Category Archives: AP’s Favorites

Ina’s Creamy Chicken Thighs with Lemon Leaks and Thyme

Posted in AP's Favorites, chicken, comfort food, entertaining, main meal, Weeknight Meal by
The leeks are the secret ingredient!
  • PREP 15 minutes
  • COOK 1 hour and 10 minutes
  • TOTAL 1 hour and 20 minutes
  • SERVES 3

Ingredients

2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3-4 thighs)

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter

1½ cups chopped yellow onion (1 large)

1½ cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks) rinsed well to remove any dirt

2 teaspoons minced garlic (2-3 cloves)

½ cup good chicken stock, preferably homemade

½ cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

½ cup crème fraîche

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ small lemon, sliced in thin half-rounds

8 to 10 sprigs fresh thyme

Cooked basmati rice or quinoa for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Place the chicken on a sheet pan, skin side up, and dry with paper towels. Rub with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast until cooked through and the skin is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat the butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch) ovenproof skillet (Ie enameled cast iron) over medium heat. Add the onion and leeks and sauté until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and wine and simmer for about 5 minutes. Whisk in the crème fraîche, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and taste for seasoning.

4. Nestle the chicken thighs into the sauce in the sauté pan. Tuck the lemon slices among the thighs and strew the thyme sprigs on top. Place the pan in the oven and roast uncovered for 15 minutes. Serve hot with the sauce over rice or couscous.

Date Coconut Mixed Seed Bites

Posted in AP's Favorites, dessert, Snacks, SP friendly, Standard Process Friendly, sweet treat, vegan by

Treat yourself to these crowd-pleasing guilt free goodies when you are craving something sweet. Clean eating doesn’t mean you have to skip dessert.

Raw Date, Coconut, & Mixed Seed Fiber Power Bites | Makes 12-13 Bites – Serving size 2 Bites

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup pitted dates
  • ½ Cup of Tahini Paste
  • ½ Tablespoon chia seeds
  • ½ Tablespoon pumpkin seeds
  • ½ Tablespoon sunflower seeds
  • Unsweetened, dried shredded coconut (to cover outside of bites)

Directions

  1. Place dates and tahini into the bowl of food processor. Pulse ingredients gently until a paste-like batter is formed (this may take 1-5 minutes).
  2. Add chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. Gently pulse mixture to incorporate, but do not blend completely (pieces of the seeds should still be visible and will provide texture to the finished product).
  3. Remove mixture from mixing bowl, and using your hand, gently shape mixture into 1 oz. size balls.
  4. Place coconut on a plate or flat surface, and gently roll the ball in coconut to cover exterior.

Package in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Here’s to a healthier you,

Sweet Potato Bites

Posted in AP's Favorites, comfort food, side dish, Snacks, SP friendly, Standard Process Friendly, vegan, vegetarian by

Ingredients

2 Sweet Potatoes cut into thick chuncks

2 T olive oil

Pinch or two of salt

Process

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes then turn the oven off and leave inside for another 30 minutes. The extra 30 minutes will caramelize the sweet potatoes and make them oh, so tender and delicious!

Arroz con Pollo

Posted in AP's Favorites, chicken, comfort food, main meal, mexican, Weeknight Meal by

Arroz Con Pollo in a Dutch Oven

Ingredients

For chicken:

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon dried Greek oregano

For dish:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ stick unsalted butter
1 medium onion, small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups long grain rice like Mahatma brand
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1-2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
½ cup pitted green olives
½ cup roasted red pepper strips

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional garnish: chopped cilantro or parsley leaves

Preparation

Put chicken thighs in a nonreactive bowl and season with a pinch of salt, a grind or two of black pepper and the olive oil, red wine vinegar and oregano. Let marinate while you’re organizing the rest of your ingredients, no more than half an hour.

Melt butter with olive oil in a Dutch oven or large lid pot then sauté onion over medium heat until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook just until you can smell its characteristic aroma and it turns opaque. Add the rice and stir well so the grains are coated with the fat. Let it sauté for a minute. Add the tomato paste and the broth. Stir well to mix. Add the remaining condiments. Taste the liquid. It should have a piquancy from the capers and olives. Add salt now if you think you need it.

Nestle the chicken thighs into the rice, adding any reserved marinade or juices. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover the pot and cook either on top of the stove over low heat or in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until rice has absorbed all the liquid and chicken is cooked through. Taste for seasoning.

Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley leaves.

Serves 4-6.

Lemon Chardonnay Chicken

Posted in 30 minute meals, AP's Favorites, chicken, comfort food, main meal, Uncategorized, Weeknight Meal by

This is an easy weeknight dinner recipe that is also pretty enough to serve guests at a small casual dinner party. The citrus sauce is the perfect combination of savory and sweet. The leftovers (if you have any) are great for lunch the next day too! Enjoy!

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

4-6 boneless chicken breast cutlets (see notes)

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup Chardonnay (or you can use white cooking wine)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

6 green onions (white and half of green section, chopped)

4-6 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped

6-8 Tablespoons butter (divided)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

For Chicken:

Pat the chicken with a paper towel to dry.  Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Lightly flour chicken and place into a large frying pan with approximately 3-4 T. butter melted in the pan and fry until golden brown about 5 minutes per side.  Be careful not to burn the butter.  Chicken will not be fully cooked.  Place chicken in a warm oven while you make the sauce.

For Sauce:

Add 3-4 T butter to pan. Saute the onions and garlic in the butter on low heat. Add wine and lemon juice. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken to the sauce, cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes more or until fully cooked. Serve over your favorite rice (I like brown basmati rice). Yummy!

Notes:  

Chicken – you can purchase chicken cutlets or chicken breast fillets in your local grocery store or you can cut them yourself but slicing a boneless chicken breast in half to form thin patties.

Flouring Chicken – Place about 1/4-1/2 cup flour in a shallow baking dish.  Dip and flip the chicken fillets into the flour to lightly cover them before cooking. This ensures that chicken stays both moist and tender.

Sweet Basil and Oregano Chicken

Posted in 30 minute meals, AP's Favorites, chicken, entertaining, italian, main meal, Uncategorized by

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup Seasoning Mix (McCormick Gourmet Bruschetta Seasoning)
  • 1/3 cup EVOO
  • 3 Tablespoons of your favorite Balsamic Vinegar (Try infused varieties like Cranberry Pear White Balsamic from 41 Olive)
  • 2 lbs plum tomatoes, quartered
  • 2 lbs chicken thighs, bone in with skin (approx 4)
  • 8 oz. cooked pasta of your choice (optional)

Instructions

  1. Mix up seasoning mix, olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a large bowl.
  2. Add tomatoes and chicken pieces and to to coat.
  3. Place in a single layer on a large baking pan or roasting dish.
  4. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
  5. Optional: Toss chicken, tomatoes, pan juices with cooked pasta or serve alone.
  6. Add a green salad for an easy and satisfying meal.

Guilt-Free Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Posted in 30 minute meals, AP's Favorites, chicken, italian, low-carb, main meal, pasta by

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Low Carb Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Low Carb Creamy Tuscan Chicken is rich and satisfying with lots of sun-dried tomatoes and spinach.  I love the parmesan cream sauce. It is one of my very favorite low carb meals and it is perfect for the keto diet.

Prep Time 10 minutes / Cook Time 15 minutes / Total Time 25 minutes / Servings 4 / Calories 495 

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in half horizontally
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Lemon Pepper Seasoning
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/3 cup white wine or chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup  sun-dried tomatoes (approximately 1/2 of a 4 oz jar )
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2-3 cups baby spinach
  • 2-3 medium zucchini squash, zoodles (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.Season chicken with lemon pepper.
  2. Add chicken to skillet and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.Remove chicken and set aside.
  3. Add onion to skillet and cook for about 3 minutes to soften.
  4. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
  5. Add white wine or chicken broth and cook until reduced just a bit and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
  6. Add heavy cream and bring to a simmer for 1 minute.Add Parmesan and stir until melted.
  7. Add sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.Stir in spinach. Cook and stir until spinach is wilted.Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  8. Optional:  Many italian dishes are served over a bed of pasta.  I like to avoid the carbs and use zoodles instead.  Make the zoodle noodles with either a mandoline or zoodle maker.  Place on a paper towel to remove some of the excess water.  Add 2 T of olive oil to a pan and heat on medium heat.  Add zoodles to pan, and add salt and pepper to taste and stir for about 2 minutes.  Add more slat/pepper to taste and stir again for two minutes or so until just a bit limp.  Place zoodles on a plate and then add the chicken and sauce and serve.
  9. Enjoy!

Apple Vichyssoise

Posted in AP's Favorites, appetizer, holiday favorites, Holiday Meals, soup by

DFTSI - Apple Vichyssoise_6495My dear sorority sister shared this festive holiday soup recipe with me.  Vichyssoise is usually served cold but this is terrific served hot, cold or at room temperature.  It is a perfect first course for your next holiday gathering.  You can have a pot simmering on the stove and your guests will  be coming back for more.  Thank you Teddy for sharing this yumminess!  It is my new favorite!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Makes  approximately 10 cups (serves 6-8 in bowls or 20 in small appetizer glasses)

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 Tbsp butter
  • 3 medium leeks (white and light green parts only, thinly spliced crosswise)
  • 2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes (the smaller the chop, the faster they cook)
  • 5 cups water
  • 3 cups of apple juice or cider
  • 1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
  • 2 cup heavy whipping cream (unwhipped)
  • Chopped fresh chives for garnish
  • 1 apple, julienne (cut into sticks) for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1 Melt butter: In a large (6-quart) pot or saucepan, heat the butter on medium high heat until it melts and foams up.

2 Sauté leeks and onions: Toss in the sliced leeks and onions and salt. Stir to coat with the butter. Cook for several minutes, reducing the heat to medium, until the leeks and onions are translucent and softened.  Then stir in white wine and simmer until almost all liquid has evaporated.

3 Add potatoes, water and apple juice and bring to simmer. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook, partially covered for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are completely cooked through. Remove from heat.

4 Purée until smooth: Purée using an immersion blender or working in batches, blend in a regular blender. (Careful! With hot liquids only fill the blender 1/3 of the way full, and hold the blender top on with your hand while blending.) Purée until completely smooth, then return the soup to the pot.

5 Cool and stir in sour cream and heavy cream: Allow to cool a bit before stirring in the sour cream and heavy whipping cream.  Simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally.  Add more liquid if needed for desired thickness.  Season with more salt if needed.

6 Serve warm in bowls or glasses: If serving warm, pour into bowls or glasses and garnish with chives and julienned apple on top.  As an alternative, allow to cool completely and chill in the refrigerator if desired.  The soup can be served just below room temperature (maybe 65°F or 18°C).

Enjoy!

PSST!  You can swap out heavy whipping cream for 1/2 & 1/2 for a lighter version of this rich and delicious soup with no loss in taste.

Greek Chicken with Lemon Potatoes

Posted in AP's Favorites, chicken, entertaining, main meal by

 

Greek Chicken with Lemon Potatoes

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (smaller breasts cook faster)
  • 1 T kosher salt
  • 2 T  fresh rosemary
  • 2 T fresh oregano,
  • fresh ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb fingerling potatoes, halved or quartered lengthwise
  • 1 onion, cut in either slices or wedges
  • 2/3 cup chicken broth
  • chopped fresh oregano for garnish

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly oil a large roasting pan or line it with foil.
  2. Place chicken pieces in large bowl. Season with salt, and spices (if you don’t have fresh rosemary and oregano, you can substitute with dried herbs but only use one tablespoon of each instead (half of the fresh amount). Add fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic. Place potatoes in bowl with the chicken; stir together until chicken and potatoes are evenly coated with marinade.
  3. Transfer chicken pieces, skin side up, to prepared roasting pan, reserving marinade. Distribute potato pieces among chicken thighs. Drizzle with 2/3 cup chicken broth. Spoon remainder of marinade over chicken and potatoes.
  4. Place in preheated oven. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Toss chicken and potatoes, keeping chicken skin side up; continue baking until chicken is browned and cooked through, about 25 minutes more depending  on size of chicken pieces). An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Transfer chicken to serving platter and keep warm.
  5. Set oven to broil or highest heat setting. Toss potatoes once again in pan juices. Place pan under broiler and broil until potatoes are caramelized, about 3 minutes. Transfer potatoes to serving platter with chicken.
  6. Optional: Place roasting pan on stove over medium heat. Add a splash of additional broth and stir up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Strain; spoon juices over chicken and potatoes. Top with chopped oregano.

Favorite Salsa Verde Chicken

Posted in 30 minute meals, AP's Favorites, chicken, comfort food, main meal, mexican, trader joes by

This 30-Minute One-Pan Salsa Verde Chicken is perfect for a busy weeknight.  It’s healthy, tasty, and super easy.

This Salsa Verde Chicken needs only a few basic ingredients and a casserole dish.

I always keep a jar of my favorite salsa verde from Sprouts in my pantry.  Trader Joe’s has a yummy version too, but I prefer the Sprouts version as it has a little more kick (from Jalapenos).

You can use either bone-in chicken thighs (my favorite) or boneless skinless chicken thighs works too.

Perfect over rice, tortillas, or chips.

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PREP TIME 10 minutes
COOK TIME 20-40 minutes
TOTAL TIME 30-40 minutes
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
  • 2 lbs.  chicken thighs (bone in or skinless & boneless)
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin’
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 jar (16oz) salsa verde
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • Garnish: fresh cilantro leaves and lime wedges
DIRECTIONS
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
  2. Wash and chop the garlic, onion and red pepper.
  3. Wash and towel dry the chicken and then season with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. Lightly brush the top of each piece with olive oil and sprinkle with the minced garlic. Set aside.
  4. Pour the jar of salsa verde in a casserole dish.
  5. Place the chicken pieces in the casserole dish next and add the onion and peppers to the dish and position around the chicken pieces.
  6. Roast for 20-40 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. (Larger chicken pieces will take longer).  Do not overcook.
  7. Serve over rice (or with tortillas) and garnish with cilantro and lime.