Chicken with Pineapple salsa

Ingredients

16 ounces boneless, skinless chicken

Marinade:
1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, juice only, (reserve fruit for salsa)
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salsa:
1 mango, peeled and diced
2 kiwis, peeled and diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced fine
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper, diced fine (optional)

Tips

Serve this flavorful, lean chicken dish in warm tortillas, or over brown rice with a baked sweet potato and steamed green beans.

Directions

Open the pineapple and strain to separate juice from fruit.

Place the juice in a baking dish. Stir in the soy sauce, honey, garlic and red pepper. Slice chicken breasts into 4 4-ounce portions. Place chicken in the marinade and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Prepare the salsa by combining all ingredients, including the reserved pineapple.

Preheat grill to medium heat or turn on broiler and place rack in the middle of the oven, about 6" away from the heat source. Grill or broil chicken for 4-5 minutes per side or until the meat is no longer pink. Serve with fruit salsa.

Makes 4 servings, 3 ounces cooked meat and 1/2 cup of salsa

This one is a family favorite!!!! I cook this one on the grill to keep chicken moist just spread more glaze (marinade) on each time I flip to keep the flavor!!!!

One pot tortellini and sausage in Tomato cream sauce

One Pot Tortellini and Sausage in Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 lb package of Turkey Kielbasa
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 20 oz. package of refrigerated Tortellini
• 28 oz can of whole tomatoes, cut in the can with kitchen scissors
• 1 cup chicken broth or water
• Pinch of salt & pepper
• 2 Tbsp cream cheese
• 2 cups shredded jack and cheddar cheeses

Instructions

1. Cook the onion in a little olive oil until soft. Add sliced turkey sausage and cook until browned. Add chicken broth, tortellini, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Turn heat down to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is cooked to al dente. Remove from heat and add cheeses, reserving a handful for topping. Cover and let stand for five to ten minutes. Grarnch with green onions, if desired. Serve hot.

Tex Mes Sloppy Joes

Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes

Also seen on Kitchen Meets Girl

Ingredients

4 sliced bacon ( chopped ) 
1 pound ground beef, 95% lean meat 
1 onion ( chopped ) 
2 jalapeno peppers ( finely chopped ) 
3 clove(s) garlic ( finely chopped ) 
1 tablespoon chili powder 
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seed ( ground ) 
1 cup beef broth 
1 cup tomato sauce 
1 tablespoon brown sugar 
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce 
1 tablespoon cider vinegar 
1 tablespoon hot sauce 
to taste FRITOLAY, SUNCHIPS, Multigrain Snack, original flavor ( optional: Fritos, pico de gallo, pickled jalapenos, red onion ) 

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Add the ground beef to the pan and brown over medium high heat. Add bacon, onion, jalapeno, garlic, and spices to the ground beef. Cook until the onion is softened, approximately 5 minutes.
2. Combine tomato sauce, broth, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, vinegar and hot sauce in a medium bowl. Pour over the beef mixture and simmer until the liquid reduces slightly, about 5 minutes.
3. Spoon beef mixture onto hamburger buns or rolls, and garnish if desired.

recipe from EveryDay with Rachel Ray, April 2013

My family loves this one. I never want to eat regular sloppy joes again they are So GOOD!

Sausage and Cheese Tortalini~ Recipe Mothers.com

You’ll Need:

- 1 Slow cooker
- 1 package of chicken broth (32 oz)
- 1 package of your favorite tortellini (20 oz, we used three cheese)
- 1 lb spicy italian sausage
- 2 Cans Diced Tomatoes (seasoned with basil, garlic & oregano)
- 8 oz. Cream Cheese (try low fat).
- Grated Parmesan Cheese for toppings.

1. Take your cream cheese or Neufchâtel out of the fridge, and let it sit while you quickly brown your meat.

2. Add the sausage and tortellini to your Crock Pot. Pour the tomatoes, liquid and all, and broth over the top. Add your cream cheese to the Pot in chunks.

3. Give your Crock Pot a good stir to get everything evenly distributed, making sure the liquids are adequately covering the tortellini.

4. Cook on LOW for a total of 4 1/2 hours. Stir at 2 hours, and again at 4 hours, removing the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking. This will give the sauce some time to thicken up.

This is YUMMMY!

Lime and Coconut Chicken~ Chaos in the Kitchen

Lime and Coconut Chicken

serves 4, prep 10 minutes, marinade up to 2 hours, cook 15 min, adapted from Fine Cooking, Winter 2006

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 tbsp oil
• zest of 1 lime
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• pinch cayenne
• 1 small fresh hot chili, such as Thai or Serrano, minced (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Fresh limes, cut into wedges

1. Trim fat from chicken breasts.  Starting on thick side of the breasts slice the chicken breasts almost in half, then open each like a book.
2. Place each open breast between two pieces of plastic wrap, wax paper or inside a large, open, Ziploc bag.
3. Using a small heavy pan, bottle or smooth meat mallet lightly pound out each breast into even thickness.
4. Mix all remaining ingredients except fresh cilantro and limes.
5. Add chicken and marinade to a large bowl or ziploc bag and chill in the refrigerator for up to two hours.
6. Your chicken doesn’t take long to cook so you can use this time to get your dishes prepped and ready.
7. Once you are ready to cook the chicken, remove each breast from the marinade.
8. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a rolling boil.  Boil continuously for at least 2 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn.
9. In a heavy skillet or grill pan, heat a splash of oil over high heat.
10. Cook the chicken in batches to prevent over crowding the pan.
11. Place the breasts in the hot pan and cook without turning for a couple minutes
12. Flip the breasts over and cook until the other side is golden, it shouldn’t take long depending on the thickness of your chicken.
13. Place cooked breasts on a plate in a warm oven or under foil while cooking the remaining chicken.
14. Sprinkle with fresh lime juice and cilantro. Serve with sauce on the side.

If you typically have these ingredients on hand this is a quick, cheap main dish to throw together.  It would be delicious on the grill or as kabobs as well.

I love to serve this with Pina Colada Salad. I cook mine on the Grill instead of on a pan on the stove this keeps them so moist! 

Mediterranean Baked chicken~ The clever carrot

Marinade

• 1½ lbs. chicken breast or thighs (boneless & skinless)
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2-3 tbsp. marinade from artichoke hearts
• 4 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves stripped

Bake

• 2 small red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, left whole
• 1x 14 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1x 14 oz. can white beans, drained & rinsed (I used northern white beans)
• ½ c. Kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 small tub marinated bocconcini
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Garnish

• fresh basil & parsley, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the marinade, drain the artichoke hearts reserving its juice in a small bowl. Pat the artichokes dry with a paper towel and set aside. To another bowl, add 2-3 tbsp. of the reserved artichoke juice, garlic, and oregano leaves (if you have any artichoke juice leftover, save it to drizzle over the dish when finished). Cut the chicken into 1½ inch strips and add to the bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and mix well to coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour, maximum 3 hours.
2. When you’re ready to start cooking, preheat your oven to 400 F.
3. To a large roasting pan, add the sliced onions and tomatoes. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook (stirring occasionally) until the onions are soft and the tomatoes begin to burst, about 15-20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet warm 1 tsp. of olive oil over moderate heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, working in batches. The chicken will be slightly undercooked.
5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. At this point, the onions should be soft and sticky. If not, cook for an additional 5 minutes.
6. To the pan, add the chicken, artichoke hearts, beans, and olives (not the bocconcini- if you add the cheese too early it will melt all over the place). Roast for about 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
7. Roughly chop a large handful of both basil and parsley.
8. Remove the chicken from the oven. Now add the bocconcini and herbs and toss gently to combine. The heat from the pan will melt the cheese. Drizzle with a little good quality olive oil and extra artichoke juice if desired.
9. Serve immediately with crusty bread and a nice green salad.

spicy Sausage Pasta

Spicy Sausage Pasta

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage
1.5 cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz penne pasta
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

1. Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.

Makes 4 servings. Click here for Nutritional Information.