Pork Chops Loco Moco

      A few months ago I saw a picture of a crazy looking pork chop dish that was appropriately named Pork Chops Loco Moco.  It was a combination of several different foods and while it sounded odd it looked delicious.  I put the pork chops on my menu plan 3 weeks ago and just finally got around to making them this past week.  Because of all the different parts to this recipe I assumed it would take me forever to make it, but it was ready in about 40 minutes.

     The dish starts with a bed of white rice.  The rice is then topped with a browned, bone in pork chop.  On top of that goes scrambled eggs.  Then you pour on an Asian inspired mushroom sauce and top off the entire dish with fried onions.  It sounds like a lot but in the end I absolutely loved it!  The combination of flavors worked so well together in this “loco” dish.  There is a ton of food in each portion so 1 pork chop with rice was plenty for dinner.  This would be a great meal to make for entertaining because it’s unique, it looks impressive, it can be put together in less than an hour, and the flavors work so well together. 

Pork Chops Loco Moco (adapted from Crumbly Cookie  )
1 can French’s Fried Onions
For the rice:
2 c. water
1 c. long grain white rice
½ t. salt

For the Sauce:
1 t. cornstarch
1 T. vegetable oil
8 oz. mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin
1 c. fat free half and half
1 T. soy sauce
1 t. oyster sauce
1 t. black pepper
¼ t. red pepper

For the eggs:
2 eggs, beaten
2 T. low fat milk
1 T. butter
½ t. black pepper

For Pork Chops:
4 bone in pork chops
1 T. olive oil
1 t. sea salt
1 t. black pepper

1. Heat the 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan to boiling. Add in the rice and salt and stir. Place the lid on top of the saucepan, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. In a small bowl combine the cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of water. Set aside.

3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until they begin to brown. Stir in the half and half, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Cook while whisking until the sauce boils. Boil for 1 minute or until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in black pepper and red pepper. Pour the sauce into a liquid measuring cup, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.

4. Wipe out the large skillet that you used to make the sauce in. Add the butter to the pan and heat over medium high heat until it foams.

5. In a small bowl beat the eggs then add the milk and black pepper. Beat until well combined. Pour the eggs into the skillet. Using a skillet push the eggs from one side of the pan to the other, lifting and folding until the eggs are cooked and clumped into a single mound, about 3 minutes. Put in a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

6. Wipe out the skillet with a clean paper towel. Add the olive oil and heat over medium high heat until smoking. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper.

7. Lay the pork chop in the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Flip over and brown the other side for 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan.

8. To serve divide the rice among four plates. Lay a browned pork chop on top of the rice. Spoon a tablespoon of scrambled eggs on top of the pork chops. Pour a few tablespoons of sauce over the egg and pork chops then top with the fried onions. Serve hot.

This post linked to:

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Made From Scratch Tuesdays, Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Quickbreads for Daring Bakers (Lemon Blueberry, Strawberry Banana, & Bacon Cheddar Beer Breads)

     The Daring Bakers’ February 2012 host was – Lis! Lisa stepped in last minute and challenged us to create a quick bread we could call our own. She supplied us with a base recipe and shared some recipes she loves from various websites and encouraged us to build upon them and create new flavor profiles.

     I love making quick breads because they are fast, easy, and can be made out of so many combinations.  When deciding what type of bread to make I immediately thought of banana bread because it's one I make all the time.  I wanted to do a twist on it but wasn't sure what to pair with it.  My husband made it easy for me when he brought home a flat of strawberries!  Who doesn't like the combination of strawberries and bananas?  It was delicious.  The classic tastes of banana bread with additions of vanilla yogurt and fresh strawberries.  We enjoyed this bread for breakfast.

Strawberry Banana Bread (adapted from Joy of Baking)
1 stick butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 t. vanilla
1 banana, mashed
1/3 c. low fat vanilla yogurt
1 c. strawberries, cut into bite sized pieces
2 1/4 c. flour
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2.  In a large bowl combine the melted butter and brown sugar.  Add in the eggs and mix well to combine.  Stir in the vanilla.

3.  Combine the mashed banana with the yogurt.  Stir the yogurt mixture into the melted butter mixture.  


4.  In another large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  

5.  Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix well.  

6.  Gently fold in the strawberries.  Do not over mix.


7.  Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick entered in the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.

    After making a sweet bread I knew I wanted to make a savory one.  I've made several jalapeno cheddar breads recently so I didn't want to repeat that one but I did want to make a cheese bread.  When I began making chili for dinner I thought that a cheddar beer bread would pair nicely with the chili.  When I  opened up the refrigerator to get the ingredients out some leftover bacon fell out as well.  It was a sign to put the bacon in the bread and I'm so glad I did!  The combination of beer, cheddar, and bacon was savory and perfect with chili.  I had some the next day as toast and it was just as tasty.

Bacon Cheddar Beer Bread (adapted from The Slow Roasted Italian)
3 c. all purpose flour (363 grams)
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 T. granulated sugar
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 (12 oz) bottle of beer
1/4 c. milk
3 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
2 T. butter, melted
1 t. parsley, chopped

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a bread pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.  Make a well in the center and add bacon, about 3/4 of the cheese, the beer, and the milk.  Mix well to combine. Stir in the parsley.


3.  Pour mixture into prepared bread pan.  Top with remaining cheese then drizzle with 1 tablespoon of butter. 

4.  Bake for 30 minutes.

5.  Remove the bread from the  oven and drizzle remaining butter over the top.

6.  Continue baking for 25-30 minutes or until browned on top.  Remove to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes.

7.  Remove from pan and cool completely on the wire rack.

     Finally, I've been eying up the Meyer Lemon Loaf recipe posting on the Daring Baker's site.  I really wanted to make it and finally gave in at the end.  I wanted to add in fresh blueberries as well because lemon and blueberry is one of my favorite combinations.  I am so glad I gave in because this was our favorite of the bunch!  The bread is bright and lemony with the sweet flavor of the blueberries.  The bread is delicate and almost melts in the mouth.  I took some home to my parents house and it was eaten within minutes.

Blueberry Lemon Loaf (adapted from Recipe Girl)
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
zest of 2 lemons
1 c. white granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 c. low fat sour cream
1 T. rum
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 t. salt
4 T. butter, melted and cooled
1 c. fresh blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.


2. In a medium mixing bowl combine the  flour, baking powder, and baking soda.


3. Place sugar, lemon zest, and eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat with a whisk until the mixture is a light lemon color and thickened.   Whisk in sour cream, salt, rum, and lemon juice.


4. Mix in the flour mixture in two additions.  After it is well combined pour in the butter and mix well.  Gently stir in the blueberries.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

6. Remove the bread from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

 This post linked to:
Meatless Mondays, Making You Crave Mondays, Mangia Mondays,
Mouthwatering Mondays, Crazy Sweet Tuesdays

Stuffed Pepper Soup

    When I received my soup recipe swap recipe I laughed out loud.  The recipe I received was for Stuffed Pepper Soup, which was exactly the recipe I submitted for the swap.  However, after looking at the recipe I noticed several differences between my recipes and Ammie's.  The most noticeable difference is that while mine is made in the crock-pot, her version is made on the stove.

     This soup recipe was very straight forward and was ready in less than an hour.  I like the addition of both green and red peppers.  The brown sugar adds just a hint of sweetness which is perfect in this soup.  My husband and I both enjoyed this version and I'll keep this recipe on hand for a quick weeknight meal.

Stuffed Pepper Soup (adapted from Adventures in My Kitchen)
1 lb. ground sausage
2 c. water
16 oz. tomato sauce
28 oz. canned plum tomatoes, undrained
1/2 c. uncooked white recipe
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 onion, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 T. brown sugar
1 t. salt
1 beef bouillon cube
1 t. black pepper

1.  Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add in the ground sausage and cook until it is browned.  Drain the excess fat.

2.  Add in the remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.

3.  Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the peppers are tender.

This post linked to:
Fusion Friday, Foodie Friday , Shine on Friday

Homemade Gnocchi

     Making homemade gnocchi has been on my to do list for a long time. I love the pillow soft clouds of potato pasta. I figured they were probably difficult to make just like any pasta and was surprised when I took a look at the recipe. It didn’t seem nearly as difficult as I thought but it did look time consuming.

     I happened to have a 2 hour delay yesterday so I baked my potatoes before going to work and let them cool during the day. When I got home I peeled them and put them into the shredder on my new food processor. The shredder made the recipe fairly easy because it took around 2 minutes to shred all 3 potatoes.

     Mixing the dough was the difficult part. I had a hard time getting the potatoes and flour to form a dough, but after 30 minutes or adding flour and kneading I’d formed a passable dough. The gnocchi was easy to form and cut and they puffed up in the boiling water. The end result was a little heavy but tasted ok. It wasn’t the best gnocchi I’ve ever had but both my husband and I thought it was good for a first effort. In the future I will bake the potatoes longer so they are easier to incorporate into the dough.

Gnocchi (adapted from Stick a Fork in It )
3 large potatoes (about 2 ½ pounds)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-2 c. flour
½ t. salt


1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake the potatoes for an hour and a half. Set aside to cool.

2. Peel the potatoes, and put them through a food mill or a food processor shredder.

3. Pile the potatoes on a cutting board and drizzle the egg over top of them. Add in ¾ cup of flour and salt. Use your fingers and combine the ingredients to form a soft dough. Continue adding flour until the dough is smooth and moist, but not sticky.

4. Cut the dough into four pieces and roll each piece into a long roll. Use a knife and cut into ½ inch pieces. Dust with flour.

5. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Put the gnocchi in the water and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and serve with sauce.

This post linked to:
Frugal Food Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, It's A Keeper Thursday
Sundae Scoop Sundays

Slow Cooker Smokey Pulled Pork Tacos

      On Thursdays I don't get home from work until 6:30.  Well, that's not exactly true.  I work until 3:30, then tutor students until 4:30, and then I got to Zumba from 5-6.  On those days I'm always exhausted when I get home so I always try to have something in the slow cooker.  I've been finding some wonderful crock-pot recipes lately and I currently have a stack of them sitting on my bedside table.

     I recently made these smoky pulled pork tacos.  This was super easy to put together in the crock-pot and smelled delicious by the time I got home.  The spiciness of the green chilies, the smokiness of the chipotles, and the sweetness of the brown sugar combine to make a great tasting taco meat.  The taste and texture were much better then plain old ground beef and it only to minutes to shred the pork once I got home. 

     We had our tacos with lettuce, cheese, black beans, sour cream, and rice.  We made nachos with it on the weekend and they were really good.  I love making dishes that can be used in different way when eating them later on in the week.  It would also be good on a bun as a sweet and spicy pulled pork sandwich.

Slow Cooker Smoky Pulled Pork Tacos (adapted from Tasty Trials)
3 lb. pork shoulder roast
2 c. salsa
4 oz. can green chiles
2 chipotles in adobe, finely chopped
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 bottle Mexican beer
1 t. salt

For serving:
Tortillas
Cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Black beans

1.  Trim the pork of excess fat.

2.  Combine the salsa, green chilies, chipotles, brown sugar, and salt in the bottom of a crock-pot.  Mix well.

3.  Place the pork roast in the salsa mixture and spoon some on top of the pork.  Pour the beer over top of everything in the crock-pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

4.  When ready to serve use two forks and shred the pork, leaving it in the salsa. 

5.  Serve on tortillas with cheese, sour cream, and black beans.

This post linked to:
What's Cooking Wednesday, Mid-Week Fiesta, Cast Party Wednesday
Not Baaad Sundays

King Cupcakes for Mardi Gras

    Get out the green, gold, and purple beads it's Mardi Gras time! Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is the last day before Lent and many people use it to eat, drink, and be merry!   Last year I made a large King Cake for our Mardi Gras celebration.  While it was delicious, it took a lot of work.  This year the teacher's at my school have to work but we don't have any kids so I thought it would be fun to make something for the staff to help us get into the Mardi Gras mind set.


    I saw some Mardi Gras cupcakes that looked perfect.  I used a cupcake recipe from Cook's Illustrated and the filling recipe from DJ's Sugar Shack.  The cupcakes were easy to make and smelled wonderful with the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture in the middle.  I skipped a heavy frosting in favor of a light powdered sugar glaze and sprinkled gold, green, and purple sugar on top.  My mom gave me some sugar sheets for Christmas so I used scissors and cut out little king crown's to put on top.  The cupcakes were cute and I loved the spiced centers.  These were perfect to make for a crowd.

King Cupcakes (cupcake recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated, King Cupcake idea from DJ's Sugar Shack)
For the cupcakes:
3 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
12 T. butter, room temperature
1/4 c. applesauce
1 c. low fat sour cream
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 T. vanilla

For the filling:
1 c. brown sugar
1 T. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
2 T. butter

For the glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
3-5 T. low fat milk
1 t. vanilla

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 standard cupcake tins with cupcake liners (24 total).  Set aside.

2.  In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Add in the butter, applesauce, sour cream, eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla.  Mix for several minutes or until the batter is smooth.


3.  In a small bowl melt the butter for the filling in the microwave.  Add in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well.

4.  Put a tablespoon of batter into each cupcake cup.  Put a teaspoon of filling on top of the batter.  Then carefully pour another tablespoon of batter on top of the filling.  Repeat for all 24 cupcakes.

5.  Bake for 22-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove the cupcakes from the tin and cool on a wire rack. 

6.  Meanwhile, combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl.  Mix until well combined.  Spread a small amount of glaze on each cooled cupcake and sprinkle with gold, green, or purple sugar.

This post linked to:
Crazy Sweet Tuesdays,  Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Totally Tasty Tuesdays
Made From Scratch Tuesdays, Tuesdays at the Table

Stir Fried Tofu with Ginger Oyster Sauce: Meatless Monday

    We really enjoy tofu but I find myself making the same handful of tofu dishes over and over.  I've tried several tofu dishes that haven't turned out too well and others are complicated and take a lot of time.  While this is yet another Asian tofu dish, the flavors are different from many of the other ones I make.  My favorite part of this dish is that several different vegetables are cooked with the tofu and sauce which makes for an easy meal to put over rice.

     Another thing I liked about this recipe is that there is a choice of vegetables at each of the three stages so I picked three vegetables that I had on hand.  Next time I could choose three different vegetables and make a totally different meal.  This time we went with carrots, broccoli, and napa cabbage.

     The colors of the dish were gorgeous and the vegetables went well with the sauce.  The tofu is cooked up crispy then taken out of the pan.  The vegetables are stir fried then coated with a ginger oyster sauce which is light but packs a lot of flavor.  Everything is tossed together and then served over rice.  It's a delicious and fairly healthy meal that can be made many different ways so that it's new each time. 

Stir-Fried Tofu with Ginger-Oyster Sauce (adapted Cooks Illustrated )
Glaze:
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. sugar
¼ c. chicken broth

Sauce:
1 T. soy sauce

1 c. chicken broth

3 T. oyster sauce

2 t. sesame oil
1 T. cornstarch

Vegetables:
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. minced ginger
3 T. vegetable oil
1 container extra firm tofu, cut into 24 triangles
1/3 c. cornstarch
2 c. carrots (or green beans, asparagus, or cauliflower)
½ c. chicken broth
1 c. broccoli (or snow peas, celery, or bell pepper)
1 lb. napa cabbage, cut into thin strips (or bok choy)
1 T. sesame seeds

1. Whisk together the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. In a medium bowl whisk together the sauce ingredients. In a third bowl, combine the garlic and ginger. Set all three bowls aside.

2. In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium high heat. While the oil is heating sprinkle the tofu with the cornstarch, coating evenly. Add the tofu to the skillet and heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Add the glaze and cook for 1-2 minutes or until tofu is coated. Remove tofu from pan and put on a plate.

3. Wipe the skillet with a dry paper towel. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in the skillet. Add in the carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes or until they just start to brown. Add in the chicken broth and cook an additional 2 minutes.

4. Add the broccoli to the carrot mixture and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the cabbage and cook for one minute. Push the vegetables to the side of the pan and add the garlic and ginger to the middle. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.

5. Pour the sauce into the pan of vegetables and stir to coat. Cook 3-5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Return the tofu to the skillet and cook until just reheated through.

6. Serve tofu and vegetables over rice.

This post linked to:

Meatless Mondays, Mangia Mondays, Make You Say Mmmm,

Making You Crave Mondays

Untraceable by S.R.Johannes

    Untraceable by S.R. Johannes is a novel about Grace, a 16-year-old girl who is saddened and confused by the disappearance and presumed death of her father.  But unlike many other teenagers, Grace is determine to explore the Smokey Mountains where her father disappeared and search for clues as to where he might be.  It's been three months since they last saw her father and the local authorities are closing the case and ruling her father's disappearance as death by drowning. 

   One day while Grace is out in the woods tracking her father she meets Mo, a teenage boy who is living in the woods and studying to be a geologist.  Not only does Mo know what he's doing in the woods, he's funny and good looking as well.  The two begin meeting up to fish and talk.

    Then Grace overhears two men talking about illegal poaching of bears.  She can only imagine that they could be involved with the disappearance of her father since he was hot on the tail of some local poachers when he went missing.  Grace follows the men into the woods only to be caught by then.  In a daring rescue Mo shoots one of the men and gets her to safety.

    That's when everything Grace thought she knew about her town, the people in her town, and even Mo gets blown wide open.  Grace has stumbled upon something much bigger then finding her father and the people involved will do anything to keep her quiet.  The last  pages of the novel are a series of lies, betrayals, hope, and tragedy as Grace struggles to process what she has learned and to keep herself alive in time to tell the authorities what she has learned.

     While I thought the book started out slow, it quickly gripped my attention once it got moving.  Grace is a strong young woman who not only knows how to take care of herself but is smart as well.  Even when no one else believes her father is still alive, she trucks on determined to find out the truth.  The side story of romance between her and Mo is sweet.  The ending of the book may be a little graphic for younger readers and is a bit over the top, but overall it fits with the theme of the book.  This young adult novel is action packed and full of heart racing moments, heart breaking moments, and many different kinds of love.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

This post linked to:
Saturday Situation 

Cold Noodle Salad

   I made this salad for the first time in the summer when we were having temperatures in the 90's everyday.    I didn't want to turn on the oven or even cook on the stove at any point past 9 am, so I was looking for cold salads to make early in the morning that are filling enough for lunch and dinner.  However, I liked this noodle salad so much that I often make it for my lunch even in the winter.

    I wanted some type of cold noodle salad because noodles are so filling.  I looked around for a while and finally found an Asian inspired one that sounded perfect.  I substituted in red bell peppers for the peas (because I hate peas) and it made for a very tasty and refreshing cold noodle salad.  I recommend making it a day before you want to eat it so the noodles absorb the sauce and actually turn brown from it.  The sauce is slightly spicy, a little tangy, and vaguely Asian.  The shredded carrots, and thinly sliced red peppers pair perfectly with the noodles.  The cold noodle salad was filling enough to eat for lunch or dinner.

Cold Noodle Salad  (adapted from Allrecipes)
8 oz. spaghetti noodles
1 1/2 t. sesame oil
1/4 c. rice vinegar
1/4 c. soy sauce
Juice from 1 lime
Zest from 1 lime
1 T. brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. red pepper flakes
3/4 c. finely grated carrots (about 2 carrots)
1/2 red bell pepper, cut thin, then chopped into thirds
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

1.  Cook the spaghetti noodles according to package directions.  Drain and run cold water over top of them until they are cooled then drain again.  Set aside.

2.  In a large bowl with a lid combine sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, and lime juice.  Mix in the lime zest, brown sugar, garlic, and red pepper flakes.  Toss in the carrots, peppers, and cilantro and gently toss to coat.

3.  Pour the noodles into the bowl with the dressing and stir to coat the noodles.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, though it's best overnight.

4.  When ready to serve mix the noodles well with the dressing and serve cold.

This post linked to:
Sundae Scoop Sundays, Not Baaad Sundays

Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Herb Sauce and Pasta

    When I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it.  It has all of my favorites in it-crispy chicken, a creamy sauce, and pasta all wrapped up into one dish.  This is another great 30 minute meal.  The pasta cooks while the chicken is crisping in the skillet.  The chicken was awesome by itself and with the sauce.  The cornflake crust gets extra crispy and is flavored with salt and pepper.

     The sauce was tasty but really thick.  Next time I think I'll eliminate the cream of chicken and add in another cup of chicken broth.  It's creamy, filled with herbs, and very tasty.  The recipe called for bowtie pasta but I had a box of vegetable pasta (tomato and carrot) that I needed to use and I think it went really well with the creamy sauce.  This is definitely comfort food with the fried chicken and creamy sauce.  It's a great winter time dish.

Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Herb  Sauce and Pasta (adapted from Jamie Cooks It Up!)
3 large chicken breasts
4 c. corn flakes
3/4 c. flour
1 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
1/2 c. low fat milk
3 T. olive oil
12 oz. pasta

For the Sauce:
1 (10 oz) container Philadelphia Cooking Cream (Italian Cheese and Herb)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. low fat milk
2 T. fresh chopped parsley

1.  In a small food processor crush the cornflakes into crumbs.  Pour into a shallow dish and add half the salt and all the pepper.

2.  In another dish combine the rest of the salt and the flour.  In a third shallow dish pour the milk.

3.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Drain and set aside.

4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. 

5.  Cut each chicken breast in half.  Dredge in the flour then dip into the milk.  Immediately coat with the corn flakes making sure the chicken is completely covered.  Put in the skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. 

6.  Remove the chicken to a plate and cover with foil.  In the same pan you cooked the chicken in add the chicken broth, Philadelphia Cooking Cream, cream of chicken soup, and milk.  Whisk the sauce until well combined.  Cook for 5 minutes or until warm and bubbly.

7.  Put the pasta on a plate and top with the sauce.  Place a piece of chicken on top of the pasta and drizzle with the sauce.  Garnish with fresh parsley.

This post linked to:

Shine on Friday, Foodie Friday, Fusion Friday

Texas Chicken with Lime Butter

     I'm always looking out for new ways to make chicken because it is my favorite meat.  When I ran into this recipe it sounded intriguing as the spice rub included cinnamon, chili powder, and cocoa powder.  I also loved the idea of a spicy lime butter to pour over top of the chicken.

     When I saw that it was Texas chicken I thought it was going to be a Mexican type dish but I don't think this dish would be considered Mexican.  The rub makes a great coating on the chicken and keeps it very moist, but the chicken isn't very good without the butter sauce.  The butter is combined with onions, jalapenos, and lime which makes for a mouthwatering sauce.  Poured over top of the chicken it makes for a unique and tasty dish that is really unlike anything I've had before.

Texas Chicken with Lime Butter (adapted from Cook Lisa Cook)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts


For the spice rub:
1 T. ground cinnamon
2 t.  chili powder
1 T. brown sugar
1 t. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t. sea salt
1 t. black pepper
3 T. olive oil
1 T. balsamic vinegar

For the lime butter:
1/4 c. butter, melted
Juice from 1 lime
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 T. onion, minced

1.  In a large Ziploc bag combine all of the spice coating ingredients and blend well.  Add the chicken to the bag and move it around until the chicken is well coated in the spices.  Let the chicken sit in the spice mix for 3 hours or overnight.

2.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.

3.  Place the pieces of chicken in the pan and bake for 20 minutes or until they are cooked through.  Allow the chicken to rest 5 minutes before serving.

4.  While the chicken is cooking prepare the butter sauce.  In a small bowl combine the melted butter, lime juice, jalapeno, and onion.  Drizzle the butter over top of the chicken and serve with a slice of lime.

This recipe linked to:

Frugal Food Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, It's A Keeper Thursday