Too Hot For You

Like it spicy?

Are you a Tabasco fan or are you faithful to the lovely Cholula?

Just how much heat can you take?

Well, my Sriracha Chicken Tenders may not be as hot as the sun, but that's entirely up to you.  Want to burn your taste buds off?  Go for it.  I made a basic tender recipe that allows you to bring the heat up to forest fire status if you so desire, or keep it warm and cozy.

What is sriracha, you ask?  It's a Korean chili paste with garlic, to put it mildly, and that is putting it mildly.  It's darn hot, and it takes courage to eat it like my dear sister does. Straight out of the bottle and onto pretzel sticks.  You go, girl.

You can keep the recipe as is for a little heat, or, make a sriracha glaze by melting a little butter and adding the sriracha to it, then gently drizzling or brushing it onto the tenders halfway through cooking.  I added some extra sriracha on the side for dipping.  Yumm...  If you do add more sriracha to your marinade, taste it in segments, as too much sassy stuff will not only make it hot and destroy the flavor, but it will also turn bitter while baking.

Please note - I only used two chicken breasts and it made many tender pieces.  You could easily feed four people the normal serving size of protein with the pieces I had, as they equaled about a pound.  Double the marinade if you use more chicken, and feel free to use it on white or dark meat.  They're baked, not fried, and I added no salt.  Consider these a great alternative to greasy hot wings.

Sriracha Chicken Tenders

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 6 oz. container fat-free Greek yogurt
2 tsp. Sriracha (add more if desired, taste in segments)
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. red curry powder
1/8 tsp. garam masala
1 clove garlic, pressed
Pinch of grated lime zest
2 cups Japanese panko crumbs
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Pound chicken breasts until very flat, then cut into strips.  Mix yogurt, sriracha, ginger, masala, garlic, and lime zest into bowl.

Spread over chicken pieces and refrigerate for at least one hour, two hours being optimal.  

Press coated chicken pieces into panko crumbs, then place on foil-lined cookie sheet (I use non-stick foil).  Drizzle olive oil over chicken pieces, then crack pepper over chicken.  Preheat oven to 425 and allow the chicken to sit while oven heats.  This keeps the breading from falling off and it is on the delicate side.

Cook for 12 minutes on one side, then 12 on the other.  Flip one last time to make sure all is done, for about 5 minutes.  (If you use the basting sauce idea listed above, go easy on the sauce or your crumbs will turn to mush).

Serve with veggies to cool the tongue and more sriracha to start things up again!

Cochinita Pibil, Part 1

I bought a cookbook by the brilliant Rick Bayless not too long ago in the quest to make more Latin-based meals.  This book is gorgeous.  Do not crack it open if your stomach is on empty.  Or even near empty.

For two weeks I wondered what to make from this cookbook until I spied the recipe for Cochinita Pibil.  This is usually a chicken dish, but this recipe called for a pork roast that is cooked in a banana leaf-lined slow cooker.  For years I've wanted to do a pig-in-the-ground party, and this recipe allowed me to do something similar but in my slow cooker.  Genius!!!

I cannot post the recipe as I do not own it or the right to publicly share it.  If you need specifics, shoot me an email.  Cooking experiments can make me pretty nervous. There's so much at stake - cost, time spent prepping and cooking, and then the wonder if the meal will even be any good.  I feel good about it this time.  So far, it's been really simple to make.  The most difficult part was locating banana leaves and the achiote block. I purchased the achiote from Mexgrocer.com.  Later, I found out I could have gotten it for half the price at my local Asian supermarket.  Where I also was able to find banana leaves in abundance.

I lined the slow cooker liner with banana leaves that I had frozen.  Prepping them was simple.  I ran them into a hot water bath for about 10 minutes, then trimmed them up well. Line your slow cooker however best suits the bowl of the cooker.

I made the achiote marinade with lime juice and salt, but since one of my limes had gone bad in the center, I used the juice of one clementine in order to make 1/2 cup juice.  I like the flavor of orange and pork, and the  clementine will bring a slight sweet flavor to the tart limes.  I love limes, and this meal brings about so many flavors I adore in one sitting.

If you've never seen achiote before, it is a paste of annatto seeds, garlic, vinegar, spices, and salt.  You can refrigerate it up to a year, so buy the bigger block.  You'll use it, I promise.  I plan on using mine for more cochinita pibil as well as seafood dishes.

I was supposed to use a bone-in roast but my store had the boneless roasts on sale - buy one get one.  Frugality wins out this time!

This little pork baby has to cook six hours on high, and Part 2 of this post will reveal how it all turned out. I've got my fingers crossed and my taste buds waiting in anticipation!

I Can't Go For That

That's what I thought when I began making my grocery list this afternoon.  I can't go for that.  I can't go for any of that.  The last place I wanted to be today was grocery shopping.  Man, does that get old.

But not going meant I had to come up with something marginally nutritious and filling for at least two people.  This is where I'm grateful for pre-cooked chicken breasts that are in the freezer and at the ready.  The possibilities were endless, but the words, "sloppy joes" kept echoing in my brain.

So I came up with Sloppy Joe Casserole.

Shredded chicken, Manwich Bold, roasted and sliced Dutch baby potatoes, and some reduced fat cheddar.  Top it all off with diced bell pepper and pickled jalapenos and you've almost got Sloppy Joe Nachos.

While this won't top my "love it" list of things to make or eat, it was a good way to use up what I had and I avoided the dreaded supermarket.  Now I can go for that!

Chicken Sloppy Joe Casserole
Serves 4


Dutch "baby" potatoes, a small bag
Onion powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper
1 tsp. EVOO
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 can Manwich Bold
1 cup shredded 2% milk cheddar cheese
Diced bell pepper (optional)
Pickled jalapenos (optional)

Preheat oven to 425.  Line a small cookie sheet with non-stick tin foil.  Slice enough baby potatoes to make 1 cup of slices per person.  For manly appetites, add an additional cup.  Sprinkle onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and the teaspoon of olive oil onto potatoes.  Toss and bake for 15 minutes on each side or until browned.

While potatoes are cooking, add shredded chicken to a small saucepan and combine chicken with Manwich sauce.  Simmer and heat thoroughly.  

Heat oven to broil.  Prepare 4 individual-sized baking dishes or one 11x7 baking dish with cooking spray.  Line each dish with 3/4 cup cooked potato pieces.  Add 1 cup chicken mixture.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup (each) of the shredded cheese.  Place dishes on a cookie sheet (or simply place larger baking dish) and place under the broiler.  Not too close, but enough to melt the cheese.  Top with bell pepper and jalapenos.  

An easy weeknight meal that is kid friendly, too.  Bon Appetit!!  

Weight Watchers Points Per Serving: 8

Buffalo With A Twist

My youngest daughter (she's almost 14) loves buffalo wings.  It's a mighty good thing that there are two excellent wing joints within 20 minutes of home, otherwise, my kitchen would smell - like that restaurant where the girls wear the teeny orange shorts - on a regular basis.  While my kiddo is healthy and active, I'm not fond of feeding her greasy chicken wings where she's getting more sauce and slop than protein.

So this mom made Super Bowl Sunday a healthier version of Buffalo Wild Wings meets On The Border.

No, I won't make you ask how I did it.  The answer is - Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas! JACKPOT!

Low-carb tortillas, roasted boneless/skinless chicken breast meat, reduced-fat sharp white cheddar.  All the flavor you could ask for without any of the guilt.

I got the idea for this recipe first from Pinterest, then I find out a registered dietitian named Nicole had originally created the specific recipe, posting it to her website.  I didn't have blue cheese as in her recipe, but my hubby and I agreed it would have been perfect on the top of these enchiladas.  Next time, for sure!

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas
Serves 4, Two Enchiladas Per Person


8 whole grain/low carb flour tortillas
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded
10 oz. can of red enchilada sauce
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
2 cups 2% milk reduced fat white cheddar cheese
(or, 1 & 1/2 cups cheese plus 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola)
1/3 cup sliced/chopped bell pepper
Sliced black olives
Chopped cilantro

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375.  Line a 9x13 dish with non-stick foil.  In a medium bowl, combine enchilada sauce and wing sauce.  Stir well.  Add 1/2 cup of the sauce to the chicken.  Add 1/2 cup of shredded cheese to chicken.  Mix well. If you're using the bell pepper, add to chicken mix now.

Drizzle some sauce in the bottom of the foil-lined dish, then begin to prepare the 8 enchiladas by placing a spoonful of the chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla.  Keep one end open while rolling up.  

Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas.  It won't completely cover, and that's good. Sprinkle 1 & 1/2 cups cheese over, then black olives. Cover and cook for 25-30 minutes. Top with cilantro and enjoy!

Sorry...it was too good to wait and "plate" it for you...

Weight Watchers: 3-4 Points+,  Per Enchilada

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Here's a quick and easy sauce to put over chicken, crab cakes, or pasta.  If you're serving it over pasta, double this recipe.  Adding a touch of cream or cream cheese also might make this tasty for those of you who enjoy the creamier sauces.  Bon Appetit!

April's Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:


1 tsp. EVOO
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. Herbs de Provence
1 cup water-packed roasted red peppers
1/2 cup drained Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
pinch of salt


Directions:

In a small frying pan, heat the teaspoon of olive oil.  Add onion and cover, cooking for 5-8 minutes or until soft.  Add garlic and herbs, cooking for one minute.

Place peppers, tomatoes, and vinegar in a blender.  Add in the onion mixture.  Toss in a pinch of salt and puree until smooth.  Heat in a small saucepan on medium-low, simmering until heated through.  Serve when ready.