Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe https://www.melskitchencafe.com/cashew-chicken-lettuce-wraps/

I have been excited to try these lettuce wraps for a while and I'm so glad we finally did! This recipe is very different from my other lettuce wrap recipe, which is also wonderful. The whole family enjoyed them. Ben even asked if he could take the leftovers for lunch. There was just enough to feed the family for one meal and one lunch for Ben. We'll be doubling the recipe from now on! We didn't have anything else in addition to the lettuce wraps, but they would be good served with a side of fresh fruit or simple roasted broccoli. The recipe is also pretty quick to put put together, which is always nice.

Preparation Time: 15 - 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely diced yellow or white onion
• 1 cup finely diced (or shredded) carrots
• 3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (Use gluten-free Tamari sauce if desired.)
• 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup chopped raw cashews (lightly toasted, if desired)
• Bibb or green leaf lettuce leaves for wrapping
• Chopped cucumbers and tomatoes for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion and carrots. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften.
2. Season the chicken pieces lightly with salt and pepper and add to the skillet with the onions and carrots. Cook, stirring often, until the chicken pieces are cooked through, 4-5 minutes.
3. Stir in the soy sauce and maple syrup and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, letting the soy sauce and maple syrup bubble and simmer.
4. Stir in the cashews, cooking until they are just heated through. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
5. Serve in lettuce leaves topped with tomatoes and cucumbers, which add a nice crisp and fresh element to the dish!

NOTES:

Trust me that the cucumbers and tomatoes really make this dish shine. 

Additionally, really important, if you aren’t using low-sodium soy sauce, you’ll probably want to omit or reduce the salt from the recipe.

Mexican Chili Chicken

We have been enjoying this recipe since our Provo days, but we can't remember who gave us the recipe. You can tell it is a favorite around here by the fact that we are still making it!

Ingredients:
1/2 - 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into thin strips*
1 - 2 sweet bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange), cut into thin strips*
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced*
4 chicken thighs
4 chicken drumsticks - or use more thighs ( I use 8-10 boneless skinless thighs)
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 - 16 oz. jar chipotle salsa – We used to use a chipotle raspberry sauce found at Costco, but it was really high in sugar. Now I use Mrs. Renfro's Raspberry Chipotle Salsa (pictured below), which I buy in a case of 6 from Walmart. 

Add 15 minutes before serving:
½ cup ketchup
2 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. salt

Noodles or brown rice for serving

*You can use peppers and onions from the freezer section to make the recipe even easier.

1.  Place bell peppers and onion in a slow cooker; mix together; top with chicken. Sprinkle with chili powder and oregano evenly over chicken. Add salsa.  Cover and cook on low 7-8 hrs. or high for 2-3 hrs, or until chicken is tender. 

2. Remove chicken and keep warm.  Stir in ketchup, cumin, and salt into the sauce and veggies in the slow cooker.  Add the chicken back in. Cook uncovered on HIGH for 10 - 15 minutes or until hot.

3.   Serve over noodles or brown rice. We enjoy it with a nice green salad on the side. 

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Spinach Salad with Chicken and Avocado

 Recipe adapted from: http://www.recipegirl.com/2012/04/02/spinach-salad-with-chicken-avocado-and-goat-cheese/

 

Josh and I were both surprised when we realized I had not put this recipe on the blog yet because this salad is a favorite at our house. You can simplify it and leave out the cucumbers, pepper, and black beans (these were all our own additions to the original recipe).

Ingredients:

8 cups chopped spinach (1 bag)
1 cup halved cherry or pear tomatoes
½ English cucumber, diced
½ cup sweet bell peppers, diced

½ cup corn (frozen, rinsed from the can, or cut off the cob)
1 ½ cups chopped cooked chicken
1 large avocado, sliced
¹/₃ cup crumbled goat or feta cheese (omit to keep dairy free)
¼ cup toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds

Instructions: 

1. If you do not have roasted pine nuts on or slivered almonds already prepared, preheat the oven to 375 and roast for about 10-12 minutes.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper then grill or cut rotisserie chicken into bite size pieces.
3. Drain and rinse the black beans, then chop the vegetables and prepare the other toppings.
4. Place spinach in a large salad bowl. You can chop it if your family prefers smaller pieces.
5. Let each person add their own toppings.
6. Top with Dijon Vinaigrette.

Ranch Dressing Mix

I got this recipe from my friend Stacy. She adapted it from:  http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/healthy-homemade-salad-dressing-ideas

5 Tablespoons dried minced onions
7 teaspoons parsley flakes
4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons garlic powder
1-2 teaspoons dill weed

I usually double or triple the spice blend, and pulse it in a food processor (or Magic Bullet with the flat blade). Store in an airtight container.

For dressing: 2 Tbsp. of Ranch Mix with one cup of mayo and one cup of buttermilk. 

For dip: 1 cup of sour cream with 2 tablespoons of Ranch Mix.

Dairy Free option: 1 Tbsp. of Ranch Mix, 1/2 cup olive oil Mayo, 1 avocado, and a little bit of almond milk. *I think next time I will actually try just using avocado and almond milk with the mix.

It's really good sprinkled on vegetables or potatoes that are roasted in the oven or sprinkled on chicken for a Chicken Ranch Salad. 

Blackened Seasoning

Here is a seasoning mix we absolutely love. It is great on salmon! We also like it on chicken with a black bean and avocado salad. This is also the seasoning I put on shrimp for cobb salad. I just make up a big batch and keep it in my spice cupboard.

Recipe from: http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2009/08/grilled-blackened-salmon-with-pineapple.html

 

• 2 teaspoons ground paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried leaf thyme
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to your taste
• 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

*Sometimes I add some chipotle pepper too.

Maple Dijon Chicken (aka The World's Best Chicken)

We really enjoy this chicken and it is really easy to make with ingredients we pretty well always have on hand, plus it is moist and delicious! It is great served with Cabbage Steaks, sautéed cabbage, or Brussels Sprouts. We also like Trader Joe's Harvest Grains (cooked in chicken broth) with it.

Recipe and Picture from: http://rachelschultz.com/2012/07/11/worlds-best-chicken/

INGREDIENTS

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

½ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup maple syrup (Use the real stuff!)

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Salt & pepper

Fresh rosemary (I have used dry many times)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 °.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, syrup, and vinegar.
3. Place chicken breasts into 9x13 lined baking dish. Season with salt & lots of pepper.
4. Pour mustard mixture over chicken. Make sure each breast is coated. Put some more pepper on, if you please.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 165 °.
6. Season with fresh rosemary. (If using dry, I add it before baking.)

Fajita Salad

We had a delicious Fajita Salad for Cinco de Mayo!

Start by preparing your dressing. I used this Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce but other dressings would work too. I know Erin has a good Avocado dressing or even ranch dressing works. This Ranch Mix is great too, using the Dairy-Free Avocado preparation method.

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce:
recipe source: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-cilantro-lime-sauce

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream 

1/2 cup light mayonnaise 

1/3 cup skim milk 

3 tablespoons lime juice 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

2 large garlic cloves, minced

Whisk or blend all ingredients. (I did a half recipe for our family so that we won't have it in the fridge forever.)

Once the dressing is ready shred the cheese, slice your peppers, onions, and chicken. While you let the chicken and pepper mix cook prepare the other salad ingredients.

Salad:
lettuce
cucumber
avocado
tomato, optional
onion and peppers mix (1/2 sweet onion and green, yellow, and red peppers sliced, seasoned with salt and pepper, and cooked just to al dente)
chicken (cut into chunks and seasoned with your favorite fajita seasoning, then cooked/grilled)
shredded pepperjack cheese

Braised Balsamic Chicken

Another recipe Sheri sent my way that we really enjoy! Our favorite sides to go with it are green beans and a salad with peppers, cucumber, feta, pine nuts, and a simple balsamic dressing or this Honey Crushed Red Pepper dressing. 

Picture and recipe from: http://allrecipes.com/

Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 25 Minutes Ready In: 35 Minutes Servings: 6

"Rich, slightly sweet balsamic vinegar intensifies the flavors of tomato and herbs in this chicken saute."

INGREDIENTS:

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1 teaspoon garlic salt ground black pepper to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, thinly sliced 3/4 c. sweet bell pepper, sliced (optional, my addition)

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Season both sides of chicken breasts with garlic salt and pepper.
2.	Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook seasoned chicken breasts until chicken is browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add onion; cook and stir until onion is browned, 3 to 4 minutes. (You can throw in some sliced sweet bell peppers here too, about 3/4 cup.)
3.	Pour diced tomatoes and balsamic vinegar over chicken; season with basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Slow Cooker Latin Chicken

Recipe from: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Latin-Chicken/Detail.aspx

Sheri recommended this recipe and we all enjoyed it. I made a couple of changes based on comments in the recipe reviews. It made a lot for our little family. I will probably halve the recipe unless we are having guests in the the future. For those with more kids (and older kids who eat more) the recipe would probably make a good amount without changes. We served over a brown and wild rice blend with a side salad. One commenter recommended serving in corn tortillas or hard taco shells with lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream which would also be tasty.

Prep Time: 25 Minutes Cook Time: 4 Hours 10 Minutes Ready In: 4 Hours 35 Minutes Servings: 6

"Spicy cumin, chicken, salsa, black beans, and sweet potatoes combine into a flavorful stew. The thigh meat has unbelievable flavor and tenderness."

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil 3 pounds skinless chicken thighs salt and ground black pepper to taste 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves 2 large sweet potatoes, cut into chunks 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips 2 (15.5 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained 1 can corn, drained (optional --not part of original recipe. I added based on comments)

1/2 cup chicken broth (increased to 3/4 cup) 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves 1 cup medium or hot salsa (increased to 1 1/2 cups based on comments) 2 teaspoons ground cumin (increase to 1 Tbsp) 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (increase to 3/4 tsp) 3 large cloves garlic, chopped (I used 4) lime wedges, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Heat the olive oil in a large skillet; season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cilantro over the chicken thighs; brown the chicken in the frying pan, 3 to 5 minutes each side.
2.	Arrange the chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, and black beans on top of the chicken. Mix together the chicken broth, 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, salsa, cumin, allspice, and garlic together in a bowl; pour into the slow cooker. Set slow cooker to LOW and cook for 4 hours. Garnish with lime wedges to serve.

BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded BBQ chicken
1 avocado, chopped
2 tablespoons White Cheddar cheese, shredded
2-4 tablespoons BBQ sauce
2 scallions, chopped
cilantro for garnish

1. In a large bowl, toss together the quinoa, corn, black beans, chicken and avocado. Season with salt and pepper
2. Transfer mixture onto a bowl and top with shredded cheese, BBQ sauce, scallions and cilantro. Serve warm or at room temperature

*I'm not a fan of quinoa but this is delicious! I ran out of time to make bbq chicken and just used normal chicken and it was still really good.
*I think it tastes better warm

Tomato Basil Chicken

4 servings

• 2 chicken breasts 
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
• 2 tsp minced fresh garlic
• 4 Tbsp cold butter
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• freshly grated Parmigiano reggiano cheese, for garnish
• pasta 

Season chicken breast with salt and pepper (not too much). Heat oil up in pan and start water for pasta. Cook pasta. When oil is hot add the chicken and cook about 4-5 min on each side. When the chicken is cooked through take it out and add the tomatoes, basil, butter, and garlic to pan; it says to add more salt and pepper if you'd like but i didn't and it turned out fine. Stir together and let sit till pasta is done (on the lowest setting). Cut the chicken into strips and put back in pan; stir and enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Pasta in a Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients:  
-     1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-     Montreal Chicken seasoning
-     1/2 pound penne pasta
-     2 tablespoons butter
-     2 tablespoons olive oil
-     2 cloves garlic, minced
-     1/2 cup chicken broth
-     1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
-     1 cup heavy cream
-     1/2 to 1 tsp salt & pepper to taste)
-     1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
-     6-8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded

Rinse chicken breasts in cold water. Layer between sheets of wax paper and pound to even thickness. Season both sides with Montreal Chicken seasoning. Preheat grill for medium high heat, lightly oil grate, and grill chicken breasts on medium high heat for 6-8 mins each side. OR heat 2 tbsp butter & 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter and olive oil is nice and hot, add chicken breasts and cook 5 mins each side. Set chicken aside to cool. In a large pot, boil water with 1 tbsp salt. Add 1/2 lb penne pasta noodles and boil according to package directions. Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is tender, but do not let the garlic turn brown about 3-5 mins. Add the chicken broth to the pan and allow to reduce by half. Meanwhile, slice chicken. Once the broth has reduced, stir in tomato sauce. Add the heavy cream and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low. Chop the parsley and basil, add to sauce and mix well. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Stir well to coat. Serve pasta on plates, top with sliced chicken.

 **We had this for dinner tonight.  I used dried parsley and basil.  I also doubled the recipe, but did not actually double the butter and oil and it was still great!  If you want to try and make it gluten free, just use rice noodles. 

For those wanting to cut carbs, this might be a nice meal to make for the family and the kids can eat the pasta and chicken, while those who want to can just each chicken and salad.