Grilled Chicken Salad Sandwich

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while… I was really busy ordering pizza and such.
Anyways, I'm back bringing my A game again (hopefully) and this afternoon for lunch I made an amazing Grilled Chicken Salad Sandwich… so enjoy :)

Grilled Chicken Salad Sandwich

bread-2 slices per sandwich- buttered

2 small chicken breasts- baked or boiled- then chopped

1/4 to 1/2 chopped onion (to taste)

1/2 C mayo

3 T ranch dressing

cheese slices

salt and pepper to taste

The recipe I had called for boiled chicken, but that sounds like something I give my dog when her tummy hurts. So I baked mine see Life Changing Baked Chicken here to see how to bake a chicken!

Chop your chicken into small bites. In a bowl mix chicken, mayo, onion, ranch, salt and pepper.  warm up a frying pan over medium heat, butter each slice of bread, and toss on the pan, with a slice of cheese and a toss about 1/2 C of mixture. add the additional slice of buttered bread, flip after a few minutes (when golden brown)  and continue to cook until both slices are brown! 

and ENJOY!

Southwest Salad with Cilantro Dressing

You might be surprised to hear this, but I'm actually trying to get a little healthier.  I even (maybe) have every intention of giving up alcohol this next year… I'm still thinking it over though.  Either way today I was CRAVING healthy foods.
Now I fully believe if you are craving something, its probably because your body really wants it.  So if you crave salty foods, eat salty foods, if you crave water, or candy, or protein, eat it.  Its pretty simple.  But that's just what I think, and I am not a doctor so I could be totally wrong.  Anyways, my subway salad did not cut it for lunch so for dinner I wanted a huge salad. Only we are out of Ranch, and I also needed protein.

so here is what got created:

Cilantro Dressing

1 1/4 C chopped Cilantro

1 C. Olive Oil

5 T. White Wine Vinegar

2 Garlic Cloves

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon minced jalapeno 

toss in the blender, and then let cool in the fridge for an hour or two.  toss on your salad and ENJOY

I also tossed some salt and pepper to it!

Southwest Salad

For the salad i just tossed a few cups of lettuce, a can of black beans (washed). a few tomatoes, 1 avocado, some green onions, carrots, and corn. (or what ever else you have on hand). 

No Ordinary Chicken Tortilla Soup

mmm mm mmm… nothing like soup this time of year. this is great for freezer meals, or eat it tonight!

I just tried this, and let me tell you- its one of the best soups I have ever had!! Ill be making this again soon!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic- minced

1-2 T. oil

2 lbs cooked chicken (any way, chopped or shredded)

14 oz diced tomatoes

5 oz RO TEL tomatoes

14.5 oz beef broth

14.5 oz chicken broth

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1tsp salt

2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 T. hot sauce

saute onions and garlic in oil, cook until translucent, add remaining ingredients, and simmer for 30-45 minutes. 

Serve with tortillas, cheese, sour cream… you know the drill.

I made this as a freezer meal, in which case, just let it cool and toss in the freezer or eat it tonight! 

ENJOY 

Spicy Southwest Chicken

I have to be honest, I was given a blender as a wedding gift, and as much as I totally wanted one, I have yet to use it.  Personally blenders freak me out, its like the garbage disposal, your hand could easy be lost while using one.  That being said I was a little nervous to try this recipe that calls for a blender, but when i got done blending, and opened the lid, it smelt like Jesus' breath, or what I would guess his breath smells like…. amazing! I cannot wait to eat this!!! and from what I sneaked a taste at, it was AMAZING!

This picture turned out a bit yellower, than it actually is!

Spicy Southwest Chicken

1 medium sized tomato- quartered

1/2 onion- chunked

1/4 C. vegetable oil

1/4 C. soy sauce (oh shit, I forgot this!)

1/4 C. fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 Jalapeño- chopped

2 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

In a blender, or food processor, combine everything other than chicken.

In a bag (for freezer meals) or a bowl (if you are eating it tonight) pour the contents of the blender, add chicken, and marinate for 2-8 hours in the refrigerator.

Toss in the freezer, or cook the same day.

Grill over hot fire. 

Chipotle Chicken and Onion Wraps

This was one of my "freezer meals" for today. I was thinking how it was so awesome that they are individually wrapped, which would be great for meals on the go! but then, after making them, and tasting them, I tossed them in the fridge, because there is NO WAY these will last more than a day or two. (I was right, they lasted less than 5 hours. SO SO GOOD)   They are super good, and even with the chipotle they are a real mild spicy, which means EVERYONE can enjoy them (even those crazy people who can't take the heat).

Chipotle Chicken and Onion Wraps

1 T. butter or margarine

1/2 cup onion- chopped

6 cups cooked chicken- diced

8 oz cream cheese (it would be fine to half this)

2 T. chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce (more if you like it hot)

1 t dried parsley

12 burrito sized tortillas

In a saute pan, melt butter, add the onions, cook until translucent. 

Combine in a bowl, chicken, cream cheese (softened), cooked onions, chipotle chile and adobo sauce, and parsley.  mix well.  

spread 1/2 cup of chicken filling down the center of each tortilla. and roll, folding in the ends.

put in a zip lock bag, and freeze.  when ready to eat just toss in the microwave for a minute or two! or you can toss them on the stove until crispy! 

Franks and BBQ Chicken Bites

HOLY COW- so I started this recipe, planning to follow it, but then I realized the recipe I had called for 1 tsp of hot sauce, and I was like "hold up, that's hardly HOT wings" so I changed it, completely!!
p.s these work great as a freezer meal, or more as a freezer treat!  just toss in the oven or microwave when ready to eat them!

Franks and BBQ Chicken Bites

1/2 C. BBQ sauce

3/4 C. Franks Red Hot

2 T vinegar 

1 bag of chicken breast strips

combine in a bowl BBQ sauce, franks, vinegar.  cook chicken breasts and then marinate them in the sauce. 

ENJOY

They say they are all natural, but I highly doubt it.  

That being said, they are super easy and I was making freezer meals, so why waste money on fresh chicken when I'm just going to freeze it anyways?

Red Pepper Lasagna

I was not going to blog about my Christmas eve dinner, but it was amazing.  I've always thought lasagna was one of my best recipes, but for some reason, this one was super good, I think its because I used more tomatoes than I usually would.  I also know this recipe looks like some pretty standard, boring lasagna, but its not, because there are crushed red peppers in them! and its amazing!

Crushed Red Pepper Lasagna

1 package of lasagna noodles

1 large container of cottage cheese

1 big can of crushed tomatoes

1 big can of diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

1 bag of Italian shredded cheese

1 C. Mexican shredded cheese

2 T. crushed red pepper

2. T. oregano

1 T basil

salt and pepper to taste

feel free to add meat to your tomato sauce- I just don't eat it!

in a large pot dump both cans of tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasoning.  Stir continuously until hot.

in a 9 x 12 pan layer lasagna noodles, tomatoes, cottage cheese, half of your Italian shredded cheese, then repeat: noodles, tomatoes cottage cheese, Italian cheese.

top with noodles and cheese