Cook remaining chicken breasts, two or three at a time. Bring wine, lemon juice and broth to boil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in butter-flour mixture and boil until sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in capers, parsley and remaining 4 TBSP butter. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Laura's Chicken

One of my co-workers made this for me for my birthday dinner last October and it was SO flavorful that I just had to have the recipe. I was quite surprised when she gave me the recipe! I made this last night and it was a huge hit. I really think the best part is the sauce over creamy mashed potatoes. My mouth water just thinking of how tasty it is! I am not a big fan of bell peppers, so I just omit that particular ingredient when I'm preparing this tasty dish.

Laura's Chicken

4 - 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each cut into thirds
2 TBSP olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped (optional)
4 ribs celery, finely chopped
Tony Chacheres Creole Seasoning
5 packages McCormick's turkey gravy mix
6 cups water

In a large skillet heat olive oil (I use my electric skillet for this dish). Add veggies and sauté over medium to medium-high heat until tender, about five minutes. Remove veggies from skillet. Season chicken pieces with Tony Chacheres Creole seasoning and brown in skillet. While meat is browning mix the 5 packets of McCormick's turkey gravy mix with 6 cups of water (I use my 8 cup glass measuring cup for this). Add the celery, red pepper and onion to the gravy mix and stir well. When chicken is browned on both sides add the turkey gravy/water/veggie mix. Cover and simmer approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. This is good with rice, mashed potatoes or egg noodles. Serves 6.

We had this with rice and grilled asparagus last night.