Chicken Stirfry with Teriyaki Sauce

I have been on the search for a yummy sauce for stirfry, since the ones you buy with frozen veggies are pretty gross if you ask me. This teriyaki is by far the best I have made from scratch and bonus, its gluten free too! 

Teriyaki Chicken Stirfry

Recipe adapted slightly from cleanmondaymeals.com

3 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
Ground black pepper
1 medium zucchini, diced into half moons and quartered
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
2 1/2 cups small diced broccoli florets
1 1/2 - 2 cups white or brown rice, cooked

Teriyaki Sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce OR coconut aminos/GF soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
3 Tbsp honey
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

For the chicken-

Brush both sides of chicken with 1 1/2 Tbsp of the olive oil and season pepper. Preheat oven to over 350 degrees. Cook chicken until center registers 160 - 165 degrees on a thermometer, about 20 min. Remove and let rest 5 minutes then dice into cubes.

For the teriyaki-

In a small saucepan whisk together low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp of the water, the brown sugar, honey, garlic, ginger and rice vinegar. Bring mixture to a light boil over medium-high heat. Whisk together cornstarch with remaining 2 Tbsp water, then add to sauce mixture in saucepan. Reduce heat slightly and allow to boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, set aside.

For the veggies:

Heat remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, broccoli, and carrots and saute 4 - 5 minutes until crisp-tender. 

Throw in the sauce along with the chicken and give it a good stir and serve over rice.

Or you can assemble into bowls instead and even put them in the fridge for later in the week: Layer rice into 4 bowls then top each with 1/4 of the chicken and 1/4 of the veggies. Drizzle desired amount of teriyaki sauce over tops.

Lemon Rosemary Chicken

This dish is super easy to throw together. Just brown the chicken for 5 minutes and then you get to throw it in the oven and forget about it! (Just make sure it's a cast iron skillet!). I love how healthy it is too, but flavorful enough that the kids love it!

Lemon Rosemary Chicken

recipe from www.bravoforpaleo.com

1/4 cup olive oil

4 chicken breasts

1 1/2 sweet potatoes, cubed

1 large lemon, squeezed

1 large lemon, sliced

2 Tablespoons rosemary

5 garlic cloves, crushed

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Add olive oil to a large cast iron skillet, and heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle desired amount of salt and pepper over chicken breasts then place the chicken breast sides down in the pan. Add the cubed sweet potatoes, and cook in pan/skillet for 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is browned. Turn the chicken over and pour lemon, rosemary, and garlic over the chicken and potatoes. Top with sliced lemons. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until the chicken is done. This varies for each oven.

Japanese Chicken

Yes I'm still alive! Even though I don't post as often as I use to, I promise to share when I find a wonderful recipe. I'm not about just posting recipes to post them- so you will know when I do that it's a tried and true recipe- just like this one! This chicken is so fabulous! I checked this cookbook out from the library and so far all the recipes I have tried were wonderful. I shared this Japanese chicken with my sister last week and she said, "Ummm...I think you undersold that chicken!" 

If you are a fan of the sweet and sour chicken this one is just as tasty but less than half of the work. If you want the extra effort, I'm sure you can fry the chicken up first before you put it into the oven to make it more crisp. But to me what makes it so great is that you can throw it right into the oven with minimal prep work.

Japanese Chicken

Recipe from Worldwide Ward Cookbook by Deanna Buxton

Note: This is halved from what the recipe says. I made 2 chicken breasts and 1 pound of chicken thighs with the below amounts. Even with this halved the sauce is plentiful. I even saved the leftover sauce and used it with some frozen popcorn chicken another night.

1 egg

1/2 cup flour

3 Tbsp sesame seeds

4 chicken breasts (or thighs worked wonderful for me!)

1/4 + 2 Tbsp soy sauce (or 6 Tbsp)

1 cup vinegar

half of a 1/3 cup water (just eyeball it)

2 cups sugar

Whip egg in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine flour and sesame seeds. Dip each chicken breast in the egg , then roll evenly and heavily in the flour mixture. Arrange chicken breasts in a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Mix soy sauce, vinegar, water, and sugar; pour over chicken breasts. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Serve with rice.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

This is super easy, but just in case any of you are missing out I had to share it. My sister always uses frozen chicken breasts, which makes it even easier. I have done it both ways, frozen and fresh. 

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

Recipe from my sister Candice

Chicken breasts, thawed or frozen (any amount)

Jar of salsa (your favorite kind)

Place frozen chicken breasts into crockpot. Pour enough salsa in to cover the chicken and cook on low about 8-10 hours (less if they weren't frozen) or until the chicken is done. Tear apart with a fork. You can use the chicken to make salads similar to Cafe Rio, do hard or soft chicken tacos, quesadillas, or anything! 

Chicken and Bacon Shish Kabobs

I just posted these on my other cooking blog that my sisters and I share, but I couldn't resist double posting them just because they are absolutely divine! And best of all- dairy free!! :)

Oh my goodness these are heaven! The bacon makes the chicken so moist and tender. If you have done kabobs before you know that sometimes the meat can be dry, but not these beauties, and it's because of the bacon (so don't skip that step!) My daughter who is the pickiest eater on the planet even eats them up! I have been doing pineapple, mushrooms and bell peppers, but you can really use anything you like, that's what makes skewers/kabobs so much fun. This is definitely going to be a summer favorite! I have already made them 3 times in 2 weeks, 2 of the times for big parties. Also I use turkey bacon because it's what our family likes.

Chicken and Bacon Shish Kabobs

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Mine made 8-10 big skewers

 

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp canola oil

10 large mushrooms, cut in half

2 green onions, minced

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

1/2 pound turkey bacon slices, cut in half lengthwise (or regular bacon)
canned pineapple

2 bell peppers, any variety

skewers (if you use wooden be sure to soak them in water at least 20 minutes)

In a large bowl, mix the soy sauce, cider vinegar, honey, canola oil and green onions. Place the mushrooms and chicken each into a bowl or a ziplock and pour the mixture over, and stir to coat. You can marinade them together, but I found it to be a pain when you are picking through to skewer them; it's easier to separate them. Cover and marinate in the fridge at least 1 hour, 2 or 3 is better. Preheat grill for high heat. Remove the mushrooms and chicken from the marinade and shake off excess. (I just strained them over a saucepan). Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes; set aside.
Wrap the chicken chunks with bacon, and thread onto skewers so that the bacon is secured. Alternate with mushroom halves, bell peppers and pineapple chunks. Lightly oil the grill and arrange skewers. Cook about 7 minutes, brush with some of the remaining soy sauce mixture, flip them over and brush again. Grill about 7 more minutes. Done when bacon is crisp and chicken juices run clear.

Lemon Lime Chicken

It's grillin time again! This chicken was super yummy! I made some skillet potatoes to serve with it and it was a huge hit. The sweet and non-spicy flavor makes it a big kid pleaser. My kids had seconds and thirds :)

Lemon-Lime Chicken

Recipe from Taste of Home Backyard Grilling

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

3 Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp lime juice

3 Tbsp Dijon mustard

3/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain, discarding marinade. Grill chicken over medium-hot heat, turning once, until juices run clear, about 15-18 minutes.

BBQ Chicken Sliders

I love my favorite BBQ Sandwich (this rootbeer pulled pork one), but recently my sister shared with me her BBQ Chicken Sliders and the were awesome! I like using pork because it doesn't dry out like chicken, but this recipe here is just as tender I promise! Must be the coke. I used diet coke because that's what I had on hand and I also had to cook it on high for half the time because I didn't think about it soon enough. I would recommend the coleslaw on top, and my sister uses Hawaiian rolls in the deli isle, but regular hamburger buns work fine too.

Barbecue Chicken Sliders
Recipe from my sister Bre

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 bottle of BBQ sauce of your choice
1 can of coke
1 clove of garlic
1/2 tsp of pepper or 1 tsp depending on the kick you want
1/2 tsp of kosher salt
1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes
coleslaw of your choice
slider rolls or hamburger buns

Mix all ingrediants into crock pot, then add chicken breasts, cook on low for 6-8 hours. Pull apart chicken, toast rolls, top with coleslaw and more bbq sauce if you'd like!!!



Pineapple Grilled Chicken

My sisters and I have a cooking blog we share called www.foursisterskitchens.blogspot.com It's not dairy free, but there are some recipes like this one that are. My Mom posted this last week and she raved over how yummy and tender the chicken was. Don't mind the picture, it was with her cellphone :)

Pineapple Grilled Chicken
Recipe from Melody @ foursisterskitchens


One pineapple
2 skinless chicken breasts


Cut the top and the bottom off of the pineapple then cut down the sides and set aside the rest (keeping the sides) Take your skinless chicken breasts and flatten between some plastic wrap with a mallet until they are about an inch thick. Season them to taste, whatever you like- salt, pepper, allspice, etc. Now sandwich each chicken breast between the pineapple sides and tie together with cooking thread (or something that won't catch on fire on the grill). Place them on a hot grill and cook on medium for about 15 minutes per side. You can even scoop out some of the cooked pineapple after and serve it on top. 

Chicken Pasta Salad

Chicken Pasta Salad

This is my go-to pasta salad recipe for any barbecue or picnic. I don't think there's a contest as to how many rare and weird ingredients you can throw into a pasta salad, so just stick to a few ingredients you know your family loves, and it will intantly become a favorite. We use to beg my mom to make this salad for us all the time, and now my husband does the same to me. Traditionally we always use Ranch salad dressing. I'm sure there are lots of dairy free salad dressings out there that would be really yummy, but my son's all time favorite is Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing. 

Chicken Pasta Salad

Recipe by Melody Blaser

1 package of tri-colored spiral noodles

1 pound chicken cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup celery, sliced (or more to your liking)
1 cup frozen peas, thawed (or more to your liking)
salt and pepper to taste
your favorite Italian dressing (or ranch if you have no allergies)


Cook the chicken (seasoned with some salt and pepper) in a skillet on medium-high in some olive oil until browned and cooked through. Cook the noodles as directed on the package and drain. I usually put my frozen peas in the strainer and drain my noodle water over the top to help them thaw. Mix the noodles, chicken, celery and peas in a bowl. Pour with dressing and chill. I always add more dressing when I'm ready to serve it too.

Curry Grilled Chicken

This chicken is sweet, tender and tasty and the leftovers are perfect to have cut up on a salad the next day. Don't let the curry scare you off if you are like me and not a big fan of curry flavor. That's just one of the 10 spices so it doesn't over power it at all.

Curry Grilled Chicken
Recipe from Nancy Ode

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 pounds)

In a food processor combine the first 10 ingredients until blended. Pour into a large resealable plastic bag; add the chicken and turn to coat. Seal and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Drain and discard marinade. Grill the chicken, covered, over medium heat for 6 minutes on each side or until the juices run clear.

Asian Chicken Skewers

 

 These chicken skewers are so amazing! Let me tell you right now if you want to get your kids off the habit of dunking their meats in ketchup or other sauces, put it on a stick. That combined with the fact that this chicken is super super moist makes it a definite kid pleaser. When I made these last month my kids left me with one measly stick for myself, so this time I doubled the meat thinking I would get more but they still out ate me...even my 3 year old ate 3 sticks of meat. I like to serve mine over some brown rice drizzled with some more of the sauce and some steamed veggies. Lite and oh so yummy! Make sure you check first to see if your sticks fit in your slow cooker, I always cut mine down. Also I'm sure you could grill these and I've been dying to try them that way but we haven't gotten a new propane tank since we moved across country...so I'll have to update when I get a chance!

Asian Chicken Skewers

Recipe from Crockpot, The Original Slow Cooker

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp sesame oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Cut each thigh into 4 pieces about 1 1/2 inches thick and thread chicken onto wooden skewers, folding thinner pieces if necessary. Place skewers in a slow cooker layering them as flat as possible.

Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, oil and garlic in small bowl. Reserve 1/3 cup sauce, set aside. Pour remaining sauce over skewers. Cover; cook on LOW 2 hours. Turn skewers over and cook 1 hour longer.

Transfer skewers to serving platter. Discard cooking liquid. Spoon on reserved sauce and sprinkle with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

Squirt Chicken

 This is my Dad's famous chicken dish he made while we were growing up. It is super easy and so so so good! This dish is your sure way of getting a super tender chicken and it has a great citrus flavor too! I promise you won't be disappointed.

Scott's Famous Squirt Chicken

2 pounds (about 4) boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup original barbecue sauce

1 can squirt soda

Preheat oven to 350. Season both sides of each chicken breast with salt and pepper. Using a pastry brush, coat both sides of each with barbecue sauce and lay single layered in a baking dish (we always use a 9 by 13). Pour 1 can of squirt soda into the pan. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 for 60 minutes.

Chicken Rigatoni Bake

I spent the weekend with my sister in California where she put mushrooms and asparagus in my scrambled eggs, and that inspired me to get out there and try new foods. So one night I decided I was just going to make it up as I went along and use some foods I had in my fridge and also the beautiful basil I'm growing in my herb garden. I really wasn't expecting it to be this good! It was sooo delicious and my son loved the "screw" noodles. I used this post as a guide- If anything maybe you'll use it to and get creative!

Note: The dish is perfect when you throw it all together, but if you want an extra touch you can bake it in the oven for 15 minutes adding some mozzarella cheese (optional) or breadcrumbs before putting it in the oven (to keep the top from getting scorched)

Here's mine topped with breadcrumbs and baked

Chicken Rigatoni Bake

1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms (about 1/4 inch pieces)

1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into cubes

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes (with juices)

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup packed fresh basil, chopped

Rigatoni pasta (16 ounces dry) 

1 cup asparagus, chopped

1/4 cup breadcrumbs or mozzarella cheese (either one, both or without, optional)

Cook noodles according to package and while they're cooking-

Preheat oven to 450 F and spray a 9X13 pan (if you want to bake yours).

Heat olive oil in large skillet and brown mushrooms and chicken until chicken is cooked. Stir in minced garlic and let sizzle for about 30 seconds. 

Put the chopped asparagus in a microwave safe bowl with a little water (about an inch) and microwave for 3 minutes. Drain and add to the chicken, garlic and mushrooms.

Add the can of tomatoes (with juices) and about 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar. Atir in 1/4 cup fresh basil. Add drained pasta and toss.

If you want to bake it, top with breadcrumbs or cheese (optional) and bake in a greased 9X13 pan @ 450 for 15 minutes.

Basil Orange Chicken

One of my all time favorite herbs is basil, so I'll usually try any recipe that contains it. I've tried a lot of recipes with citrus juices combined with herbs and haven't been a fan at all! Finally I found a really great recipe to use up my basil! This recipe is so light and the flavors are so refreshing, it's perfect for summer time! The chicken doesn't really need the extra sauce to drizzle over it, but it's a really fun twist to have over the rice and veggies. I also put some of the citrus slices in our water pitcher and I've never seen my kids drink so much water!

Basil Orange Chicken

1 large navel orange (1 1/2 tsp peel, 4 Tbsp juice)
2 lemons (1 1/2 tsp peel, 1/3 cup juice)
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
salt
pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
4 boneless skinless breast halves
1/2 tsp sugar
grilled orange and lemon slices for garnish
Serve with couscous or rice and sugar snap peas

Citrus Mixture:
In a medium bowl combine 1 tsp orange peel, 1 tsp lemon peel, 1 Tbsp orange juice, 1/4 cup basil, 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1/4 tsp salt and pepper.
With a mallet pound chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness. Rub citrus mixture onto chicken, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours.

In a bowl or pitcher, combine 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/8 tsp each salt and pepper, 1/2 tsp orange peel, 1/2 tsp lemon peel, 3 Tbsp orange juice, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup basil and 1 Tbsp olive oil. (If making ahead of time, cover and refrigerate until ready)

Heat grill to medium high heat. Add chicken and cook for 4 minutes. Turn over and grill 3-4 more minutes until no longer pink. Serve with couscous or rice and veggies and drizzle sauce all over. Garnish with citrus slices.

Southwestern Chicken

Use up that leftover Easter ham this weekend!

This meal takes less than a half an hour and has really great flavor. Plus it's really nutrious, especially if you serve it with brown rice. I never put in the hot pepper sauce because of the kids' senstitive bellies. I bet you could also try it in the crockpot too, but I've never done it.

Southwestern Chicken

1/4 cup Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing (or low fat)

2-3 chicken breasts

1 Tbsp dry chopped onions

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can rinsed, drained black beans
3 slices sliced thick-cut ham

cooked rice

Heat skillet to medium high heat with salad dressing; add oninos and chicken. Cook for 10 minutes, turning once. Add tomatoes with juice, drained beans, and ham.Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, turning after 5 minutes

Serve over rice

Chicken with Orange Sauce and Quick Rice Pilaf

I tried this recipe tonight and my husband sat down at the table and said, "Wow this looks fancy"... so it was nice to try something different with chicken other than just dunking it in barbecue sauce. I've tried a few different orange sauces that are either too light on the orange flavor or too heavy on other flavors- this one was just the right amount of orange and ginger.

Chicken with Ginger Orange Sauce
Recipe from A Peak at the Springs Cookbook

1 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp ginger
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
hot cooked rice (or rice pilaf below)

Combine the orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, butter, sugar, cornstarch and ginger in a saucepan and mix well. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Place the chicken between two sheets of waxed paper or saran wrap and pound with a meat mallet until about 1/4 inch thick. Season with salt and pepper. Saute the chicken in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through. Spoon over rice and top with the sauce.

Quick Rice Pilaf

Along with my two kids, I love this rice pilaf! It's so easy and you can change the seasonings depending on what you are cooking. I use chili powder with enchiladas, fajitas, etc. and I used garlic salt tonight with this dish and to also to use as leftovers to pair with sweet and sour chicken later this week. I love love love this recipe!

Quick Rice Pilaf
Recipe from Mel @ melskitchencafe

tablespoon canola oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 cup angel hair pasta, broken into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup rice
2 cups chicken broth (or make some with boullion cubes)
Seasonings to taste (1 tsp of chili powder, curry, garlic salt, etc.)

Brown onions, rice and angel hair pasta in the oil over medium-high heat. Cook until spaghetti is lightly browned. Add chicken stock (note: if you use jasmine rice, increase chicken stock to 2 1/2 cups instead of 2 cups) and seasonings and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff and serve.

Oven Fried Chicken

Oven Fried Chicken

My camera has been on the fritz for a while now, so I'm not even going to attempt to post my horrible picture- it just wouldn't do this chicken any justice! Anyway we love fried chicken at our house, but I usually do it in the oven to make it healthier. I was anxious to try this version because it used saltine crackers-what a great idea! This chicken turned out crunchy, juicy and all around perfect for my two young children. We use drumsticks for our kids and wrap the bottom bone with either tinfoil or a rolled up napkin for them to hold and eat easier.

Oven Fried Chicken

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

1 beaten egg
3 Tbsp soy milk
1 1/4 cups finely crushed saltine crackers (I used a small food processer)
1 tsp dried herb of your choice crushed (thyme, italian seasoning, rosemary, etc.)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp pepper
2 1/2 - 3 pounds chicken pieces
2 Tbsp dairy free margarine, melted (or butter)

In a small bowl combine egg and milk. In a shallow dish combine crushed crackers, thyme, paprika, and pepper. Set aside. Skin chicken. Dip chicken pieces, 1 at a time, into egg mixture and coat with crumb mixture.

In a greased 15X10X1 inch baking pan, arrange the chicken, bone side down, so the pieces aren't touching. Drizzle chicken with the melted butter/margarine.

Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree oven for 45-60 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Do not turn chicken pieces while baking.

Macadamia Crusted Chicken with Mango Salsa

It took my friend Mel borrowing my cookbook and then posting this recipe to find out what I was missing all along in my cupboard! By any means, this is a great recipe! I am a big fan of chicken fingers because kids love them, but with this perfect mango salsa, it pleases adults too. I can honestly say that I have never had a more tender chicken-it melts in your mouth! I've also been wanting to try this salsa on fish, but haven't yet. My sister recently made me macadamia crusted halibut, so maybe I'll have to try it along with the salsa and post it sometime.

Macadamia Crusted Chicken with Mango Salsa

Recipe from The Complete Cookbook, adapted by Mel at mykitchencafe

1 pound chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts cut into thin slices

1 cup flour, seasoned generously with salt and pepper

2 eggs, lightly beaten
8 oz. macadamia nuts, finely chopped

2 cups breadcrumbs

oil, for deep-frying

Salt for seasoning

Mango Salsa

1 medium mango, finely diced

3 tablespoons finely diced red onion

2 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro

1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

Juice from 1 lime

Cut the chicken into strips. Dust the chicken strips with the flour, then dip them in the egg and finally, coat them generously in the combined nuts and breadcrumbs. Chill for at least 30 minutes to firm up.To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Set aside. Fill a large, heavy-based saucepan or electric fry pan one-third full of oil and heat to 350 degrees, or until a cube of bread dropped in the oil browns in 15 seconds. Cook the chicken strips in batches for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown all over, taking care not to burn the nuts. Drain on crumpled paper towels and season with salt. Serve the chicken strips warm with the salsa.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza (on the grill)

Making pizza has been a tradition of ours for years, and as newlyweds we use to make it in the dutch oven every time we went camping. (now with kids those camp trips are getting fewer) That has always been my favorite method for baking pizza for the obvious reason- everything tastes better in a dutch oven! We decided to try something new and bake the pizza on the grill this time. You can bake this pizza in the oven, but if you want to try something new and don't want to heat up your oven to 450 degrees, try it on the grill! (Just read my warning notes :) For this barbecued chicken I used canned chicken and leftover barbecue sauce from barbecued burgers, so it was really simple and easy. That barbecue sauce is so perfect for pizza because it's tangy and sweet. (My stomach is seriously growling just typing about it)

Basic Pizza Dough

Recipe from Weight Watchers New Comblete Cookbook

Makes 2 12 inch pizza crusts

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 tsp sugar

1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

In a large mixing bowl, combine the water and sugar. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oil. Combine the flour and salt and add to the yeast one cup at a time until the dough starts to pull from the sides of bowl. Knead until smooth and elastic. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray (you can use the mixing bowl); put the dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or damp cloth. Let rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, then cut in half for two 12 inch pizzas, or thirds for 3 smaller pizzas. Use, refriderate or freeze in floured zip-close freezer bags for later.

For each (12 inch) Pizza:

3/4 cups barbecue sauce (I used this one)

1 cup canned chicken or cooked and cut up chicken breasts

3 Tbsp green onions, sliced horizontally

1/3 cup mozzarella cheese (optional)

Put the pizza dough above on a greased pizza pan. Grill the pizza crust for 5 minutes in a medium heat grill covered. Take the pizza out and spread with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce. Spread out chicken evenly and then top with onions and mozzarella (if using). Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce over the top. Grill covered for 5 more minutes.

*Warning- the first time I took the pizza off the pan and set it directly on the grill and toasted it black! The perfect way is to take the pizza off the pan at 4 minutes, set it directly on the grill and keep the lid open for about 1-2 min. Then you can slide it back onto the pan to cut it up.

To bake the pizza in the oven just preheat it to 450 and then bake it for 10-12 minutes. You can also take it out and set it directly on the rack the last few minutes to make it crispy.

Italian Chicken and Tomato Pasta Toss

Okay so I know I've been slacking on my dishes lately, but between swim lessons and getting our yard landscaped, quick and easy is about all I have time to do! Besides that- if a dish takes 20 minutes, looks beautiful, and tastes like quality Italian food, then why should you bother with doing it any other way? This meal is exactly that- and it looks so pretty to entertain with too. I bet it would look even prettier with fresh basil, but I used dried. I'm also trying to get my family onto whole wheat pasta, but for now I'm doing half whole wheat and half regular and they don't even notice. :)

Italian Chicken & Tomato Pasta Toss

Recipe adapted from Kraft Foods

4 cups medium curly egg noodles, uncooked

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1/3 c Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing (Kraft or any variety)

2 cloves garlic, minced (or about 1 tsp garlic powder)

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (or 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp dried)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese (as the recipe calls for, but optional)

Cook noodles as directed. Meanwhile heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium high. Add chicken and cook for 6-10 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, dressing and garlic. Cook and stir 3 more minutes or until heated through. Add basil and stir to combine. Drain pasta. Toss with chicken mixture and sprinkle with cheese if desired.