Hummus Crusted Chicken

So the other day I had my meal all planned out, but then all day long this chicken on the cover of my March issue of Better Homes and Gardens just kept staring at me (Ok, I guess I was the one doing the staring, and the more I stared the hungrier I got!). It required a little bit of improvising, but in the end it was worth it.It did make me think too that if there was one area that I've improved in the most when it comes to cooking, it would have to be the ability to improvise and make adjustments to a recipe. When I first got married (thus no longer living in dorm and eating caf food) I was a staunch recipe follower, fearful that doing anything other than exactly what the recipe called for would result in disaster. In the last 4 1/2 years I've become much braver about deviating from a recipe and the results are often worth it!

Hummus - Crusted Chicken

1 15-16 ounce can of navy beans (or garbanzo beans) rinsed, and drained
5-6 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons lime or lemon juice
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt and ground black pepper
2 cups coarse soft bread crumbs

1. Prepare Hummus by combining beans, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and the lemon/lime juice ina blender or food processor. Process until smooth and set aside.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Spread chicken with a layer of the hummus on both sides then roll in bread crumbs.
3. Heath the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for 12 minutes or until internal temperature registers 160 F, flipping once. If needed, add more oil. If crumbs brown too quickly you can reduce the heat.

Enjoy!

East Coast vs. West Coast and Chinese Food

One of the things that I've had to get used to since moving to California 9 years ago (wow!! has it really been that long?) was the Chinese food. Now, that may seem like an odd thing to say I had to "get used to," but it's really true- the Chinese food in New Hampshire is completely different. No pu-pu platters in California (you have no idea how many times I've been made fun of for that one by Californians who have no idea what their missing!).
The one thing that New Hampshire Chinese food can't top is orange chicken. I'll be honest I don't know that anything can top orange chicken from Panda Express, but I did feel a lot less guilty after eating this and it was fun to have at home!



Home Made Orange Chicken

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into pieces
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Ingredients for sauce:
1 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons onion
1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1. Mix sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. Place chicken pieces and one cup of sauce in a glass dish or a sealed plastic bag. Refrigerate for two hours.
3. When chicken is done marinating mix dry ingredients in a Ziploc bag and add chicken pieces. Seal and shake the chicken to coat.
4. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and brown chicken on all sides. Remove chicken and clean pan.
5. Add the remaining sauce to the pan and heat, adding 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water to thicken. Add the chicken and simmer until all is heated through.

Serve over rice and enjoy!

Good enough for the State Fair

I know I've got a winner when my Grampy tells me I should enter it in the fair! My mom and grandparents were out visiting for the last week and this Vegetable Lasagna is one of the dishes me and my Mimi made while they were here. Unlike other vegetarian Lasagnas I've seen before, this one has a white sauce instead of a red sauce. I was a little worried that it would come out too rich, but I think in the end it was the perfect balance. I hope you enjoy it as much as my Grampy did :)




Ingredients:
6 ounces no-boil lasagna noodles
2 beaten eggs
2 cups cottage cheese
15 ounces ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning, crushed
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 to 1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups milk
1 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 10 ounce package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1 cup shredded carrot
3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 8 ounce package mozzarella cheese

1. Combine the eggs, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, and Italian seasoning and set aside to use later.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet and cook the mushrooms, onion and garlic until tender. Stir in the flour and pepper; add milk all at once. Cook, stirring continuously, until slightly thickened and bubbly. Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach, broccoli, carrot, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
3. Grease a 3 or 4 quart rectangular baking dish. Spread 1/2 cup of vegetable mixture evenly over the bottom of the dish. Layer one- third of the noodles on top of this, cutting to fit if necessary. spread one-third of the cottage cheese mixture followed by one-third of the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with one third of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers twice and sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Fettuccini with braised Kale

Can you believe that the end of 2010 is almost here?! I'm soaking up the last bits and pieces of 2010 while enjoying two weeks off from work (and really, I ask myself once again, why would anyone choose a job that doesn't give you two weeks off at Christmas?)
Like many of you, I'm spending the next couple of days baking yummy treats and enjoying the Christmas season. Which means I'll have a few recipes to post in the next couple of days (ok, and I'm trying to make up for the complete lack of posts in November- yikes!) The recipe for today doesn't fall in the "yummy treat" category, but it did make a yummy dinner, (I'm officially banning myself from using the word yummy any more in this post!) and I'm particularly fond of the Christmas lights in the pictures!

Fettuccine with Braised Kale

1 pound of Kale
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 cloves of garlic, sliced or pressed in garlic press
1/2 pound of fettuccine or spaghetti
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
grated Parmesan cheese


1. Remove the stem and center rib from the kale. Chop cross-wise into 1/2 inch pieces. Rinse Kale and place in bowl, allowing any water to remain on leaves.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onions and cook until soft, stirring occasionally. Add pressed or sliced garlic and sprinkle with salt. Continue cooking until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the Kale and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss for about 3 minutes, or until Kale is wilted. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes or until Kale is very tender. Stir occasionally and add a teaspoonful of water every so often if dray.

4. While Kale is cooking, cook fettuccine or spaghetti in a medium pot of water. Drain pasta and reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water.
5. Add Kale cooked pasta to Kale mixture. Add Lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of cooking water. Toss to combine. Add more liquid if dry. Top with grated Parmesan Cheese.
Enjoy!