Pumpkin Chili

This chili is my new FAVORITE (and I've tried a lot of recipes). The pumpkin flavor is hidden, it just add a richness and thickener to the sauce.  The original recipe called for meat, but I altered it a bit to make it vegetarian, but I'll put the meat instructions in also, because I might want to try it that way someday too.

About the pic - I LOVE serving chili over baked potatoes, but it also can be eaten alone, over rice, or as delicious Navajo Tacos/Taco salads.

Pumpkin Chili (adapted from realmomkitchen.com)

This is my vegetarian version, look below for meat instructions:

• 1 HUGE sweet onion (or 2 small), chopped
• 1-1/2 sweet peppers, chopped (I used red, but yellow or orange would work too)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (use 3/4 tsp garlic powder if you don't have garlic on hand)
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 cans (15 ounces each) beans of your choice (I used black beans, no-salt pinto, & light Kidney), rinsed and drained
• 1-2 cups frozen corn kernels (the more you use the sweeter the chili, I only used about 1 cup)
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin (such as Libby brand)
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large skillet, saute the onion & pepper with a little cooking spray until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through.

For the meat version: Cut back this recipe to be only 2 cans of beans and 1 pepper. Add to it 2 cups of cooked ground beef, ground turkey, or shredded chicken. If using beef, you may also want to change to beef broth, but I haven't tested that version, so I can't vouch for its tastiness.

White & Wild Rice Chicken Lettuce Wraps

A family favorite – it’s fresh, flavorful, good for you, and way more filling than we expected! With a couple of tweaks to the original recipe I cut the oil and freshened it up. Our favorite way to eat this is as lettuce wraps, it is also awesome on it's own, on a bed of lettuce, in a wrap, or a pita.

White & Wild Rice Chicken Lettuce Wraps

• 1 box (6 oz) natural, low-sodium, white-and-wild rice mix
• 3 Tbs rice vinegar
• 1 Tbs honey-dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 c. natural apple sauce
• 1 lb cooked, shredded chicken
• 1 gala apple, cored and chopped
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 2 large celery ribs, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/2 c. almond slices
• 1/2 c. dried cranberries
• large full lettuce leaves for wraps

Prepare rice mix according to box directions, omitting oil if called for. Meanwhile, combine vinegar, mustard, pepper, and apple sauce in a small bowl. In a larger serving dish combine chicken, apple, onion, celery, carrot, almonds, and cranberries. Mix until evenly blended. Once rice cooks, add to serving dish and mix in. By tablespoon scoops add the “dressing” mixture to the rice salad, stirring between each addition. Use as much dressing as needed to coat all of the ingredients (I didn’t use all that I made, but close). Scoop salad mixture into lettuce leaves and enjoy!

*Kim’s Note: to cook the chicken, I boiled it on a med-high heat, and then shredded it by hand. This kept the moisture in, and saved the healthy element of this recipe by not frying.

Honey Garlic Stir Fry Sauce

This is a wonderful alternative to super sugary Teriyaki Sauces. I'll be making this again for a marinade or just to put over steamed veggies and rice. YUM!

Honey Garlic Stir Fry Sauce (adapted from blogchef.net)

• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 tablespoons canola
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

If making the sauce alone, put all ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer until thickened, stirring constantly.

If making a marinade (like in the pic), prep meat, mix sauce, put them together in a sealable container and refrigerate for a few hours. Scoop out meat, cook in a sauce pan until almost cooked through, then add the rest of the sauce.  Cook until bubbly and thickened.

Slow Cooker Indian Chicken

The original recipe was called Butter Chicken, but I killed the butter, simplified the spices, and adapted it to my slow cooker to make it easier for a busy mom.  Goes great with warm naan!

Slow Cooker Indian Chicken

• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 tsp olive or canola oil
• 3 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup fat free half-and-half
• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the onion, and jalapeno. Stir often while cooking until the onion is translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in garlic, garam masala, chili powder. Cook stirring, constantly for another minute.

Scrape the mixture into a blender or food processor and add tomato paste and chicken broth. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Place chicken breasts in bottom of slow cooker, add sauce to cover.

Cook on low for 4 hours, or until chicken is cooked through. Shred chicken meat, turn slow cooker down to warm, pour in the half and half and cilantro, stir to incorporate it, then let the mixture warm until time to serve

Serve over hot cooked rice.

Lemon Broccoli Chicken

Click HERE if you’d like to see the original Campbell's recipe, or keep reading to see my version.

Lemon Broccoli Chicken

• 4-5 chicken breasts (depending on the size of pieces and your skillet, I fit 5)
• 1 lemon (to be juiced and zested)
• lemon-pepper spice
• 1 can cream of broccoli soup
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 tsp. sugar

Clean and trim chicken pieces of excess fat or gristle.  Sprinkle chicken pieces (on both sides) with lemon pepper.  Warm skillet over med-high heat and spray with a little cooking spray.  Brown chicken in pan, turning once.  While chicken cooks, stir together in a bowl the soup, milk, sugar, and lemon zest and juice.*  Drain excess juice from skilled then pour sauce over chicken, bring to a boil, then reduce your heat to low, cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Serve chicken with sauce over rice with lots of steamed veggies.

*Kim’s notes:  I used the zest and juice of a small lemon yielding about 1/2 tsp of zest and 2 tsp of juice.  To zest the lemon without a true zester, clean the skin then run the lemon in short motions over the smallest grate on your cheese grater.  To get juice from a lemon with ease, first, before cutting your lemon, roll it on the counter, pushing down with the heel of your hand.  Do this several times loosening the juices.  Cut the lemon in half and squeeze.

Barley Chili

This wasn't a home run for me this first time. It's healthy and decent in flavor, but it lacked some depth.

Things to change:
Next time I'm adding a pepper, yellow or orange, and dropping the amount of barley to 1/2 cup.

Barley Chili (adapted from Me's Kitchen Cafe)

• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup medium barley (not quick cooking)
• 4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• dash cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 lb lean meat, cut skinless chicken breasts or ground turkey (turkey is pictured)
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels

Brown meat in large soup pot.  When cooked add all ingredients but the beans and corn.  Bring to a boil, then drop the heat to low and cook until barley is ready (about 40 minutes). Stir occasionally to avoid sticking. Add corn and beans, cook till heated through.

Picante de Pollo

Picante de Pollo is a classic Bolivian dish which I ate often while living there.  When I saw this recipe I knew I’d have to give it a try.  The name is deceiving, this IS NOT a SPICY DISH.  It’s savory with a touch of sweet underlying the salsa flavors.

It wasn’t like the Bolivian dish that I knew, but it has become a new favorite of mine.  I see HUGE potential here for making it as a taco/burrito filling, making it in the slow cooker and shredding it, or just serve it simply over rice as the recipe calls for.

Picante de Pollo (from Campbell’s Kitchen)

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 c. fresh salsa
• 3 Tbs brown sugar
• 1 Tbs honey dijon mustard

Place trimmed chicken breasts in a baking dish.  Mix remaining ingredients together until blended then pour over chicken.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until cooked through.  Serve over rice.

Chicken and Veggie Pilaf

New fav! Healthy, tasty, and made of stuff I always have around.  Rather than use the half cup of butter the recipe originally called for, I switched it up with just a touch of olive oil which worked out wonderfully.

Chicken and Veggie Pilaf

• 2 cups cooked chicken, cut in cubes
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, amount depending on spiciness that you desire
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juices
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots

Cook rice with chicken broth in place of water. Meanwhile heat oil in your largest saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add the pecans, peas and carrots and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add salt, pepper, and coriander. Add the tomatoes and heat through.  Add cooked rice, and mix all together. Heat through and simmer until most juices are absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

Fiesta Salad

The only reason I can think to call this Fiesta Salad is because it’s a party in your mouth. : )  The flavor is tangy, but not overpowering when used sparingly, and is a healthy, oil free, blend of awesome veggies and flavors.


Lime-Honey Dressing:

• ¼ c. lime juice
• ¼ c. applesauce
• ¼ c. apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbs honey
• 2 Tbs cilantro
• 2 garlic cloves, minced very fine

Meat Mixture:

• 3 small chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 small onion, cut into thin rings
• ½ red pepper, chopped to small pieces
• 1 Tbs fresh chopped cilantro

Salad:

• Romaine lettuce
• black beans,  drained, rinsed
• corn, drained
• cucumbers
• cilantro
• avocado chunks
• tortilla chip crumbles
• cheese, if desired

Mix together all dressing ingredients until well blended making about 1 cup of dressing (I didn’t use nearly that much, so this can be halved if you aren’t feeding a big crowd). Refrigerate until needed.

Sauté chicken, onion, and pepper chunks in about ¼ c. dressing mixture.  Add fresh cilantro.

When the meat is ready build your salad master piece!

Mongolian Sauce (from PF Chang's)

We tried this tonight and I was just too excited to wait to post it.  Hubby and I love the Mongolian dish from Pei Wei (PF Chang’s) and I was lucky enough to stumble upon the copycat version of their sauce online this week.  It seemed like all of the copy-catters were agreeing on what made the sauce so amazing, so I thought it would be worth a try.  I did cut some oil, and smudged a few ingredients to work with what I had at home, but the end results were awesome!

I didn’t think it was an exact match, but after a bite Hubby said to me, “Wow, this really does taste like the Mongolian chicken I get.”

This one is definitely a keeper at our house!

PF Chang’s Mongolian Sauce (with Kim twists)

• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 1/2 tsp. ginger powder
• 1 Tbs minced garlic
• 1/2 c. soy sauce (lite or low sodium works well)
• 1/2 c. water
• 3/4 c. brown sugar (the recipe calls for dark, but I used the normal kind with good results)

Warm oil in sauce pan, add ginger and garlic, stirring quickly to avoid scorching.  Add water, soy sauce, and sugar allowing sugar to dissolve.  Bring sauce to a boil then reduce heat to med-med/low.  Continue to stir sauce until it reduces and thickens slightly.

Sauce goes well with veggies and rice, but if you’re doing a meat dish:
Slice meat (chicken, steak, pork) into bite size pieces.  Coat lightly with corn starch and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes for the corn starch to do its thing (my chicken sat like that in my fridge for most of the afternoon and it worked out well).  When ready to cook, warm a frying pan over medium high heat and prepare pan with cooking spray or a little oil.  Cook meat until browned on edges, then add the sauce to the meat.  Allow sauce to boil and thicken around meat until meat is cooked through.  Serve over rice.

*Kim’s hint:  I did a veggie rice with this dish much like what you’d get at Pei Wei.  I added carrot strings to the rice water, and then when it was done cooking I tore fresh spinach into the rice and stirred it in until wilted.  Delicious!

Baked Chicken Parmesan

Hubby’s favorite Italian meal is Chicken Parmesan.  He will often order it at restaurants and savor every deep fried bite.

Only, I don’t do deep fried at home.  This became the challenge, make his fav, but make it healthy.  I did a little of this, a little of that, and presto he loved it!  This will definitely be a repeat at our house.

Chicken Parmesan

• 1 1/2 lb chicken breast tenders, trimmed of fat
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 c. fine bread crumbs
• 1  Tbs Italian seasoning
• 1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese

Beat egg whites with fork on a plate until slightly fluffy.  Combine all dry ingredients on another plate and mix until combined.  Dip chicken tenders in egg, then roll in crumb mixture until coated.  Place in a lightly sprayed baking dish and repeat for all chicken pieces.  Discard leftover egg and crumb mixture.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes or until cooked through.  Serve over pasta and top with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese if desired.

Kim’s note:  Counting the calories, but don’t want to miss out on cheese?  Stir a little non-fat cottage cheese into the pasta for a little added creamy-ness.

Earl Cobb Wrap

Have you ever had the Earl of Sandwich’s Earl Cobb wrap?  They claim it to be on their Lighter Side menu, but to see the huge chunks of cheese they use made me question just how low cal it could be.

And yet, I adore it.  Here I’ve done my best to recreate its glory at my house, but cut some calorie corners.  In doing so I’ve discovered the perfect meal for both men and women.  Just look at what happened at our house (somewhat romanticized, but not too far from true):

Jay comes home from work to find the whole house smelling like fresh cooked bacon.
Jay:  Mmm, bacon.  Whatcha cookin’ good-lookin’?
Me:  Bacon, chicken, buttermilk ranch sauce, you know, nothing special.
Jay:  Wow, sounds great.
Me:  Hmm, this bacon is so crumbly and this sauce is so slimy, we should keep it together with these vegetables and low-cal wraps.
Jay:  Sounds good, let’s eat.
And we did and we were both thrilled.  I didn’t even tell Jay that it was turkey bacon until the meal was over.  He only shrugged and said, Huh?

Here’s the game plan to make this scene a reality at your house:

Earl’s Cobb Wrap

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked, roughly cut
• 4 slices turkey bacon, cooked till crispy, crumbled
• 2 heads of Romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced in half moons
• chopped tomato
• dried cranberries
• cubed cheddar cheese
• non-fat buttermilk Ranch dressing*
• low-cal wraps (I used Flat-Out light wraps, they’re only 90 calories, but still really big and soft)

Combine ingredients in the quantities that you like, wrap up and enjoy!



Kim’s notes:
I first cooked the bacon, then cooked the chicken in the same pan with the drippings, but any cooked chicken will do.  I combined them both in one bowl, stirred and then refrigerated them until needed.

*To make the fat-free Ranch sauce, I used a packet of Buttermilk Ranch dressing powder, stirred it into a container of fat free sour cream, and then mixed about half of the ranch-sour cream with skim milk until I had the consistency I wanted.  This made for a great and normal Ranch flavor, instead of a diet flavor.

Crock Pot Chicken Dijon

Chicken Dijon

• 4-6 chicken breasts, trimmed of skin and gristle
• 1 can low-fat cream of mushroom soup
• 3 Tbs. honey-dijon mustard (I recommend Jack Daniels brand)
• black pepper
• 1/2 c.  non-fat half and half or skim milk

Place trimmed chicken breasts in the bottom of the crock pot and dust with pepper.  Combine soup and mustard  in a small mixing bowl then spread over chicken.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours.  In the last half hour of cooking, shred the chicken pieces and stir in the half and half or milk.  Allow to warm through.  Serve over rice.

Kim’s notes:  Next time I think I’ll try adding in some vegetables too – peas or mushrooms would go well.  You could also try serving this over pasta since it has a stroganoff feel or over potatoes for more servings of vegetables.

Happy Cooking!

Curried Chicken and Lentils

When I found this recipe, I knew that I found something special.  It has great flavors, tons of possibilities for add-ins, and best of all it’s SO HEALTHY!

Curried Chicken and Lentils*

• 4 chicken breast pieces, trimmed of fat
• 1 c. Minute Rice (I used brown Minute Rice which adds an extra element of health)
• 2 Tbs. curry powder
• 3 c. water
• 1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1/4 c. lentils (rinsed and picked over to remove foreign objects)
• 3 bouillon cubes (I used chicken, but you could use vegetable if desired)
• 1 medium red potato, cut to very small cubes
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 c. frozen peas and carrots, thawed and drained of excess moisture

Combine all ingredients, except peas and carrots in your slow cooker.  Cook on low for 4 hours, shred chicken if desired, then add the thawed and drained peas and carrots. Cook for an additional half hour.  Serve alone, or possibly over mashed potatoes.

*To serve as a side dish, leave out the chicken and up the amount of veggies.

Lime Chicken Mexican Filling

Good for salads, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, whatever!

Lime Chicken Mexican Filling

• Juice of one lime
• 1 Tbs sugar
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/4-1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp fresh chopped cilantro
• 3-4 chicken breasts cut to bite sized pieces
• 1 small onion, sliced

Combine all marinade ingredients and chicken in an air-tight container, let chill for at least 30 minutes (mine was in the fridge all afternoon).  Dump out chicken and sauce in a frying pan and cook with sliced onion until done.  Serve warm.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I hate mayo. I always have, and therefore tend to steer clear of classic summer “salad recipes” that consist of some yummy food smothered in the stuff. But with this Chicken Salad the mayo is altered so drastically that Hubby and I both were singing its praises. This is definitely a recipe that will stick, especially in the hot months ahead.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad Sandwiches

• 2 cooked and shredded chicken breasts
• 1 sweet onion, cut into half rings
• 1/3 c fat free mayonnaise
• 1/4 c. roughly chopped cashews
• 1 heaping Tbs fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 Tbs. lime juice
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• toasted bread or buns and other sandwich toppings including tomatoes, spinach leaves, and cucumbers.

In a frying pan over med heat cook the onion slices with only a little cooking spray, adding water if needed to keep onions slightly moist. Allow to cook about 10 minutes or until the onions have a caramelized color. If you really want them “caramel-y” add a little sugar near the end of the cooking time – I did and it was pretty tasty. While the onions cook combine mayo, cilantro, lime juice, and garlic powder. In a large mixing bowl combine chicken, cashews, and the cooked onion. Add the dressing mixture and stir until all is well combined and lightly coated.

Serve chicken salad on toasted buns or sourdough bread (I used a multi-grain bun which was tasty and really filling) topping with spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, or whatever you like.

Raspberry Balsamic Chicken

Surprisingly good.  I wasn't too excited for this dish, since I've been burned by others like it, but this was surprisingly more sweet/BBQ than tart.

Raspberry Balsamic Chicken (adapted from eatingwell.com)

• 3/4 cup raspberry jam (seedless is best if you can find it)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into strips

Combine jam and vinegar in a small saucepan. Warm, stirring constantly, over medium heat until jam becomes incorporated with the vinegar. Place chicken in a sealable container, then add enough jam sauce to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (the more the better), then cook as desired - on a grill, in the oven, or saute.  Serve over rice with remaining sauce (warmed).

Kim's note - recipe called for thyme and I forgot about it - maybe try a few dashes of dry thyme on the chicken next time.

Ranch Vinaigrette Marinade

This recipe is seriously the doggie paddle of home cooking.

No chopping, no mincing, no begging ingredients to stay fresh just a little longer.

BUT, that being said, my family fell over with the wonderful flavor.  It's not much to look at since I baked it, but just you wait till I've got a BBQ and can get some nice grill lines on there.

This does require a little bit of planning though, because for best results this marinade should sit over night. Trust me, it's worth it.

Easy Ranch Vinaigrette (adapted from Allrecipes.com)

• 1 packet of Ranch Seasoning
• 1 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 1/2 Tbs canola oil
• 4 chicken breasts (I cut mine into 8 strips)

Mix all ingredients in a large sealable plastic bag.  Add chicken, seal bag, and work the mix until it is dispersed throughout the chicken.  Store in the refrigerator over night (mine sat for about 20 hours). Then cook as you like - on the grill, broiler, or bake.  I baked mine at 375 for about 20 minutes since they were thick-ish strips, adjust your cook time according to the size of your pieces.

Happy Cooking!

Chicken Tomatillo Soup

I know that Mexican Tortilla soup recipes are a dime a dozen on line, but I dare you to compare the freshness of this recipe to any of those others that use taco meat seasoning packets or bottled salsa.  This recipe got the whole family excited - even my sister in law who was visiting.  It doesn't have a lot of kick to it since my boys are spice sissies, but if you want more spice adding some diced jalapenos or Tabasco Sauce would be a very simple alteration.

Chicken Tomatillo Soup

• Shredded chicken meat (about 2 breasts worth)
• 4 c. chicken broth (I used low-sodium)
• 1 can beans, drained and rinsed (I used black, but pinto or kidney would go great)
• 1/2 c. corn
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 tomatillos, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes, including liquid
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 bay leaf

Top soup with:

• shredded cheese (cheddar, jack, mexican blend), if desired
• 1 avocado, diced (Recommended - Josh and I couldn't get enough of the avocado in ours)
• sour cream, if desired
• tortilla chips

Add a little cooking spray to your soup pot and set over medium heat. Add onions and the tomatillos and cook for about 5 to 8 minutes, until the onions have softened and are beginning to turn a light brown. Stir in the chopped garlic cloves and all other spices, and cook for another 2 minutes.  Next, add the chicken breasts (if not using leftover chicken) chopped tomatoes with liquid, and the chicken broth bring to a boil over med-high heat, then as soon as you see bubbles, reduce the heat to med-low.  When the chicken is cooked through (about 20 min, more or less depending on size and heat of stove), remove to a plate. Now add the beans and corn to the soup. Shred the chicken and return it to the pot as well. Let everything heat through on a med-low heat.  Salt & pepper to taste (if flavors are weak, I'll sometimes add more chili powder and cumin at this point too).  Only add the cilantro in the last few minutes before serving.

Serve the hot soup with the toppings I used or others to your liking.

Happy Cooking!

Pecan Crusted Chicken with Apple Couscous

Have you ever had a recipe that you thought was OK, but didn't quite hit the mark? Have you ever thought of taking that recipe and pairing it up with something new to push it in a whole new direction?  That's what I did this last weekend and the results were outstanding. This recipe will be a repeat in our house, when at first it was just a snooze.

Even if you're scared of couscous, I would strongly recommend trying it out. You never know what the outcome will be - Cee LOVED his and gobbled it up like candy, but rice would work for this too if that's what you have on hand.

Pecan Crusted Chicken with Apple Couscous

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into strips
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup crushed saltine or wheat crackers
• nutmeg
• 1 box whole wheat couscous
• 1 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed, divided
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons Honey Dijon mustard (I used French’s Brand with good results)
• 1 tsp corn starch

Prepare chicken coating by separating the egg white, adding a little bit of water and whisking it with a fork on a plate.  Crush/chop the crackers and nuts, mix together on another plate.  Dip chicken pieces into egg white wash, then into cracker/pecan mixture, then place in a lightly sprayed dish.  When all of the pieces are done, sprinkle them lightly with the nutmeg.  Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (longer if you are using thick or whole breasts rather than strips like me).


While the chicken bakes, place couscous in a small mixing bowl. Heat 1/3 cup of the apple concentrate and 2/3 cup water to boiling  then pour apple liquid into couscous. Stir and cover tightly with foil.

Whisk together remaining 2/3 cup apple concentrate, honey and mustard in a small sauce pan. Bring sauce to a boil, stirring constantly.  Once the sauce boils, reduce heat and add the corn starch. Allow sauce to thicken.  Serve chicken with couscous drizzling sauce over all.

Kim’s note:  Want something more? Add fresh spinach leaves to the couscous before it cooks. The warm liquid wilts them down perfectly and they are delicious! You could also try small apple chunks, raisins, craisins, and/or more pecans.

Happy Cooking!