Category Archives: Chicken

Berry Salad with Cornflake Crusted Chicken

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Whenever I go out to eat, I’m drawn to salads that are filled with an interesting mix of produce and topped with a delicious source of protein. But then I’m left wondering why I just spent $15 on something I could easily make at home. So this past Sunday I did just that. I wandered through the produce aisle, and just picked out a few different items that sounded good. Like a fresh mix of berries and a perfectly ripe avocado. I love the contrast of the creamy and mild avocado with the sweet and slightly tart berries. And since I wanted to give an added punch of protein (and I had a certain guy coming over that would NOT eat a plain salad for dinner) I decided to throw together some healthified crispy chicken strips. And rather than use Panko breadcrumbs, like I usually do, I decided to use cornflakes as the main component in the crust. And I thought it had fantastic results. The chicken is perfectly tender with a crunchy and flavorful crust. I made a large enough batch of the chicken strips to have leftovers for quick dinners throughout the week, but you could easily divide the chicken portion of this recipe in half to have just enough for a couple salads. And there you have a perfectly light spring meal. Enjoy!

Ingredients: Makes 2 large salads and 12 chicken strips (plenty of leftovers!)

  • 2 packages thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 4 cups cornflakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 4 cups mixed greens or chopped romaine
  • 1/2 avocado, sliced into strips
  • 1/2 cup mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries & blackberries)
  • Raspberry Vinaigrette

Preparation:

  1. Place chicken strips in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish and cover with buttermilk; place in fridge and let sit for 3-4 hours
  2. Place next 5 ingredients in a food processor (cornflakes through mozzarella) and grind until mixture resembles coarse crumbs
  3. Place cornflake mixture into another 13 x 9 inch baking dish and dredge chicken breast in mixture until completely coated
  4. Place cornflake crusted chicken strips on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes
  5. To assemble salad, mix greens, avocado & mixed berries together and top with cooled chicken
  6. Drizzle with raspberry vinaigrette to taste

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Bruschetta Chicken

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If you are looking for an easy recipe that looks impressive, you’ve come to the right place. This Bruschetta Chicken is another recipe I found on Pinterest, and I am so glad I gave it a try. It is full of flavor and is a great recipe for anyone who loves bruschetta, because there is a hefty serving of balsamic glazed tomatoes on top of each serving. I’ve always loved bruschetta, but lately anytime Eric and I see the garlicky tomato appetizer on a menu we have to laugh. Because we experienced a pretty funny bruschetta related incident the night we got engaged. As I mentioned before, Eric’s big proposal plan was to pop the question in front of the big Christmas Tree outside of Campus Martius in downtown Detroit. Seeing as we both work a few blocks from this area in Downtown Detroit, getting me in front of the tree wouldn’t have been too difficult on a normal night. However, December 21st was my last day of work before the holidays, and my boss took us out for lunch and let us leave early for the day. So Eric had to hatch a plan to get me back Downtown. So naturally, he asked me to meet him Downtown for dinner. Because food is obviously a huge motivator for me. He told me to meet him at the Hard Rock Cafe, because, as he told me later, it is the closest restaurant to the Campus Martius Christmas Tree. When I arrived at the restaurant Eric had ordered a big plate of bruschetta for us. I remember thinking this was slightly weird because he is not a huge fan of the appetizer, but I went with it. (He told me later that he felt an appetizer was necessary because it was going to be a special night. What a funny guy!) Seeing as I’m the only bruschetta lover of the two of us, we had a good amount left over so our waiter wrapped it up for us. As we walked out of the restaurant, doggie bag in tow, we found ourselves in front of the Christmas Tree and well…you know the rest of that story. But there is one funny little moment I left out in my previous recap. When I saw Eric down on one knee, I dropped the doggie bag, and since it was a pretty windy night, the bag blew away. A few minutes later, after yesses had been said, and rings had been distributed we looked behind us to find a homeless man chowing down on our bruschetta. God bless him.

Ingredients: Makes 3 servings, From ICanCookThat.com

  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced

Bruschetta

  • 4 firm Roma tomatoes, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, finely sliced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil, sliced into thin strips

Preparation:

  1. Place chicken, balsamic vinegar, olive oil & minced garlic in a large plastic bag
  2. Place bag in the fridge and let marinade for 2-3 hours
  3. For the bruschetta, combine diced tomatoes, onions and minced garlic in a medium bowl
  4. Add balsamic vinegar, olive oil & salt and pepper to bruschetta, set aside
  5. Remove chicken from bag and place on a cookie sheet, lined with tin foil
  6. Place chicken in oven and bake for 25 minutes at 350, or until chicken is cooked through
  7. Meanwhile, saute bruschetta mixture in a large saucepan over medium heat until tomatoes are soft and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes
  8. Remove chicken from oven and preheat broiler on high
  9. Place 2-3 tablespoons of bruschetta mixture on each chicken breast and top with 4-5 slices of fresh mozzarella on each chicken breast
  10. Place chicken back in the oven and broil for 3-4 minutes
  11. Sprinkle fresh basil on top of chicken and serve

“Pinterest” Greek Yogurt Chicken

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I remember the first time a coworker told me about Pinterest. It made absolutely no sense to me. I did not understand how a collection of links to other websites could really be all that addicting. Flash forward a year and Pinterest has become a huge craze. And I finally understand why. The ability to save and organize recipes, wedding ideas and home decor tips all on one convenient little website is really pretty cool. But my only problem is that I almost never make or use any of the ideas that I so carefully pin and save. Until now. I had seen this recipe for Greek yogurt chicken pinned a number of times, and the reviews were always fantastic. So when we had a family dinner this weekend I decided to give this recipe a try. And I was very pleasantly surprised. This chicken is not only incredibly easy to make but it is also really delicious. The Greek yogurt mixture locks in the moisture of the chicken and the flavor is fantastic.  And it’s a healthy recipe? Can’t get much better than that. Well played Pinterest, well played.

Ingredients: Makes 4 servings

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt (I used Lawry’s)
  • 1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:

  1. Place chicken breasts on a lightly greased cookie sheet
  2. In a small bowl, combine next 5 ingredients (yogurt through pepper)
  3. Spread yogurt mixture on the tops of each chicken breast
  4. Bake chicken at 375 for 45 minutes
  5. Remove chicken from the oven and turn to broil on high heat
  6. Return chicken to oven and broil on high for 3-4 minutes until topping is slightly browned

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Cooking Matters Extreme Food Makeover

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I was recently invited to participate in Cooking Matters Michigan’s Extreme Food Makeover Challenge in which 7 Metro Detroit based bloggers were assigned different unhealthy dishes to makeover in an “Iron Chef-esque” competition. And being a very devoted Food Network … Continue reading →

Chicken & Roasted Veggies Over Egg Noodles

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Ah, summer. The season of crazy humidity & fish flies. If you don’t know what fish flies are, congratulations…you will never have to see the disgusting flying bugs that will literally swarm your car on a summer night. If you … Continue reading →

Buffalo Wild Wings “Naked Tenders”

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Buffalo Wild Wings is mostly known for their deep fried boneless wings but I have never been able to order them. I’m just way too hooked on their “Naked Tenders.” This menu item is really just grilled chicken strips served … Continue reading →