I was thrilled with how quick the burrito recipe was - I'll definitely be making it often. The lettuce leaf gave it a nice crunch and the bbq sauce was delicious.  And these refried beans got a real makeover in this recipe; they are usually made with lard when you buy them in the cans.
Source: Eatingwell.com


INGREDIENTS
  • 1 2-pound roasted chicken, skin discarded, meat removed from bones and shredded (4 cups)
  • 1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce
  • 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed, or canned corn, drained
  • 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 4 leaves romaine lettuce
  • 4 10-inch whole-wheat tortillas
  • 2 limes, cut in wedges

PREPARATION
  1. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, barbecue sauce, beans, corn and sour cream; stir to combine. Cook until hot, 4 to 5 minutes.
  2. Assemble the wraps by placing a lettuce leaf in the center of each tortilla and topping with one-fourth of the chicken mixture; roll as you would a burrito. Slice in half diagonally and serve warm, with lime wedges.
Source: America's Test Kitchen


Ingredients
  • 3 cans of dark red kidney beans, rinsed
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 tablespoon of oil
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 1 jalapeno, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin
  • 1/4 cup of cilantro



Directions
1. In a food processor, puree the beans with water until smooth. Set aside
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and jalapeno and cook for 5-8 minutes until tender and fragrant.
3. Add the garlic and cumin to the skillet for thirty seconds.
4. Add the beans to the skillet and stir.  Simmer over medium-low heat until the beans have thickened, about 8 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and add the cilantro.  Season with salt.
 
I'm really impressed with all of the fresh ingredients and the variety of flavors in this!  For a little extra spice, try adding in a dash of curry.  The sauce was delicious!

Source: Rachael Ray Mag

Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup chunky peanut butter
  • About 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • About 4 to 5 tbsp. tamari (dark soy sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
  • 1 small fresno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
  • 1 piece  (1 inch) fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 tablespoon lime (or lemon) zest plus 1 tbsp. lime (or lemon) juice
  • 4 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts or 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil or EVOO
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 pieces  garlic naan bread
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • Shredded iceberg lettuce and thinly sliced scallion and seedless cucumber, for topping
Directions
  1. Preheat an outdoor grill, grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. In a saucepan, melt the peanut butter over low heat. Stir in the chicken stock, tamari and brown sugar (or honey), then the chile, shallot, garlic, ginger and lime (or lemon) zest and juice. Gently simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, coat the chicken in the oil. Season with the turmeric, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Grill or broil, turning occasionally, for 12 minutes.
  3. Splash a little water on the grill or grill pan and add the naan to crisp slightly. Melt the butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave and brush it onto the naan.
  4. Slice the chicken and pile onto the naan. Top with the lettuce, scallion, cucumber and lots of sauce.
 
Here's a twist on chicken enchiladas.  It looks like a lot of work, but it really isn't that bad.  Tomatillos are little green tomatoes with papery skins and they are used to make the sauce in this recipe.  To finish the sauce,  I used half and half instead of heavy cream. Also, just go ahead and buy the rotiserrie chicken; the enchiladas turn out very flavorful and juicy if you do!

Source: Real Simple 
Ingredients
  • 1  tablespoon  canola oil
  • 1  pound  tomatillos (papery skins removed), chopped
  • 1  onion (preferably white), chopped
  • 1  poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 2  cloves garlic, chopped
  • 3/4  teaspoon  ground cumin
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1  cup  heavy cream
  • 1  2- to 2 1/2-pound rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
  • 1  14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 1/4  cups  grated Monterey Jack (5 ounces)
  • 8  6-inch corn tortillas
  • Pico de Gallo or salsa
Directions
  1. Heat oven to 400° F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatillos, onion, poblano, garlic, cumin, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a food processor, add the cream, and puree.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, tomatoes, 1 cup of the cheese, ½ cup of the tomatillo sauce, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
  3. Warm the tortillas according to the package directions. Spread 1 cup of the remaining sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Roll the chicken mixture in the tortillas and place them in the dish, seam-side down.
  4. Top with the remaining sauce and cheese. Bake until beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with Pico de Gallo.
 
I've never made chicken cacciatore and I don't know why.  Loved this!  I finished this off with a big slice of whole grain cornbread.
  • 4 chicken thighs
  • 2 chicken breasts with skin and backbone, halved crosswise
  • 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour, for dredging
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1 ( 28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
  • 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons drained capers
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly.

In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, saute it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, capers and oregano. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes for the breast pieces, and 20 minutes for the thighs.

Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from atop the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the basil and serve.
 
Fast, easy, and healthy.  You'll be able to substitute what you'd like with these recipes.  The sauce was good but I'm still looking for something with a bit more flavor.  Anyone have any ideas?
How to Stir Fry Anything from ehow.com
    • Invest in a nonstick or carbon-steel wok (you need to season a carbon-steel wok). While you can stir-fry in any old skillet, the wok's depth and sloping sides (it's cooler there, so you can move ingredients away from the hot bottom to the sides) are ideal.

    • Prepare everything you need before you begin to stir-fry. Cut all your vegetables and meats and prepare your sauce. Stir-frying is fast; you won't really have time to chop the broccoli while the onion is cooking.

    • Make sure that your vegetables and meats are all cut approximately the same size - bite size, as a matter of fact. Stir-frying uses high heat, so pieces must be small enough to cook through without burning.

    • Learn the different cooking times of meats and vegetables. You'll need to stagger additions to the stir-fry according to how long they take to cook. (For example, you'd add onions first, and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, then add broccoli florets and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, then add red bell pepper and stir-fry for 2 more minutes.)

    • If you've got a wok full, stir-fry the meat completely first, then add it back in at the end. (This works well for a large assemblage of ingredients, because you ensure the meat cooks fully but not too much.)

    • Heat the pan first, then add oil. When the oil is hot, add aromatics, such as ginger and garlic, and stir-fry for a few seconds, or until you smell them.

    • Start adding your other ingredients, according to their approximate cooking times. When the food is about two-thirds done, add your sauce. If the food will take more than a few minutes more to cook, cover and steam until done. If it will take less time, continue to stir-fry.

    • Practice the basic technique of lifting under the food in the wok with a spatula or other flat utensil and moving it to the side.


Stir Fry Sauce from Yummly.com
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1-3 tsps ginger (grated)
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp honey
1.5 tbsps cider vinegar
2 tbsps sherry wine
3 tbsps cornstarch

Combine all ingredients except cornstarch.  Place cornstarch in a separate bowl and slowly whisk in everything else until desired consistency.  When your stir-fried vegetables are done, pour the sauce in and stir from the bottom, keeping the wok or pan at a higher heat. In a few minutes the sauce will thicken.
 
Leeks are definitely one of my new favorite vegetables.  This recipe is delicious!
Source: Rachael Ray Mag
  • 3 small pieces chicken breast (1 1/4 lbs.)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 rib celery, coarsely chopped
  • 1 small onion, peeled and halved, root kept inact
  • 1 lemon, sliced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • a few sprigs thyme and parsley
  • 2 tablespoons butter (I skipped this)
  • 1 tablespoon EVOO
  • 3 medium leeks--trimmed, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick and thoroughly rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 - 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 4 slices good-quality white bread--toasted, lighly buttered and halved into triangles (I used whole wheat bread)
Directions
  1. Place the chicken in a deep skillet and season with salt. Add the carrot, celery, onion, lemon, bay leaf, thyme, parsley and just enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a low boil and poach the chicken for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and shred or slice. Strain the stock.
  2. Meanwhile, in another deep skillet, heat the butter an EVOO over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook until softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the flour and stir for a minutes. Add the wine and ladle in 1 cup of the chicken poaching stock. Stir in the cream for about 5 minutes to thicken. Stir in the tarragon and mustard. Add the chicken.
  3. Align the toast triangles on plates point to point, with the cut sides facing out. Top with the cream of chicken and leeks.
 
This is why Chinese food is terrible for you: You start with a fatty cut of mystery meat (generally for chicken, this is the thigh), bread it, deep fry it, and then smother it in a sauce which is high in salt, sugar, and MSG.  Finish it all off with white rice fried in more oil.  And it's awesome! But if you're looking for something on the healthier side, try this.  It didn't taste exactly like General's Tso's, but it was great and is definitely much healthier.  

Source: Rachel Ray Mag
  • 1 egg white
  • 5 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 1/2 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 bunch  scallions, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 head  steamed broccoli, for serving
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice, for serving
Directions
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg white, 4 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp soy sauce and 1/2 tsp ginger. Stir in the chicken until evenly coated.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil and the remaining 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp cornstarch and 1/2 tsp ginger. Stir in the honey and vinegar.
  3. Heat a wok or large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil and swirl to coat. Carefully add half of the chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook, turning once, until the meat is no longer pink. about 5 minutes. (I'm not sure on what planet a 1lb of cubed chicken cooks in five minutes.  This definitely took 15 minutes).  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate. Repeat with the remaining 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil and chicken.
  4. Discard the excess oil from the wok (about 1/2 tbsp). Add the scallions and garlic; stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in the sesame oil mixture. Return chicken to the pan and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thick and the chicken is cooked through, 1-2 minutes. Serve with the broccoli and brown rice.
 
In this recipe, I make my own bread crumbs from whole grain bread to make this a little healthier.  It's one of my very favorite ways to bake chicken.
Source: Adapted from Real Simple

~2 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 torn pieces of whole grain bread
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
6 large cloves of garlic
1/4 cup of flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400.  In a food processor, pulse the bread, oil, garlic, parsley, cheese,  salt, and pepper until coarse crumbs form.  Coat chicken breasts in crumbs and bake for on a baking sheet lined with foil for 20-25 minutes.  Serve over a bowl of pasta with your favorite sauce. 
 
Happy Monday!

Source: Rachael Ray's Thirty Minute Meals (With Changes)
  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for the bread)
  • Coarse salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 pounds chicken tenders or breasts cut into strips
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 cup half and half 
  • 1/4 cup grainy, stone-ground mustard (it's worth it! just buy it!)
  • 1 1/2 cups, about 1/2 pound, seedless red grapes, halved
  • 1 box of couscous
  • 1 loaf of ciabatta bread
Heat a large skillet over medium to medium high heat; add olive oil. 

Place flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper then dredge the tenders in flour and add it to the pan. Cook chicken 7-8 minutes until browned. Add wine and scrape up browned bits as wine cooks down and bubbles, 30 seconds. Combine cream and mustard and add to stock. Add grapes to the pan and turn chicken and grapes to coat and combine with the sauce. Simmer 5 minutes over low heat.

Meanwhile, prepare the couscous.  

Slice bread into thick slices and brush with olive oil.  Grill over high heat for about 5 minutes.

Serve tenders and grapes on couscous along side bread.


Source: http://www.giadadelaurentiis.com 

Dressing
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons dry white wine, such as pinot grigio
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard 
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, wine, honey, mustard, salt and pepper until smooth. 


Salad
Two 8-ounce heads radicchio, halved and chopped into 1-inch pieces
3 cups baby arugula 
2 ripe but firm Asian or Bosc pears, cored, halved and cut lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick slices
¾ cup chopped walnuts
To toast the walnuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly toasted. Cool completely before using. 


Place the raddichio, arugula, pear slices, and walnuts in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss until coated. 
 
This one is all Matt's.  I worked late so he made the whole thing and it was delicious! We'll definitely be making it again.
Source: FoodNetwork.com
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 2 jalapenos, finely diced (we left this out because we don't like a lot of spice)
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth 
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes 
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless (this seemed like too much chicken!)
  • 2 limes, juiced, plus wedges for garnish
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 (8-inch) flour tortilla, grilled, cut into thin strips
  • 1 avocado, pitted, sliced
  • 1 cup shredded Monterrey cheese
DirectionsIn a large saucepan heat the vegetable oil. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Once the onions have softened add the garlic and jalepenos and cook for another minute. Pour the chicken broth, tomatoes and beans into the pot and bring to a boil. Once at a boil lower heat to simmer and add your chicken breasts. Cook the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes. Once chicken is cooked remove from pot. When cool enough to handle shred it and set it aside. Add lime juice and fresh cilantro to the pot. In a serving bowl add a mound of shredded chicken. Ladle soup over chicken and top with a lime wedge, grilled tortilla strips, avocado slices and cheese.