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Grilled Peanut Butter Chicken

July 11, 2011 ·

If I had to pick my all time favorite food, it would be peanut butter (although cheese is a very close second).   I love peanut butter sandwiches, cookies, bars, on apples, plain, ice cream…*sigh*  I could go on and on.

So one day when I was opening my lovely jar of peanut butter, this chicken recipe caught my eye. Peanut butter? Chicken? Mmm… I do not often stumble upon many savory peanut butter dishes, so I was eager to give this a try.

As with most of my chicken recipes for the grill, I adapted this recipe to be quick and easy – mix the marinade, put marinade and chicken in Ziploc bag, let sit in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, grill, eat. It’s that simple.

 
The peanut butter, soy sauce and ginger combination give this chicken dish a Thai-inspired flavor. It is really quite tasty AND another way to eat more peanut butter. Yum!

Grilled Peanut Butter Chicken
Yields 4 servings

1/2 cup natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ginger, grated or finely chopped
1 pound chicken tenders or chicken breast  cut into 1 1/2 inch strips

  1. In a bowl, prepare the marinade by mixing all of the ingredients except the chicken.   
  2. Put chicken in a Ziploc bag and pour marinade over chicken.  Make sure chicken gets completely coated. Set in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
  3. Lightly oil grates on grill OR use a foil tray to cook chicken.
  4. Place chicken on grill (or foil tray) and cook for 3-5 minutes per side, until chicken is cooked thoroughly.

Adapted from Smuckers Peanut Butter Jar Lid

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Fresh Strawberry Pie ~ Lightened up!

July 1, 2011 ·

Let’s just get this out in the open.  Yes, I am doing another strawberry recipe.  And yes, I am doing another strawberry recipe with yogurt.  Every year around the Fourth of July, I look forward to making this healthy version of a strawberry pie.  It just so happens to coincide my Strawberry Yogurt Muffins post from Wednesday.  I promise you a break from strawberry and yogurt recipes in the coming weeks.  In fact, there are even some indulgent recipes on the horizon!

There are 3 parts to making this pie.  The first step is making yogurt cheese, which is draining plain yogurt through cheesecloth.  This step needs to be done a day in advance, as the yogurt needs at least 16 hours to drain.

Part 2 is making the crust.  This crust is a simple stir and roll crust which uses oil instead of shortening.  It is nice and thin, and serves as the perfect vehicle for the rest of the pie. 

The last step involves mixing the yogurt cheese with sugar, vanilla and chopped strawberries; then pouring that mixture in the crust and topping/decorating with strawberry halves.  It is all very easy.

Now I do not want to mislead you into believing this pie is a replica of its sugary, fat-laden counterpart because it is not. It is, however, delicious, light and healthy!  It’s a wonderful summer dessert!

 Happy pre-Fourth of July and have a great weekend!

Fresh Strawberry Pie ~ Lightened up!
Yields 8 servings

16 oz plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons powdered sugar (adjust amount to taste and the sweetness of your berries)
1 cup diced strawberries
approximately 1/2-1 pound strawberries, halved (the amount depends on the size of your berries)
1 tablespoon strawberry preserves (optional) – amount many vary depending on size of strawberries
1 Stir ‘n Roll Pie Crust (recipe below)

  1. Make yogurt cheese:  Arrange wire strainer lined with double thickness cheesecloth (or coffee filters) over bowl.  Spoon yogurt into lined strainer; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until liquid has drained from yogurt and yogurt is very thick (16-24 hours).  Discard liquid.
  2. Combine yogurt cheese, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and diced strawberries.
  3. Pour yogurt mixture in cool pie crust, spreading evenly.  Top with strawberry halves.
  4. Optional (see note below):  Microwave strawberry preserves for 5-10 seconds, just to melt it.  Then with a spoon or silicone pastry brush, brush the strawberries with preserves. 
  5. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until serving.

Note:  If you do not plan on serving this immediately, I highly recommend using the preserves in order to seal and preserve the appearance of the berries.  It gives them a little shine as well, which can be nice.

Stir ‘n Roll Pie Crust
Yields 1 9″ pie crust

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/4 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons cold skim milk

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. In medium bowl, combine flour and salt; stir in oil and milk just until blended. Form dough into a smooth ball.
  3. Dampen counter top.  Place 12 x 15 inch sheet of waxed paper on dampened counter.  Place pastry on paper; cover with another sheet of waxed paper.  Roll dough into a 12 inch circle, turning dough and paper over once to roll evenly.
  4. Peel off top paper.  Lift dough and paper, and place dough-side down in pie plate, fitting dough to the plate.  Carefully peel off the remaining paper. 
  5. Trim edge so it fits evenly with the pie plate.  Prick dough with fork, and press edges with tines of fork. 
  6. Bake until golden brown (12 to15 minutes).  Remove to wire rack to cool.

Adapted from The Best of Byerly’s Cookbook

Filed Under: dessert, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Strawberry Yogurt Muffins

June 29, 2011 ·
Strawberry Yogurt Muffins | alidaskitchen.com

Strawberry Yogurt Muffins are an easy, healthy muffin recipe made with lots of fresh strawberries and Greek yogurt.  

After picking up 8 pounds of strawberries from a local farm, I noticed these were the most perfect strawberries I have ever seen.  They had a perfect shape, a perfect stem and were a deep red throughout (no white inside these berries).  My husband wondered what I could possibly do with 8 pounds of strawberries?  Spend a LOT of time experimenting in the kitchen, that’s what!

In fact, I was thinking 8 pounds might not even be enough.  I eat strawberries on my plain Greek yogurt every day.  My son eats strawberries by the fistful.  There is also a long list of goodies that I want to make with strawberries…hmm.

For the longest time, I have been searching high and low for the perfect strawberry muffin recipe.  I was inspired by this recipe for Strawberry Bread on Cate’s World Kitchen.  I love that Cate uses yogurt, a good dose of vanilla, and this recipe uses more actual strawberries than other recipes I found.  From the original recipe, I reduced the amount of sugar and used plain nonfat Greek yogurt.   The recipe below is written accordingly.

These muffins smelled incredible while baking in the oven.  It was hard to resist digging in while they cooled, but I knew they would be worth the wait.  And worth the wait they were indeed!  They are moist, delicious and have bits of sweet strawberries in every bite.  We are definitely going to make another trip to the farm to pick up more strawberries, and I will definitely be making more of these muffins!

Strawberry Yogurt Muffins
 
Print
Yields: 12 muffins
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups white whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • ¼ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1½ cups strawberries, chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease 12 muffin cups.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, yogurt, oil and vanilla until blended. Add to flour mixture and gently mix until combined (Be careful not to over mix). Gently fold in strawberries.
  4. Divide batter evenly between muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let muffins cool in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer muffins to wire rack and let cool completely.

Adapted from Cate’s World Kitchen

Strawberry Yogurt Muffins | alidaskitchen.com

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

Mustard-Rosemary Chicken Skewers

June 24, 2011 ·


Happy Summer!  ‘Tis the season for visits to the beach, bike rides, and of course, grilling.  I have several favorite recipes exclusive to the grill, so my anticipation of grilling season rivals that of Christmas.  While I enjoy the reliable stand bys, it is always fun to find new and healthy recipes to add to the favorites.  


So in the spirit of summer, when I saw this recipe for Mustard-Rosemary Chicken Skewers, I could not wait to fire up the grill!   Skewers are such a convenient way to serve your meat and veggies, all threaded on a handy little stick.  Plus there is something fun about having dinner on a stick.    

These tasty skewers did not disappoint.  The rosemary, mustard and balsamic vinegar are an incredible flavor combination with the chicken and veggies.  From the original recipe, I reduced the oil, used chicken breast instead of legs, and increased the balsamic vinegar, scallions, and garlic (can never have enough garlic!).  I have written the recipe below according to these changes. 

These skewers are perfect for entertaining at your next summer celebration and have landed a spot on the grilling favorites list in this house.

Have a great weekend!

Mustard-Rosemary Chicken Skewers
Yields 4 servings

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grill (or use cooking spray on grill)
1 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
5 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

Note: if using wooden skewers, soak for at least 30 minutes prior to grilling…perfect to do while the chicken and vegetables are marinating.

  1. In a small bowl, mix together the mustard, vinegar, rosemary, garlic, salt and black pepper.  Slowly whisk in the oil.
  2. Place chicken, bell pepper and scallions in a Ziploc bag.  Add the marinade, making sure to coat chicken and vegetables. Refrigerate at least 40 minutes.
  3. Heat the grill to medium high and brush with olive oil (or spray with cooking spray).  Thread chicken, peppers and green onions on skewers.  Transfer to grill and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is charred and no longer pink (approx 8 minutes). 

Adapted from Fitness Magazine

Filed Under: healthy, main dishes, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Chicken

June 8, 2011 ·

Sometimes is pays to be picky.  Or at least to be cooking for picky guests.  I was hosting a summer get together and, by request, was making my “Magic Hamburgers.”  However I knew one of my guests would not eat ground beef, so I was on a two-fold mission: find something delicious that she will like and find something with ingredients I already have.

Enter Sweet & Spicy Barbecue Chicken.  Mission accomplished.

I am so thankful for my picky dinner guest.  If not for her, I would not have found this recipe and my life in the kitchen would not be the same.

In all seriousness, this barbecue sauce is incredible.  I love that it is so easily made from basic ingredients commonly found in the pantry.  The hot sauce, along with the black pepper, add the perfect zing which can be altered to your heat tolerance.  I prefer using chicken tenders, though you can easily adapt this recipe to whatever part of the chicken you like to grill.  It also makes for great barbecue chicken sandwiches.

Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Chicken
 
Print
A simple barbecue sauce made with pantry ingredients.
Yields: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup hot sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • Fresh ground pepper (to taste)
  • 1 lb chicken breast tenders
Instructions
  1. Mix first 6 ingredients in bowl.
  2. Place chicken in ziploc bag. Pour ½ sauce in bag, making sure chicken is well coated. Marinate for at least 4 hours.
  3. Grill chicken as usual, about 3-4 minutes per side.
  4. Serve with remaining barbeque sauce for dipping.

Adapted from Food & Wine

Filed Under: main dishes, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Cheese Enchilada Casserole

June 1, 2011 ·
lighter vegetarian cheese enchilada casserole

Truth be told, after the birth of our son, my husband (Mike) and I fell into what some might affectionately call a “dinner rut.”  Our dinners were something quick and easy for Mike to whip together while I took care of putting the baby to bed.  And the rotation went something like this: pizza (frozen), pasta (fresh ravioli), Pei Wei (sesame chicken!), and eggs (which later morphed into “p’eggs”).  We were tired.  We were hungry.  Sometimes we had pizza 2 nights in a row.  After many many months we were ready for a change.  The baby was older and bedtime a bit more predictable.  It was time to dig into my recipe archives, and the revival of Cheese Enchilada Casserole was born.

Cheese Enchilada Casserole is an easy weeknight meal that’s full of flavor and is healthy too.  With some advance prep work it can easily be assembled and on the table in around 30 minutes.  There are countless variations that can evolve from this basic recipe – add chicken or black beans, vary the cheese or tomatoes or sauce.  Yet it’s just as tasty prepared in the version written below.

Cheese Enchilada Casserole
 
Print
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 cup (8 oz) fat free cottage cheese
  • 1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 bunch green onions, chopped
  • 15 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 cup taco sauce
  • ¼ cup (1 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
  • 9 6" corn tortillas
  • Cooking spray
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 13 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. Mix first 6 ingredients, through chili powder, in bowl. [This step can be done in advance]
  3. Place 3 corn tortillas in baking dish. Top tortillas with ½ of cheese mixture. Repeat. Top final layer with 3 corn tortillas.
  4. Pour taco sauce over tortillas and top with ¼ cup cheddar cheese.
  5. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Slice into 4 pieces and serve.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Filed Under: gluten free, healthy, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: , , , ,

Crustless Broccoli Cheddar Quiche

May 26, 2011 ·

Welcome to Alida’s Kitchen!  For my inaugural post, I am sharing with you a tasty crustless quiche recipe made with a few simple ingredients.  It is so easy to put together!  The cheddar cheese really adds a nice flavor to this egg dish, and broccoli adds great texture.  My husband and I enjoyed this quiche for dinner with a side salad (and leftovers made for great lunches the next day!), although it would be excellent for a brunch or anytime really. 
 

Crustless Broccoli Cheddar Quiche
Adapted from Everyday Food

10 oz. frozen broccoli florets
6 large eggs
1/2 cup fat free half and half
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Ground pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) cheddar cheese
Cooking spray

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 inch pie dish with cooking spray.  Set aside.
  2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.  Add broccoli; cook 1 minute.  Drain well; transfer to a cutting board and blot dry with paper towels.  Chop coarsely.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half and nutmeg.  Add ground pepper to taste.  Stir in broccoli and cheese.
  4. Pour broccoli mixture into pie plate and bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

Yields 4 servings

Thank you for visiting Alida’s Kitchen.  Have a happy day!

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , ,