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Baked Balsamic Chicken | alidaskitchen.com

Baked Balsamic Chicken

February 7, 2013 ·

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Baked Balsamic Chicken is wholesome, easy and delicious!  This dish can be customized to use whatever herbs you like (or have on hand) and is perfectly paired with Minute® Multi-Grain Medley! Thank you Minute® Rice for sponsoring this post.
Baked Balsamic Chicken | alidaskitchen.com
 This Baked Balsamic Chicken recipe has been a family favorite for years. The recipe was created when Greta was first born over 3 years ago and has been a regular feature on the dinner rotation ever since. The marinade takes minutes to prepare and then is poured in a zip-top bag with the chicken.  Let that sit in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake.  Then you just pour the chicken and marinade in a baking dish and bake.  Simple!

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Filed Under: Featured, gluten free, healthy, kid-friendly, main dishes, Popular, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Lemon Buttermilk Cake

January 31, 2013 ·
easy lemon buttermilk breakfast pound cake


We had a special surprise arrive last Friday ~ our baby decided to arrive a little early!  Naturally, when there is a birthday, there must be a birthday cake.  This Lemon Buttermilk Cake is quick and easy enough for a sleepy mama to whip together in minutes.  It’s not only simple to make, but the lemon cake is perfectly lemon-y, refreshing and delicious.  To dress it up, I added a simple lemon buttermilk glaze to drizzle over the loaf, with some extra to drizzle on the slices.  This cake is so good as-is, but the glaze adds a little something that makes it feel extra special.  Adam could not get enough of the baby’s birthday cake, and I discovered that despite not being a frosting person, he loves glaze.  Who can blame him!

Now to the baby details!  We had a baby girl named Greta Rose.  She is an easy baby so far and super sweet.  Seems fitting I guess, because the same could be said about Lemon Buttermilk Cake! 🙂

easy lemon buttermilk breakfast pound cake with lemon glaze




Lemon Buttermilk Cake
 
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Yields: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • ¾ cup buttermilk, well-shaken
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest (finely grated, approx 2 lemons)
  • ¼ cup lemon juice (approx 1½ lemons)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Cooking spray
  • GLAZE:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 to 2 tablespoon(s) buttermilk, well-shaken
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8"x4" loaf pan with baking spray and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
  3. In a medium bowl, add the sugar, oil, buttermilk, eggs, zest, juice and vanilla and whisk to combine.
  4. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and whisk to combine. Pour into prepared loaf pan.
  5. Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  6. To prepare glaze, in a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice and buttermilk until well-blended. Drizzle over cooled cake, as desired.

Sources: Real Simple for the cake, Cooking Light for the glaze
Filed Under: breakfast, dessert, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Chipotle-Glazed Roast Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

January 25, 2013 ·
baked chipotle chicken with roasted sweet potatoes


I found this recipe for Chipotle-Glazed Roast Chicken with Sweet Potatoes during a sleepless night over the summer.  While it sounded absolutely delicious, it didn’t quite scream “summer” to me…so I saved it for a more seasonably appropriate time.  After many months of anticipation, I am happy to report this recipe was definitely worth the wait!

First you give the potatoes a head start by cooking them until they start to get tender.  The timing on this may vary based on the size you cut your potatoes or your oven, but unless you like crunchy potatoes, this step is key to the success of the recipe.  Meanwhile, you can whip up the sauce/rub and prepare the chicken.  Then you just put the chicken on top of the potatoes and pop it in the oven to bake until the chicken is done.  This recipe really could not be any simpler.  The result is a light and healthy dish that is sweet, spicy and delicious!

Chipotle-Glazed Roast Chicken with Sweet Potatoes
 
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Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 sweet potatoes (10 ounces each) cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 4 4-ounce portions
  • 2-3 green onions, chopped (optional, for garnish)
  • Cooking spray
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a roasting or baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, toss sweet potatoes with olive oil and pour in the bottom of roasting/baking pan. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes (tossing after 10 minutes), until potatoes being to get tender.
  3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine chiles, garlic, honey, vinegar, salt, cumin, and cinnamon. Rub mixture over chicken breasts.
  4. Place chicken breasts on top of sweet potatoes and roast until chicken is cooked thoroughly, about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve garnished with green onions.

Adapted from Fitness Magazine

Filed Under: gluten free, healthy, main dishes, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,
healthy oatmeal raisin buttermilk pancakes

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Pancakes

January 17, 2013 ·
healthy oatmeal raisin buttermilk pancakes

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Pancakes are an easy, healthy, delicious breakfast treat that taste like oatmeal raisin cookies.  Yum!  They are made with the hearty goodness of oatmeal and whole wheat flour, sweetness from brown sugar and raisins and buttermilk, which of course makes everything good.

The first morning after I made these, Adam polished off six pancakes.  In fact, he ate that first batch so quickly, I wasn’t able to get any pictures.  Because he loved them so,  I made another batch a couple days later.  Fortunately, one afternoon I found myself with three pancakes and a good napper, so I was able to quickly snap some pics to share this wonderful recipe with you!

healthy oatmeal raisin buttermilk pancakes

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Pancakes
 
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Yields: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 cups quick oats
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup raisins
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, combine oats and buttermilk and let sit for 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
  3. After 5 minutes, add eggs, oil and vanilla to buttermilk mixture, whisking until combined.
  4. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until just moistened (Note: batter may be lumpy). Add raisins, folding until combined. Let sit for 10 minutes.
  5. Preheat nonstick skillet to medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
  6. Spoon batter onto skillet by the ¼ cupful (adjust to desired size) (Note: If batter is a little thick, use the back of your spoon to spread/shape the pancakes). Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until bubbles form and the edges look set. Flip pancakes and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden.

Slightly adapted from Taste of Home

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Apricot White Chocolate Scones

January 3, 2013 ·
lighter dried apricot white chocolate chip scones


Happy New Year!  For a special New Year’s Day breakfast, I made these Apriot White Chocolate Scones.  I always forget how quick and easy scones are to make, plus they are much more economical to make at home than to buy them from a local coffee shop.  Tastier too!  The slight tartness of the dried apricots and the sweetness of the white chocolate chips are such a wonderful complement.  I made several changes to the original recipes to lighten it up a bit:  used fat free evaporated milk instead of half and half, used light butter and also replaced some flour with whole wheat pastry flour.  The result was a delicious scone with a nice, moist texture (no dry scones here!).

Apricot White Chocolate Scones
 
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Yields: 8 scones
Ingredients
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • ¼ cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ⅓ cup cold butter, cut in pieces (I used light butter)
  • ⅓ cup chopped dried apricots
  • ⅓ cup white chocolate baking chips
  • 1 egg
  • ⅓ cup fat free evaporated milk
  • melted white chocolate and additional chopped apricots, for topping (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside
  2. In a food processor, pulse flours, sugar and baking powder until combined.
  3. Add butter to food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Pour mixture into a medium bowl.
  4. Stir apricots and white chocolate chips into flour mixture. Stir in egg and gradually add evaporated milk until dough forms a ball (Note: You may need slightly less than ⅓ cup). Knead dough a few times while in bowl.
  5. Pat or roll dough into 8-inch round on prepared cookie sheet. Cut into 8 wedges (a pizza cutter works well) but DO NOT separate.
  6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let sit on pan for 5 minutes and then separate wedges (Note: I used a serated knife to ensure clean cuts). Let cool completely.
  7. Optional set: Drizzle melted white chocolate and sprinkle with chopped dried apricots, if desired.

 

Slightly adapted from Betty Crocker

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Our Favorite Recipes from 2012!

December 30, 2012 ·

The other day, I posted the most popular recipes from 2012 based on what you’ve viewed. Those include many of our favorites as well, however today, I am sharing our picks from 2012.  I did this last year, and the rule was that we just couldn’t choose any from the top 10 most popular recipes.     My intent was to select only twleve, but it was a challenge.  So we made it a baker’s dozen to ring in 2013.   Happy New Year!


Chunky Tortilla Soup with Black Beans – a delicious and healthy vegetarian (vegan) soup that is super easy to make.

Grandma’s Peanut Butter Bars – The peanut butter and chocolate combination is always a favorite. This is one of my favorite recipes passed down from my grandma, and also quite easy!

Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles – add pretzels to chocolate and peanut butter, and I’m a happy girl! These are not only delicious, they are easy to make and surprisingly a healthier option!


Baked Tortellini with Spinach – This pasta dish immediately became a regular feature in our dinner rotation. It’s simple, it’s healthy, and it’s tasty!


Pulled Chicken Sandwiches – Simplicity is a theme with everything I make, but these are equally delicious as they are easy!  Mike loves when I tell him these are on the menu for the week.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas – Sweet potatoes and black beans are two of my favorite foods…and are a wonderful combination in these enchiladas.

Herbed Goat Cheese Muffins – A savory, herb-y muffin filled with goat cheese – yum!

Lighter Cajun Chicken Pasta – A secret ingredient helped transform this dish into a lighter, healthier option.  Mike loves cajun anything, so was very excited over this dish!

Strawberry Banana Pancakes – The addition of banana to my strawberry pancakes made these an instant favorite. Adam asks me to make these often.

Baked Buffalo Chicken Tenders – This buffalo chicken is awesome because it is not drenched in sauce and is made using ingredients that are on hand at all times.  Super easy!

Black Bean Brownies – The addition of black beans to brownies was such an intriguing concept to me with a very delicious outcome. It’s true…you really can’t tell there are black beans in there!

Easy Meatless Manicotti – We have been making this manicotti for years, and it’s just one of our classic favorites.   Leftovers make great lunches the next day.

Baked Chicken Fajitas – These are amazing. Just put everything in the pan and bake…can’t get any easier or tastier!

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Top 10 Recipes from 2012: Reader Favorites!

December 27, 2012 ·

As we are nearing the end of 2012, it is time to look back at the most popular new recipes of the year ~ YOUR favorite recipes!

Over a year and a half since starting Alida’s Kitchen, it has been such a fun opportunity to share what goes on in our kitchen with you. My hope is to have inspired you to get in the kitchen, to try something new and/or different, to make something special for loved ones or simply to treat yourself.  I have so many recipes and ideas for 2013, including many delicious, healthy recipes to start the new year.  I am eager to start sharing them all with you.  In the meantime, let’s look back at the 10 most popular recipes from 2012 on Alida’s Kitchen!     

10.  Double Chocolate Chip Muffins – a low-fat chocolate muffin studded with chocolate chips and topped with chocolate chips…all under 200 calories! 

9.  Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars – pumpkin cheesecake made on the lighter side in an easy-to-make bar.

8.  No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie – This pie takes 10 minutes to make (with ingredients easy to keep on hand at all times) and then is chilled to creamy perfection.

7.  Four Cheese Lasagna –  This lasagna is hands down one of our favorite dinners.  We make it for special occasions, and it is such a treat!  (Bonus – leftovers heat up extremely well)

6.  Carrot Cake Pancakes – Carrot cake in pancake form, these are awesome.  Adam loves these, Mike and I love these, and clearly you love these enough for them to take the #6 spot. 

5.  Pumpkin Banana Muffins – Since posting these, I can’t even count how many times I have made these muffins for Adam.  They are simple to make and a tasty breakfast (or any time) treat!

4.  Lighter Pretzel-Crusted Chicken – This chicken is as easy as it is tasty.  We always have the ingredients on hand, and it’s so quick to make. 

3.  Oven-Baked Sriracha Chicken – Spicy, Sriracha chicken baked in the oven.  Another easy, tasty household favorite. 

2.  Oreo Cookies and Cream Cupcakes – I admired this recipe for years and was so excited for an opportunity to make these cupcakes.  Truly the ultimate Oreo cupcake!


1.  Lighter Sesame Chicken – Who doesn’t love a light twist on a classic favorite…and so easy! Lighter Sesame Chicken is amazing and definitely suited for the #1 spot. 

Next I will be sharing our favorite recipes from 2012!

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12 Weeks of Christmas Treats ~ Round Up

December 20, 2012 ·
12 Weeks of Christmas Treats from Alida's Kitchen
 Each week for the past 11 weeks, I have joined a group of bloggers in sharing a variety of holiday treats as part of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats (I missed week #1).  I can’t believe we started all the way back in September, and here we are less than a week away from Christmas!  In the event you still have some holiday treats to make (or if you’re like me and stockpiling recipes for next year!), below is a round up of the treats I shared.  Just click on the recipe name after the Week # and you’ll be directed to the corresponding post.

I have also selected an “Alida’s Pick” from each week, featuring a link to a recipe by another blogger.  There are so many delicious recipes that were shared over the past weeks, it was hard to choose.

I want to thank Brenda from Meal Planning Magic for hosting the blog event 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats, as well as all the other fellow bloggers for participating.  My list of recipes to make has increased exponentially as a result!

Week #2: Grandma’s Lemon Bars

Alida’s pick from Week #2:  Pumpkin Coffee Cake by Baker Street

Week #3: Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Alida’s pick from Week #3: Peppermint Marshmallows by The Redhead Baker

Week #4: Easy Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Alida’s pick from Week #4: Snickersnaps by Cooking to Perfection

Week #5: Mounds Brownies

Alida’s pick from Week #5:  Peppermint Patties by Delicious Melicious

Week #6: Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Alida’s pick from Week #6:  White Hot Fudge Sauce by Baked Bree

Week #7: Sunny Blossoms

Alida’s pick from Week #7:  Candy Cane S’mores by Roxana’s Home Baking

Week #8: Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Alida’s pick from Week #8:  Pretzel S’mores by Books ‘n Cooks

Week #9:  Pumpkin Surprise Cupcakes

Alida’s pick from Week #9:  Peppermint Blondies by Kitchen Meets Girl

Week #10:  Grandma’s Caramel Bars

Alida’s pick from Week #10:  Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes by Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Week #11:  Peppermint Twist Kiss Cookies

Alida’s pick from Week #11:  Soft Sugar Cookies from Midwestern Girl

 Week #12:  Chewy Ginger Cookies 

Alida’s pick from Week #12:  Peppermint Cake Roll by Baking and Boys

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: , , , ,
cream cheese cookies with lemon glaze

Cream Cheese Meltaways

December 18, 2012 ·

cream cheese meltaways with lemon glaze

Cream Cheese Meltaways with Lemon Glaze are little bite-sized cookies that are a light and delicious addition to any holiday cookie platter.  These cookies were a new addition this year, and they were an instant favorite!  The lemon glaze gives just a hint of lemony sweetness to the cream cheesy butter cookies.  The recipe for glaze makes plenty.  You could probably get by with using half the glaze recipe, or better yet – double the cookie recipe…these will go fast!

Cream Cheese Meltaways
 
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Yields: 36 cookies
Ingredients
  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ½ cup butter, softened (I used light butter)
  • 2 ounces block-style Neufachtel cream cheese (1/3 less fat/light)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Glaze:
  • 1¾ cups powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • assorted sprinkles, for decorating (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch and salt until combined.
  3. In a large bowl, add powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese and vanilla and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
  4. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, stirring until combined. (Note: dough will be dry and crumbly).
  5. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (be careful not to overwork dough) and place on prepared cookie sheets.
  6. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until bottoms of cookies are lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes of pan and then move to wire rack to cool completely.
  7. GLAZE: In a medium bowl, whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Dip the tops of cooled cookies into glaze and place on wire rack. Decorate with sprinkles, as desired. Let cookies stand until glaze is set.

Source:  Cooking Light

cream cheese meltaways from Alida's Kitchen

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
Chewy Ginger Cookies

Chewy Ginger Cookies

December 13, 2012 ·
Chewy Ginger Cookies

This is my favorite recipe for Chewy Ginger Cookies. They are soft, chewy, with warm flavors of ginger and molasses, plus they take 10 minutes to prepare!

When it comes to holiday baking, I enjoy trying new recipes, but I also like to have some go-to recipes.   Standby recipes that are guaranteed to be crowd pleasers and are easy to make.  For years, I have been trying to find that special recipe for a ginger cookies.  These Chewy Ginger Cookies are the top contender for becoming that special recipe.  They are super soft and chewy with the warm flavors of ginger and molasses in each bite.   The dough takes less than 10 minutes to make, which is always a bonus!

This marks the final week of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats hosted by Meal Planning Mom.  Be sure to check out the thumbnails at the bottom of this post for more delicious holiday treats!

Chewy Ginger Cookies
 
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Yields: 30 cookies
Ingredients
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup molasses
  • ¼ cup water
  • Additional sugar, for rolling
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt.
  2. Mix molasses and water in a liquid measuring cup, and stir until combined (Note: you may need to stir again before adding to butter mixture).
  3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until combined. Beating on low, alternately add flour mixture and molasses mixture to the butter mixture, until fully combined. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to overnight.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  5. Roll a rounded tablespoonful of dough into a ball and then roll the ball in granulated sugar. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are set (be careful not to overbake). Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Slightly adapted from Taste of Home: Best Loved Cookies and Bars

 

We are to Week #12 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats hosted by Meal Planning Magic. Be sure to check out all the other bloggers who are participating this week in the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog hop.

 

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