Greek Salsa Chicken

Can I just say "Wowza!"  This was amazing and I am definitely going to be adding it to the standard rotation.  Seriously cannot express how wonderful this was.

Greek Salsa Chicken

Ingredients: 

                         for salsa

• 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano

                     for chicken

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (7 ounces each)
• pepper to taste
• kosher salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. In a large bowl, combine feta, tomatoes, olives, parsley, lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil and oregano. Cover and chill in refrigerator.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large roasting pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with kosher salt and pepper. Sear chicken, about 1-2 minutes each side; remove from heat.
4. Squeeze lemon wedges over chicken to coat. Place the squeezed lemon wedges around the chicken breasts. Roast until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°, about 25-30 minutes. Transfer chicken and lemons to a large platter. Top with salsa.

My Changes:

• I only used 2 pieces of chicken...big mistake b/c both me & the husband immediately wanted more (we used the excess salsa as a snack with Roasted Garlic Triscuits, delish).
•  I used dried oregano & Italian seasoning rather than fresh parsley & oregano.

Chicken Tostada Upside Down Bake

Okay I relaxed for a bit, but have still been trying new recipes.  Usually I try to type them up in the order I make them, but this one was so delicious that I just have to share it now.  I've made several variations on this theme  of chicken/mexican/corn/casserole/bakes.  To be perfectly honest, none of them have really been worth it for me.  This one, however...delicious.  I'm not sure if it's the addition of cilantro and ranch packets, or using diced tomatoes instead of the typical salsa...but this was surprisingly flavorful and I'll definitely be making it again. I mean, I'll have to rename it...because that's just too long of a name.  But the dish itself probably won't change.

Chicken Tostada Upside Down Bake

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves fresh garlic
• 3-4 chicken breast (boneless & skinless), shredded
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 can black olives, drained
• 1 packet ranch dressing mix
• pinch of salt & pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 1.5 tablespoons cumin
• 1 can crescent rolls
• 1 (more) tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 garlic salt with parsley
• 1 cup shredded cheese
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 9x13 casserole dish.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on stove.  Add onions & saute for 5 minutes before adding garlic for 1 additional minute.
3. Add chicken, tomatoes, corn, black beans, olives, ranch dressing mix, cumin, salt, & pepper.  Cook & stir for 5 minutes or until heated through.
4. Add cilantro.  
5. Pour mixture into baking dish.
6. Place crescent rolls over mixture, keeping as a sheet.  Brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil & season with garlic salt.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until rolls begin to brown.
8. Add cheese and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is cooked through. 

My Changes

• I didn't shred my chicken, just used filets and diced them.  I cooked them with garlic salt & pepper before starting.
• I only used 1/2 an onion.  I don't think a whole onion would be bad, but that was fine for us.
• I forgot to pick up olives at the grocery store...and I'm sure that will only add to the deliciousness.
• I didn't drain my chicken, just dumped it straight into the mixture.  At first this seemed a little too soupy for me, but my husband loved it and I think it made it warm up so much better the next day.  
• I didn't have garlic seasoning with parsley, so I just used regular garlic salt.
• I didn't have cumin, so I omitted it.
• I didn't have fresh cilantro (my grocery store has been out of it the past TWO times I shopped) so I used dried flakes...not sure how much, just a moderate sprinkle.  
• We served with sour cream, as suggested.

Tzatziki Take 2 (& some chicken pitas)

So this was a much better turnout than the first time I tried tzatziki (read about that disaster here). 

Tzatziki and Chicken "Gyros"

But, I really didn't measure anything.  For the tzatziki I diced about half a cucumber, as finely as I had patience for.  The I added a bit of olive oil, 2-3 tablespoons plain yogurt, salt, pepper, garlic, and dill weed to taste.

For the chicken I took 2 chicken breasts and sliced/diced them, then cooked with olive oil and garlic powder.  I bought some white pitas and warmed them up in the microwave.  Then I put the chicken and tzatziki in the pita and added slices of red onion, lettuce, and diced tomatoes.

  So...ingredients:

Cucumber

Olive oil

Plain yogurt

Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

Dill weed

Chicken breasts

Pitas

Red onion

Lettuce

Tomato

Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake

Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake

Ingredients

• 1 lb. pasta (
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs.), diced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 5 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/4 cup white wine (I substituted chicken broth)
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. 
2. Set a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta, salt, oil and cook thoroughly.  Then drain.
3. Put chicken & oil into a pan and brown chicken.  Add garlic and cook until chicken is done.
4. Add salt, spinach, and white wine to the pan and cook until spinach is wilted down.
5. Add the chicken mixture to the pasta and stir.
6. Place mixture in the casserole dish and cover with cheese.
7. Bake for 25 minutes.

My Changes

• I don't know if it was the subsitution for the white wine, but this was a little dry for me and could have used some extra flavor.  Next time I plan on using either cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup instead of chicken broth (and I'd use an entire can).  I will probably also cook the pasta with butter instead of oil.
• I only had 1 cup of cheese, which worked fine for the topping.  Next time I will add one cup to the mixture so it's throughout the casserole and keep one cup for the topping.

Crockpot Chicken Salsa

This is hands down the easiest receipe I have in my arsenal.  It is quick, simple, and idiot-proof.  Oh, and fairly cheap.  Are there any better words for a busy wannbe chef?

Crockpot Chicken Salsa

Ingredients

• Frozen Chicken Breasts (I use 3 small/medium)
• 2 cans drained corn/1 bag frozen corn
• 2 cans drained black beans
• 1 jar salsa

Directions

1. Dump frozen chicken, corn, beans, and salsa into a crockpot.
2. Cook on high for 5-6 hours (depending on the intensity of your slow cooker).
3. After 5-5.5 hours stir to shred up chicken.
4. I told you it was idiot proof.

My Tips

• I have a 5 qt. slow cooker.  If yours is smaller, adjust ingredient amounts accordingly.
• The original recipe I was given added cream cheese.  I prefer to skip that and add sour cream to individual portions as we please.  We also add cheese, because everything tastes better with cheese.
• I eat this with Spanish rice.  My husband puts it in tortillas.  It can also be served with nachos.  And probably many other ways.