Nashville Unfried Hot Chicken

So Nashville Chicken is the new trendy dish.  I've had a few good versions and a few awful version.
I saw the original recipe, and asked D if we could have it.  He said ok. The only problem is that it was for Whole 30/Paleo Diets, and since we don't follow Whole 30/Paleo, we weren't going out of the way to follow.  So we changed some of the ingredients.

It is spicy, with flavor. It isn't just a bunch of chili powder dumped on chicken (yes, I've had that "version").

We've had it twice.  Both time with Pre-made Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Cauliflower.

Nashville Unfried Hot Chicken

Photo by ALB

Prep Time:10 Min
Cook Time:30 Min
Total Time:40 Min

Serves 4
Recipe adapted from The Defined Dish

Ingredients
2 tbsp. Tabasco
1 tsp. white vinegar
2 tbsp. butter
6 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
8 bone-in skin on chicken thighs (may use less, depends on the size...sometimes thighs are the size of your head).
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

2. Pat dry chicken thighs. Season them all over generously with kosher salt and pepper.

3. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When pan is hot (but not smoking), place chicken, skin side down, and sear, occasionally rearranging chicken thighs and rotating pan to evenly distribute heat, until fat renders and skin is golden brown, about 8 minutes.

4. Transfer skillet to oven (chicken should still be skin side down) and cook 10 more minutes.

5. Flip chicken; continue cooking until skin crisps and meat is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate; let rest 5 minutes before serving.

6. While chicken is resting, heat the butter, tabasco, vinegar, minced garlic, cayenne, paprika, and chili powder over medium heat. Let simmer for 3-5 minutes, you may need to reduce the heat a bit, until it is fragrant and flavors have combined.

7. Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl. Pour sauce over the top and toss to coat.

8. Serve immediately!

9 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 4 servings)

Grilled Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad

I'm really not sure why I didn't like this salad. We've had it twice. D liked it.  I thought it was ok, but really, I could go to Wendy's and get a salad, and be just as satisfied.  Basically it comes down to the fact that this is just kind of boring compared to the 10's of other salads D makes.

Grilled Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad

Grilled Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad that is full of Mediterranean flavours with a dressing that doubles as a marinade!

From Give Recipes

INGREDIENTS
Marinade/Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice)
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
cracked pepper, to taste (1/8 tsp)
(1 pound | 500 g) 4 skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets (or chicken breasts) (used 14 oz)
Salad:
4 cups Romaine (or Cos) lettuce leaves, washed and dried (used 3 heads)
1 large cucumber, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
⅓ cup pitted Kalamata olives (or black olives), sliced (didn't use)
Lemon wedges, to serve

INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk together all of the marinade/dressing ingredients in a large jug. Pour out half of the marinade into a large, shallow dish. Refrigerate the remaining marinade to use as the dressing later.

Add the chicken to the marinade in the bowl; marinade chicken for 15-30 minutes (or up to two hours in the refrigerator if time allows). While waiting for the chicken, prepare all of the salad ingredients and mix in a large salad bowl.

Once chicken is ready, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a grill pan or a grill plate over medium-high heat. Grill chicken on both sides until browned and completely cooked through.

Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes; slice and arrange over salad. Drizzle salad with the remaining dressing. Serve with lemon wedges.

9 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 3 servings)

Creamy Chicken-and-Wild Rice Casserole

This is one of those recipes where I waited too long to review it.  I remembered I liked it but I can't remember why.  Oh well.

Would have again though.

Creamy Chicken-and-Wild Rice Casserole

Photo by ALB

Active Time: 35 Mins
Total Time: 1 Hour 10 Mins
Serves 8 (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)--4 now, 4 later

Wild rice is wonderfully fragrant; it’s the perfect counter to the creamy, earthy mushroom mixture and has enough texture that the grains won’t bloat or fall apart in the casserole. Simmer 11/2 cups rice in 6 cups water for 45 minutes and drain. You can also use 1 (13-ounce) package frozen cooked wild rice, such as Engine 2, which is sold at Whole Foods. Cook the mushroom mixture on the stove while the chicken finishes in the oven (use the same casserole dishes to avoid extra clean up). Serve with simply sautéed green beans or a mixed greens salad.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
Cooking spray
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 cups 2% reduced-fat milk, divided
1 1/2 cups sliced leeks
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 (8-oz.) pkg. presliced cremini mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 ounce 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
3 cups hot cooked wild rice
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sprinkle chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side. Divide chicken between 2 square (8-inch) baking dishes coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes or until done. Cool and chop.

Return skillet to medium-high. Combine flour and 1/2 cup milk in a bowl. Add leeks and next 4 ingredients (through mushrooms) to pan; cook 13 minutes or until browned and tender. Stir in flour mixture, remaining 4 1/2 cups milk, and parsley; cook 3 minutes. Stir in cream cheese until smooth; cook 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Combine chicken, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, mushroom mixture, rice, and green onions in a bowl. Coat baking dishes with cooking spray. Divide chicken mixture between dishes; top with almonds. Follow freezing directions, or bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

To FREEZE: Cool mixture completely. Cover with heavy-duty foil or airtight lids. Freeze up to 2 months.THAW: Uncover and microwave at MEDIUM (50% power) 15 minutes or until thawed.REHEAT: Cover and bake at 450 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 335; Fat: 10.9g; Sat fat: 3.5g; Monofat: 4.6g; Polyfat: 1.7g; Protein: 29g; Carbohydrate: 32g; Fiber: 4g; Cholesterol: 62mg; Iron: 2mg; Sodium: 633mg; Calcium: 240mg; Sugars: 2g; Est. added sugars: 0g

Cooking Light, March 2017

8 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 8 servings)

Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad

I made this, so you know it was pretty easy to make.  I made some changes from the original recipe because I hate olives.  And I put in the whole artichoke can because what am I going to do with a partial can of artichokes?

D and I both liked it.  Of course, I can eat my weight in Tortellini.  But for a quick filling meal, this is a good one.

Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad

Photo by ALB

Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad with zesty Greek lemon dressing, fresh veggies, and hearty tortellini pasta will be your go-to potluck and dinner side dish!

adapted from lecremedelacrumb.com
Prep time: 15 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Serves: 6 2 Cup servings

Ingredients
1 pound cheese tortellini pasta (either fresh, or dried - cooked according to package's instructions) (used 20 oz Buitoni)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, diced
1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 14oz can artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
11 oz chicken breast, sauteed with salt and pepper (eyeballed that)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped (that whole tub that you get from Kroger)

Greek Dressing
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
6 cloves of garlic garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
black pepper, to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions
Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar, cover and shake well.

In a large bowl combine tortellini, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, artichoke hearts, olives, feta cheese, and basil. Pour dressing over the top, then toss to combine.

Serve immediately OR cover and refrigerate up to 6 hours before serving.

15 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 6 servings)

Steak, Feta, and Olive Quesadillas

D made these the other night.  Of course, he took out the olives.

He thought the spinach was over-powering.  I thought it was fine.  Again, we agreed we need a higher quality feta than Kroger brand. Overall we would both have again.  We had with a spinach/egg salad.

Steak, Feta, and Olive Quesadillas

Photo by ALB

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 4 wedges and 1 tbsp. yogurt)
Time: 25 minutes
Veg Out: Substitute sliced cremini mushrooms for the steak and add an extra cup of spinach to the filling for a vegetarian main.

We first tried a Mexican-Italian quesadilla mash-up with pizzadillas—quesadillas with melty mozzarella and a marinara dipping sauce. Now we head to the Mediterranean with a steak, feta, and olive quesadilla filling and a dollop of cool Greek yogurt on top. Instead of layering meat, vegetables, and cheese inside the tortilla, we make one filling of steak and vegetables to save time. Be careful not to overstuff the tortillas or they may fall apart in the pan. This recipe is also great for entertaining: Serve the wedges on a platter with a side of yogurt and a “salsa” of chopped cucumber, tomato, red onion, and parsley.

Ingredients 
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided (used 1 TBSP)
12 ounces sirloin steak, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped fresh spinach (about 1 1/2 oz.)
1 1/2 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)
12 Castelvetrano olives, chopped (didn't use)
4 (8-in.) whole-wheat tortillas (used OLE Xtreme Wellness Tortillas)
1/4 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt (used Opadipity Greek Cucumber Greek Dill Dip)

Preparation
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add steak; cook 5 minutes or until browned. Add spinach, cream cheese, feta, and olives; cook 2 minutes. Remove steak mixture from pan.

Wipe pan clean with paper towels. Spoon about 1/3 cup steak mixture evenly over half of each tortilla. Fold tortillas in half over filling. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan. Place 2 quesadillas in pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and remaining 2 quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Serve with yogurt.

Nutritional Information as written
Calories 346; Fat: 18.2g; Satfat: 5.4g; Monofat: 10.2g; Polyfat: 1.3g; Protein: 23g; Carbohydrate: 20g; Fiber: 1g; Cholesterol: 59mg; Iron: 2mg; Sodium: 672mg; Calcium: 118mg; Sugars: 1g; Est. added sugars: 0 g

Cooking Light, August 2017

8 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 4 servings)

Cobb Pizza (or Shit on Bread)

It's no secret that I call pizza without red sauce, shit on bread.  So this would fall into the category of good shit on bread.

It lacked a little flavor, but I think that was with the substitutions I made.  Kroger didn't have arugula when we went to the store on Sunday, and neither of us felt like hitting the store on Thursday to go see if a ship had come in with it. So we used the spinach we had.

After this recipe, I asked D if we could use better (more expensive) feta.  He had bought some before and when we went back to Kroger brand, it was kind of tasteless.  He agreed.

So anyway, we both liked this, and think if made properly, it will be excellent shit on bread.

Cobb Pizza

Photo by ALB

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 2 slices)

Ingredients
10 ounce refrigerated fresh whole-wheat pizza dough (used Pillsbury Classic)
1/4 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt (used 0%)
2 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise (used RF Hellman's)
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes (used grape tomatoes)
1/4 cup vertically sliced red onion
3 ounces skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast, shredded (about 3/4 cup)
1 1/2 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1/3 cup)
1/2 cup packed arugula (used spinach, but next time will use arugula)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 ounce blue cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup) (used blue cheese on half and feta on the other half)
2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1 medium-size ripe avocado, chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation
Preheat oven to 500°F. Place a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet in oven (keep pan in oven as it preheats).

Place dough in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 30 seconds or until room temperature. Roll dough into a 14- x 10-inch rectangle on a large piece of lightly floured parchment paper; pierce dough liberally with a fork. Carefully place parchment paper and dough on preheated pizza stone or baking sheet; bake at 500°F for 5 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.

Combine yogurt, buttermilk, and mayonnaise in a bowl; spread over crust, leaving a 1-inch border. Top evenly with tomatoes, onion, chicken, and mozzarella; bake at 500°F for 5 minutes. Place arugula and oil in a bowl; toss to coat. Sprinkle arugula mixture, blue cheese, bacon, avocado, and pepper over pizza. Cut into 8 slices.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 394; Fat: 21.2g; Satfat: 4.6g; Monofat: 9.8g; Polyfat: 3g; Protein: 19g; Carbohydrate: 36g; Fiber: 5g; Cholesterol: 39mg; Iron: 1mg; Sodium: 658mg; Calcium: 147mg; Sugars: 2g; Est. added sugars: 0 g

Cooking Light, July 2017

12 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 4 servings)

Black Pepper-Curry Chicken Sauté

This was pretty good.  As usual, it wasn't spicy enough, but chile garlic sauce fixed that right up.

Overall it had the same issues that homemade curry always has in our house.  It isn't as creamy as either of us wants.  Still it was pretty good.

Black Pepper-Curry Chicken Sauté

Photo by ALB

Active Time: 25 Mins
Total Time: 25 Mins
Yield Serves 4 (serving size: 1/2 cup rice and 3/4 cup chicken mixture)

Adding a subtle spiciness to this aromatic dish, black pepper is thought to enhance the absorption of turmeric in the curry. For the boldest flavor, go for 1 teaspoon peppercorns; crush with a mortar and pestle, or place in a small ziplock plastic bag and pound with a skillet. Other anti-inflammatory ingredients include ginger, garlic, onion, canola oil, and brown rice. Get an extra boost against inflammation by serving with a side of roasted cauliflower or broccoli.

Ingredients
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-in. pieces
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided (didn't use)
1 1/2 cups vertically sliced onion
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 cup canned light coconut milk
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/2 to 1 tsp. peppercorns, crushed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or basil (used 1 TBSP of each)
2 cups hot cooked brown rice (used white rice)

Preparation
Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add chicken to pan; cook, stirring frequently, 5 to 6 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned and almost cooked through. Remove chicken from pan.

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add ginger and garlic; cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add curry powder; cook 15 to 30 seconds or until fragrant, stirring constantly. Stir in coconut milk, lime juice, crushed peppercorns, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Return chicken to pan. Cover, and cook over medium-low until sauce is slightly thickened and chicken is done, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro or basil. Serve over rice.

Nutritional Information (original recipe)
Calories: 336; Fat: 10.6g; Sat fat: 4g; Mono fat: 3.4g; Poly fat: 1.8g; Protein: 30g; Carbohydrate: 31g; Fiber: 3g; Cholesterol: 83mg; Iron: 1mg; Sodium: 434mg; Calcium: 37mg; Sugars: 2g: Est. added sugars: 0g

Cooking Light, August 2017

7 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 4 servings)