Perfect Breakfast Sandwiches

When you're sick of the same old thing, here's another quick idea for a FABULOUS breakfast!

Breakfast Sandwiches:

2 Eggs
2 pieces of bread
butter
salt and pepper
ketchup
Shredded cheddar cheese

1) Spray a small pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat.
2) Crack the eggs into the pan and break the yolk.
3) Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper to taste.
4) Toast bread and spread lightly with butter and ketchup.
5) Flip the eggs when they start to turn golden on the bottom.
6) Assemble the sandiwiches and add slices of the cheese on top of the eggs to melt. Enjoy!

Barbeque Chicken Burritos

These are just yummy! Stu and I came up with them last night when we wanted something easy for dinner!

Barbeque Chicken Burritos:

1 lb. poached and cubed chicken breast pieces
½ cup chopped onion
1 Tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup Barbeque sauce
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 flour tortillas
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
1 cup chopped tomato
1 avocado pitted, peeled and sliced
Salt and pepper

1) Sauté the onion in olive oil over medium heat until tender.
2) In a large bowl, combine the chicken, sautéed onion, barbeque sauce, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.
3) Assemble the burritos with the chicken mixture topped with lettuce, tomato, and avocado.

Enjoy!

Almond-Apple Chicken Salad

Here is another one of my adapted recipes. I have never really found a perfect recipe for chicken salad as my tastes prefer, so here is my invented one!

Almond-Apple Chicken Salad:

1 large chicken breast, poached and cut into small chunks
1 medium sized apple of your choice, cored and cut into small pieces
½ cup seedless green grapes cut in half
½ cup thinly sliced celery
½ cup sliced green onions
½ cup slivered almonds
1 Teaspoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
Salt and pepper

1) Toast the almonds in the olive oil over medium-high heat for a few minutes.
2) In a large bowl combine all ingredients and stir well. Add salt and pepper a little at a time until it tastes perfect according to your own preference.

Tips for this Recipe:
- serve in a pita, on Ritz crackers, regular loaf bread, in a Hoagie roll, or on a bed of lettuce for variety.
- Add some chopped hard-boiled eggs if you’d like.
- For a more rich flavor, poach the chicken in water with chopped onions, garlic and parsley.

My Mini Frittatas

Tired of cereal for breafast? (Me too!) Try this! You can make these ahead and then just heat them up for breakfast or even just a nice (South Beach or Atkins friendly) snack!

Mini Frittatas:
5 Eggs
¼ cup skim milk
¼ tsp. salt
Dash of white pepper (or use regular, whatever)
½ cup shredded fat free cheddar cheese
½ cup each of chopped green onions, red bell pepper, yellow pepper, mushrooms
Olive oil

1) Preheat oven to 375 (F). In a small bowl, wisk the eggs, salt, and pepper together and set aside.
2) Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the vegetables and sauté until tender.

3) Spray a muffin pan with nonstick spray and evenly distribute the mixture in the pan. Sprinkle a small amount of cheese on top of the vegetables.

4) Pour the egg mixture into each section of the pan until it is almost full.

5) Bake for 13-15 minutes until the egg is set. Let cool a few minutes before removing them from the pan. Enjoy!

Peanut Chicken Stir-Fry

I just love stir-fry, especially the styles that highlight nuts. So here is yet another one of my adaptations! This recipe, like most Asian cuisine, does not have to be exact. Whatever you have at home with work great and tasting the sauce as you go is the key to it coming out perfect.

Peanut Chicken Stir-Fry:
1 lb. chicken breasts, sliced into strips against the grain (helps to keep the chicken tender)
1 cup chicken stock or broth (I use homemade since it tends to be more flavorful)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 Tablespoons heated, softened peanut butter
1 Tablespoon corn starch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced white or yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, cut into matchsticks (optional)
you can also add cabbage too, but since I don't like it, I omit it.
1/2 cup peanuts

1) In a small bowl, wisk together the chicken stock, brown sugar, peanut butter, sesame oil, and ginger, set aside. Do not worry if it is lumpy from the peanut butter, with heat in the skillet it will combine.
2) Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the chicken strips and cooking, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes until just no longer pink inside. Remove chicken and juices to a bowl. 3) In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with a small amount of cold water until smooth. Add to sauce mixture.
4) In the same skillet, add the vegetables and stir-fry with 1/4 cup of the sauce for 4-5 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp. Add the chicken back to the skillet with the remaining sauce. Allow flavors to combine, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Be sure to taste to make sure the sauce is perfect. If it needs more soy sauce or brown sugar to balance, add some a dash at a time. 5) Serve in a bowl over white or brown rice as a complete meal and top with peanuts for crunch. We didn't have peanuts this time so I used cashews and they were fabulous as well.

Enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Until about a month ago, Stu and I were being really careful about what we ate. We've both lost a lot of weight since we moved here and we''d been trying to be good. Unfortunately for the past, I don't know, two weeks or more, I've been picking out recipes that aren't the healthiest. We're going to now get back on track and last night was the beginning.

Do you love chicken nuggets, like me, but feel guilty about the deep-fried-ness? Here's my answer!

Sydney's Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dip:

For the dip:
1/4 cup mayo
3 Tablespoons mustard (I use spicy brown for a better kick)
2 Tablespoons honey

Stir them well, and tada! Dip!

For the nuggets:
1 lb. chicken breats, cut into "nugget" sized pieces, about 1-2 inches. (You can also cut them into strips if you prefer)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes (optional, but it does make them prettier)
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, finely crushed (I use a rolling pin)
1 egg
2 Tablespoons milk (I use fat free)

1) Preheat oven to 425 (f). Put flour, salt, pepper, and parsley in a large Ziplock bag and shake so ingredients combine. Add the chicken pieces and shake to coat them evenly.
2) Place the cracker crumbs in a bowl and wisk the egg and milk together in another bowl (start an assembly line).
3) Remove the chicken one pieces at a time and dip it into the egg mixture, then roll in the cracker crumbs and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with all of the chicken pieces.
4) Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and chicken is no longer pink inside. Serve with honey mustard dip. Yum!

This is a huge favorite of Stu's. So much so that he'll ask for it so often I actually get sick of eating it. Kaden LOVES chicken this way too. Enjoy!

Tips for this recipe:
- Try to keep an eye on the chicken so they don't overcook or they tend to get dry.
- Serve with homemade fries for a "Happy Meal" with half the calories!

The Basics Series: Poached Eggs

Since I started this blog I've had a lot of good reception from friends and family, which is so great to me. BUT, the more I talk to my culinarily-challenged friends, the more I realize how few people of my generation are taught the basics in the kitchen. So instead of posting only my creations, I figured I might as well also post my "basics" recipes too.

This morning I had poached eggs for breakfast, so for those of you who'd like the yumminess of poached eggs, but don't want to sift through the overly complicated recipes on the internet, here you go!

Poached Eggs: (this is for one person)

2 large eggs
2 pieces of your favorite bread
butter
salt

1) Begin by filling a skillet about half-way with water, bring to a slow boil.
2) In the meantime, toast your bread. Spread it lightly with butter as soon as it comes out and is still piping hot.
3) When water is boiling, crack eggs into a bowl and carefully pour them into the water, letting them slide out gently into the water. (Feel free to crack them right into the water, but I've talked to people worried about dropping part of the shell in, or splashing the water on themselves. Fear not, this is the pain-free way!)
4) Turn the heat down to a slow simmer. The higher the heat, the more it will break up your eggs. Cooking them slowly and they come out perfectly round and pretty. After about 2-3 minutes of cooking (don't let the yolk harden), remove them with a slotted spoon. You know they are done when the white are white and no longer clear.
5) Place each egg on top of a butter slice of bread and sprinkle very lightly with salt. Smash them and enjoy!