Hawaiian Chicken

Another gem from Cooking Light magazine's Jan. issue. I love this magazine so much.

Hawaiian Chicken

Ingredients
* 1/4 cup pineapple juice
* 2 tablespoons ketchup
* 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
* 1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled ginger
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* Cooking spray
* 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 2 cups hot cooked long-grain white rice
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation
1. Combine first 5 ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade; place remaining marinade in a zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Chill 4 hours.

2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade in bag. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; baste with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade. Cook 6 minutes. Turn chicken over; baste with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade. Cook 6 minutes.

3. Combine rice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cilantro.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 247
Fat: 1.8g (sat 0.5g,mono 0.4g,poly 0.4g)
Protein: 29.9g
Carbohydrate: 25.2g
Fiber: 0.5g
Cholesterol: 68mg
Iron: 1.9mg
Sodium: 674mg
Calcium: 26mg

Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca

We like to use perfect portion chicken, and since it was sale at like 50% off this weekend, we stocked up!

Then I got the mail and my new Cooking Light magazine was there...with a feature on Chicken Makeovers...fate? I say yes.

So i decided to make the recipe on the cover. Done in 20 minutes. Easy for a weekday. I did make a little more sauce that i was suppose to, so i could toss the angel hair in it.

EDIT: after eating this, i would cut back on the lemon JUST a hair. Hubby thought it was ok, but it was a little too lemony. Next time i'm going to add some fresh crushed garlic as well.

Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca
Ingredients
4 (4-ounce) chicken cutlets
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 fresh sage leaves
2 ounces very thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 8 thin strips
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/3 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation
1. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt. Place 3 sage leaves on each cutlet; wrap 2 prosciutto slices around each cutlet, securing sage leaves in place.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook for 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

3. Combine broth, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture and the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil to pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 202
Fat: 7.5g (sat 1.5g,mono 4.3g,poly 0.9g)
Protein: 30.5g
Carbohydrate: 2.3g
Fiber: 0.2g
Cholesterol: 77mg
Iron: 1.1mg
Sodium: 560mg
Calcium: 18mg

A New Year, A Few New Resolutions!

I can't even believe its 2011. How did that even happen?? Where the hell did 2010 go??
Regardless of how quickly it got here, it's time to make those new promises for the new year.
This year, I've kept them pretty simple.
1. Eat more fruit and vegetables. Vegetables I have always been pretty good about, but towards the end of the year we slacked big time on this. We are a fan of starches. We can't help it.
2. Eat more healthy. We've always been pretty good about this, but lately, we've been on a bacon mac-n-cheese kick, and that needs to stop, STAT.
3. Use my sewing machine. I've owned it for 3 years now, and have to yet to use it. It's pretty embrassing. My husband took his pants to be hemmed to my mother. *hangs head in shame* I want to finish at least one sewing/fabric craft a month for the entire year. I was going to start with a camera strap cover for my D60, but hubby decided to slip an entire glass of soda on our cream color dining room chair seats, so needless to say, that's up first!
4. Blog more. I enjoy blogging, but i go on a kick and then stop. This blog needs to be more than just cookies damnit!

What are your resolutions? Does anyone even read this?

Day 25: Melty Snowmen

Well, another year down. it's been fun, but i'll be happy if i don't have to see a stick of butter for a few weeks!

Last year my last recipe was something fun for the family to do together, and i decided to do the same thing this year.

My cousin's wife posted this link on facebook at the beginning of my baking season and i had to make these, cause they were just SO CUTE!

So instead of reposting all of it, i'm going to direct you to the link of the cutest cookies ever!

http://www.trulycustomcakery.com/tutorials/25.html

Happy baking and Merry Christmas!

Day 24: Surprise Crinkles

I made these with Milky Ways Midnight last year...well this year i got a grab bag of chocolates, Snickers, Milky Ways, Milky Ways Midnight, Twix, and 3 Musketeers. So now it's REALLY a surprise cookie! :)

Surprise Crinkles


Ingredients

• 1 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 packages (13.3 ounces each) fun-size Milky Way candy bar

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream the shortening, butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
• Roll into 1-1/2-in. balls. Cut each candy bar into fourths; push one portion into the center of each ball, completely covering candy with dough. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown and surface cracks. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 9 dozen.

Day 23: Snickerdoodle Sandwiches

This last week if you haven't noticed is all about the recipes that we tried in the past challenges and are craving them! This is the ONLY time of year i make cookies. I refuse to do it the rest of the year! I'll bake something else, but not cookies.

So here is a quick recipe that helps those not so savvy in the kitchen dress up some store bought sugar cookie dough!

Snickerdoodle Sandwiches

Ingredients

3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 16-1/2-ounce package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons snipped golden raisins or raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine sugar and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Shape cookie dough into 3/4- to 1-inch balls; roll balls in cinnamon-sugar to coat. Place balls 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

2. Bake in the preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes or just until edges are firm. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.

3. Meanwhile, for filling: In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, honey, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Beat with a wire whisk until smooth. If desired, stir in raisins.

4. Spread filling generously on the bottoms of half of the cookies. Top with remaining cookies, flat sides down, pressing lightly together. Makes about 24 sandwich cookies.

Day 22: Peanut Crisps

A sweet and salty treat. we made these last year as well, and they were too good to not make them again!

Peanut Crisps

Ingredients
makes 3 1/2 dozen
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup salted whole peanuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together flour, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Mix in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture; mix until combined. Stir in peanuts.
Drop 2 teaspoons of dough on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 3 inches apart. Lightly flatten to 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are just golden, about 13 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.