Light Chicken and Biscuits

When its cold and rainy and you want to cozy up with warm dinner - make this. I made my own biscuits (for the first time - so easy) but you can use any biscuit, premade or not.

Light Chicken and Biscuits

Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup low-fat (1 percent) milk
5 carrots, thinly sliced
5 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 box (10 ounces) frozen pearl onions, thawed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 pounds cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or large heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, and onions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, 7 to 10 minutes.

Sprinkle vegetables with remaining 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; stir in remaining 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup water, and thyme. Simmer until liquid is thickened, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken; simmer until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve chicken stew with biscuits.

Biscuits
From King Arthur Flour

2 1/4 cups (9 ounces) King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup (2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) buttermilk powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) cold unsalted butter
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese, plus extra for topping
1 cup (4 ounces) chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried, optional
1 large egg
1 cup (8 ounces) milk, plus extra for topping

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flours, buttermilk powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter into pats, then work it into the dry ingredients to form coarse crumbs. Toss in the cheese, nuts, and rosemary.

Whisk together the egg and milk. Add to the flour mixture and blend lightly until the dough is evenly moistened. Add a tablespoon or so additional milk to incorporate any extra flour in the bottom of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and use a bench knife or bowl scraper to fold it over on itself three or four times, until it comes together.

Pat the dough about 1" thick. Use a 2" biscuit cutter to cut it into rounds. Pat the scraps together, and cut additional biscuits. Transfer the biscuits to the prepared pan. Brush the tops with milk, and sprinkle with a bit of grated cheese.

Bake the biscuits for 14 to 16 minutes, until they're golden. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Light Chicken Enchiladas

This dinner always satisfies my Mexican craving! And no guilt!

Lighter Chicken Enchiladas
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 to 2 tablespoons minced canned chipotles in adobo
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
8 corn tortillas (6-inch)
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (2 ounces)

In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, bring 1 inch salted water to a boil. Add chicken. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 5 minutes; remove skillet from heat. Let chicken steam, covered, until opaque throughout, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer chicken to a medium bowl; shred with two forks. Set aside.

While chicken is cooking, make sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add flour, cumin, and chipotles in adobo; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Whisk in broth and 1/2 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook, whisking occasionally, until sauce has thickened slightly, 5 to 8 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer 1 cup sauce to bowl with chicken; toss to combine.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour 1/4 cup sauce into bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish; set aside. Stack tortillas, and wrap in a double layer of damp paper towels; microwave until hot, about 1 minute. Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture; roll up tightly, and arrange, seam side down, in baking dish. Cover with remaining sauce, and top with cheese. Bake until hot and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Sometimes you need comfort food and a pot pie is as comforting as it gets. On days when I have a lot of time, I love to make the Barefoot Contessa's pot pie. However, most days that require comfort food are hectic. This one is fast and easy. I like to put initials on everyone's pie. It's just cute.



Easy Chicken Pot Pie

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
½ cup milk
1 - 2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 10-oz packages of frozen vegetables
Frozen pie crust
Salt and pepper
Butter

In a large saucepan, heat soups and milk, stir in chicken, onion, vegetables, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour into gratin dishes. Cut pastry for top and lay over pie filling. Dot with butter, season with salt and pepper and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup
Adapted from Country Living Magazine

Chicken noodle soup is a classic. In other words, it can sometimes be boring. This is a quick and delicious variation. Use whatever noodles you like best.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 leeks, white and light-green parts only, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch pieces with rings intact
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
8 cups chicken broth (maybe a few more)
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 1/2 cups noodles (use as much or as little as you want)
3 cups sliced roast chicken (can roast yourself, use leftovers, or buy it roasted)
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Once hot, carefully add leeks in a single layer, so rings don't unravel. Reduce heat to medium or medium-low, season with salt and pepper, and cook 9 minutes; turn leeks, set heat to low, and cook until golden, about 9 more minutes.

Meanwhile, in a 5-quart pot, bring broth and garlic to a boil. Stir in noodles; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm, 9 to 12 minutes (Depends on the type you use. I used whole-wheat shells). Discard garlic.

Set aside a few leeks per serving for garnish. Add remaining leeks to soup, along with chicken, peas, and dill, and cook for 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with reserved leeks.

Cashew Chicken with Vegetables

Chicken gets old REAL fast. I am always unmotivated when it comes to cooking chicken. Then I made this. Winner winner chicken dinner! Quinoa is a revelation - so delicious and easy! Make sure to cut the broccoli up into small florets or they will not cook enough. You can also substitute the broccoli for asparagus tips.

Cashew Chicken with Vegetables
From Clean Eating Magazine, July/August 2010

1 ½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4), cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil cooking spray
2 carrots, shredded (2 cups)
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups)
2 small onion, chopped (about ½ cup)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup unsalted raw cashews, toasted and chopped
3 cups cooked quinoa

Combine chicken, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a large shallow dish; cover and let marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.

Mist a large wok or skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add chicken and marinade and sauté for 5 minutes or until tender. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.

Add carrots, broccoli, and onion to same skillet and sauté for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Move chicken back to pan, then add broth. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cashews and cook for 2 more minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Serve over quinoa.