Firecracker Chicken

I don't know where I found this recipe, but I decided D should make it. He said there was a ton of sauce left so when I figured out the WW points, I halved the recipe in the tracker.
Don't use all the sauce anyway, because your nose will run. This is SPICY!!

But it is also really good.

We used bone-in skin-on thighs, because that's what we had.  We had with rice and broccoli.

Will have again.

Firecracker Chicken

Photo by ALB

30 minutes to prepare
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (used bone-in, skin-on thighs)
1/2 cup Sriracha hot sauce
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a small saucepan, combine the hot sauce, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and pepper flakes, and cook over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Meanwhile, in a medium cast iron skillet (or other oven-safe skillet), heat oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper, and cook until browned, 3-5 minutes per side.

Brush some of the sauce over the chicken, and transfer skillet to oven.

Bake until chicken is cooked through, 10-15 minutes, basting chicken with sauce every 5 minutes.

Remove chicken from oven and serve with leftover sauce. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from 12 Tomatoes


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

Easy Chicken Tamale Burrito Bowls

We've now had this twice, and both times, I can't get enought of it.  It is so smokey and then the cheesy polenta adds just the right cool down.

Easy Chicken Tamale Burrito Bowls

Photo by ALB

Adapted by halfbakedharvest
COURSE: main course
CUISINE: mexican

Prep time 10 minutes; Cook time 30 minutes; Total time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings

INGREDIENTS
CHICKEN
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast or thighs (boneless) (I used a mix of both - you may also use pork beef or lentils for a vegetarian version)
2 cups red enchilada sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 onion sliced
2 red pepper sliced
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans drained and rinsed if using canned (use the whole can)

CHEESY POLENTA
2 cups fat free chicken broth
2 cups 2% milk
1 cup dry polenta
4 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese shredded plus more for topping if desired
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

FOR TOPPING
1 avocado mashed with a pinch of salt and pepper
4 ounces queso fresco cheese crumbled (didn't use)
fresh cilantro chopped
crushed tortilla chips (didn't use)

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat a very large skillet over medium- high heat and add the olive oil. When the skillet is hot, but not smoking (if it starts to smoke, turn heat down a bit and wait 5 minutes before adding the veggies) add the onions and red and orange peppers. Stir fry the peppers for 3-5 minutes, until they just begin to soften. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Keep warm by covering the plate with foil.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the chicken and brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Once the chicken is browned all over add the the enchilada sauce, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic and onion powder and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer the chicken in the sauce for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through and shreds easily.

Meanwhile, make the polenta. Pour the chicken broth and milk into a medium size saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and slowly whisk in the polenta. Cook, stirring frequently, until the polenta is soft and thick, about 15 to 20 minutes. Keep warm and then just before serving, stir in the cheddar cheese and butter, season with salt and pepper. If the polenta seems a little thick you can add a tablespoon of butter or extra milk.

When the chicken is done cooking remove the chicken from the heat and shred the chicken with 2 forks right in the sauce. If your peppers have cooled off too much I would toss them with the chicken to get them warm again. Toss in the black beans until warmed through.

To assemble the bowls, add a nice serving of polenta to each bowl. Top with the peppers and saucy chicken. Finish the bowls off with a dollop of mashed avocado, crumbled queso fresco, chopped cilantro and crushed tortilla chips. 13 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 6 servings)

Gochujang-Glazed Ribs

This is an odd recipe, in terms of how D made it.  He smoked the ribs.
I don't know how to smoke ribs, and I wasn't paying any sort of attention.  So if you know how to do it, it is probably easy to adapt the recipe. If you don't, you'll have to bake in the oven.

Anyway, the ribs were great, and I really enjoyed them. We had with avocado potato salad.

Gochujang-Glazed Ribs

Photo by ALB

Servings 6
Author Lisa Fain from Homesick Texan

Ingredients
For the gochujang sauce:
¼ cup gochujang paste
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Salt
For the ribs:
2 2-pound racks baby back ribs (used 1 rack of Spare Ribs)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ tablespoon black pepper
4 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnishing
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, for garnishing

Instructions
To make the sauce, stir together the gochujang paste, soy sauce, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, brown sugar, and ginger until well blended. Taste and add salt if needed.

For the ribs, salt and pepper each rack on both sides. Line two sheet pans with foil, then lay out 2 (2-feet) pieces of foil and place this foil on top of the sheet pans. Place each rack on the foil, starting with the meat-side down.

Take half the sauce and then evenly spread the sauce on the racks on both sides, reserving the remaining sauce for the final glazing. With the meat-side up, wrap the ribs with the foil leaving the seam on top, then refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours.

To prepare the ribs, preheat the oven to 300°F and remove the ribs and their sheet pans from the refrigerator. Once the oven has heated, slide the ribs into the oven and cook covered for 1 hour and 40 minutes.

After this time, remove the ribs from the oven and gently open the foil and pull it back to expose the meat. The meat should be tender but if you desire it to be more so, return the ribs to the oven and continue to cook until they’re how you prefer.

Once tender, remove the ribs and turn the heat up to 450°F. Gently open the foil and pull it back to expose the meat. With tongs, flip the ribs and spread a couple of tablespoons of the remaining sauce on the bony side. Flip the ribs back over and evenly coat the meaty side with the rest of the sauce. Slide the ribs back into the oven and cook uncovered for 12-15 minutes or until the sauce is beginning to blacken.

Remove the ribs from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds before serving.

Roasted Chicken, Butternut Squash and Guacamole Rice Bowls

D and I decided to have this recipe.  Of course it was all about cooking on a sheet pan, and he was like, Dutch Oven.  There was also some confusion about whether the rice was cooked or not (measuring 2 Cups).  As someone who doesn't eat a lot of rice, next time I'll assume it was cooked (way too much).

So yes, we both liked it and would have again.

Roasted Chicken, Butternut Squash and Guacamole Rice Bowls

Photo by ALB

Sheet pan roasted chicken breasts, butternut squash and red onion served with black beans, brown rice and guacamole make this a nutritious meal in a bowl.

SERVES: SERVES 4

Ingredients
2 cups Cooked long-grain brown rice (make enough to make 2-2.5 Cups)
1 15-ounce can black beans
1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground chili pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 cups cubed butternut squash
1 red onion, sliced into ¼-inch slices
2 8-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
1 8-ounce package Wholly Guacamole® Dip of your choice

Instructions (I'm not really sure how D made it...he used a Dutch Oven)
Cook the brown rice according to package directions, Stir in 1 cup of the cilantro and keep warm. Warm the beans in a small saucepan or the microwave and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Line a 9 X 13-inch baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.

In a small bowl or ramekin, mix the cumin, chili powder, kosher salt and pepper together. In a medium size bowl, add the butternut squash and onions. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of the seasoning mix. Toss and spread out the veggies on the sheet pan.

In the same bowl, add the chicken and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with the remainder of the seasoning and toss to coat well. Place the chicken on the foil lined sheet pan. Do not layer on the vegetables, but instead lay alongside.

Place the sheet pan on the middle rack of the hot oven and cook for 11-13 minutes. Do not disturb the vegetables or chicken so that they develop a caramelized crust. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil, then put the baking sheet back into the oven and cook the vegetables for an additional 5-7 minutes or until desired doneness.

Slice or chop the chicken breast. Assemble the bowls by layering the chicken with 1 cup brown rice, ¼ of the black beans the butternut squash and roasted onion. Top with guacamole and garnish with cilantro leaves and serve.

10 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 4 servings with 1/2C rice serving)

Tomato Spinach Chicken Skillet

We had this because the picture on pinterest looked good.  It tasted like a different take on Chicken Parm, but definitely good. Would have again. We had with pasta.

Tomato Spinach Chicken Skillet

Photo by ALB

From eatwell101.com

Ingredients
4 6oz chicken breasts
Salt and fresh cracked pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Crushed red chili pepper flakes, to taste
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons butter, divided
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
5 medium tomatoes, (chopped in cubes)
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 – 4 cups fresh spinach
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, or a mix…)
Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) or in broiler mode. Combine salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, paprika, and crushed red chili pepper flake in a small bowl. Rub the chicken with the seasoning mixture and set aside.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large oven-proof skillet (cast-iron) over medium heat and cook chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through, nicely browned and no longer pink on the inside. Remove to a plate and set aside.

3. In the same skillet, add remaining butter and cook garlic and onion for one minute, until fragrant. Add tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes, until they break down and render some juice. Stir in chicken broth, and add spinach. Cook for one minute or two, until spinach is wilted.

4. Add chicken back to the skillet with the spinach and tomato sauce. Sprinkle chicken with shredded cheese, then transfer the skillet to the oven and broil quickly until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven, garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately. Enjoy!

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

Braised Chicken and Mushroom Ragu

D has been cracking me up about recipe bloggers.  Since he is cooking from his phone, he feels he doesn't need your life story before the recipe.

Anyway, he used bone-in thighs because neither of us read that the chicken would be shredded.  We are glad we did because there was SO MUCH SAUCE.  Like, he saved the sauce and we are having this again, with more chicken.  And Kroger doesn't sell Porcini mushrooms. They sold other dried mushrooms but at 1/4 C, I'm not paying $7.99.  We also didn't use the Italian Parsley because Kroger had it sitting too close to the cilantro, and it caught the cilantro flavor.

Braised Chicken and Mushroom Ragu

Photo by ALB

Serves 6 (we got 8)

Ingredients
1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms (optional but recommended) - didn't use
1 medium carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
1 large shallot, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (used 8 bone-in, skin-on thighs)
2 tablespoons canola oil (didn't use)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided (didn't use)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1/4 cup chopped fat-leaf Italian parsley, plus more for garnish (didn't use)
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, wiped and quartered
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 cup chicken stock, plus more for braising
One 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes
1 pound big tube pasta
1/4 cup grated parmesan (used shredded)

Instructions
If using the dried mushrooms, place them in a bowl and pour 1 cup of boiling water over them. Let sit for 15 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid and roughly chop the mushrooms and set aside.

In a food processor, combine the carrots, celery, shallot, and garlic. Pulse together until minced. Set aside.

Season the chicken with salt and black pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown undisturbed for 5 minutes, then flip and brown on the other side. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the pulverized vegetables to the skillet and cook until they soften and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and place in a small bowl.

Add two more tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the mushrooms. Cook until softened and browned, about 6 minutes. Add the vegetables back to the pan with the cooked mushrooms and add the red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme, and half of the parsley and cook together for 2 more minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste.

Add the red wine and the 1/2 cup of reserved mushroom liquid (if using). Bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook until the liquid has reduced, about 2 minutes.

Add the chicken stock, the can of tomatoes and its juice and the chopped rehydrated porcini if you're using them. Return the chicken pieces to the skillet and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Add more chicken stock if the sauce begins to dry out.

While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount (about 2 tablespoons) of sea salt to the water. Add the pasta amd cook until al dente according to the package directions.

When the sauce has finished it's simmer, use two forks to shred the chicken pieces. Add the pasta directly to the skillet and toss to combine. Add a few splashes of pasta water to thin out the sauce if necessary.

Place in bowls and top with cheese and more fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Adapted from Joy the Baker who adapted it from Back Pocket Pasta

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

Healthy Chicken Breakfast Sausage

Well, after the Jerk Chicken Burgers, I had about 9oz of ground chicken left over (and Kroger, 4 + 9 oz does NOT equal 1 pound).  Don't you hate that?

So, Delane over at A Well Fed Life posted this recipe, and I sort of halved it (yes, I made it) and made sausage.  Use the fennel. For me, it is what makes it have that "sausage" flavor. Here is her recipe with my notes.

Healthy Chicken Breakfast Sausage

Photo by ALB

Ingredients
1 pound chicken or turkey breast boneless and skinless (I bought ground chicken)
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon fennel seeds optional (use it!)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup (didn't use)
1 1/2 teaspoons to 2 teaspoons kosher salt (start at 1.5 tsps)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking Spray

Instructions
Cut meat into 1" chunks. In a food processor, grind ingredients until combined and meat is finely ground. (Or open a container of ground chicken, and combine all the ingredients except the Cooking Spray)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

(In a small medium-heated frying pan, cook a small amount (less than an ounce) of the mixture all the way through.  Let it cool down and taste it to make sure all the ingredients are balanced...this is where you would add extra salt if you felt it necessary).)

On a parchment lined (or well greased (Cooking Spray is fine)) baking sheet, form 2oz of the meat mixture into patties.

Bake for 15 minutes; flip the patties and bake for another 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Enjoy fresh cooked or cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Reheat in a greased skillet on medium heat for 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and hot.

2 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 8 servings)- store-bought ground chicken/no syrup
0 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 8 servings)- ground your own chicken breast/no syrup