Cook Once Eat Twice | Boneless Chicken

Here’s one of our favorites.  This really isn’t a “recipe” per se… it’s more of a “technique (and that’s stretching it too!).

IMG_4252I started making this when I was at the grocery and found a large package of boneless skinless chicken breasts at a great price in “it’s marked down – use it today” section.  Knowing that it really needed to be cooked that afternoon, I decided I would just put it all in the oven together and cook it all at once.

I must admit that this is a variation of Ina Garten’s method of roasting whole chicken breasts to use the meat for  casseroles and such.  I believe she did this on an old episode of “Barefoot Contessa” when she was making potpie.

Here’s what I do:

Set up and assembly line consisting of the clean chicken breasts, a bowl of olive oil, a plate with seasoning and a large cookie sheet.

IMG_4248

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Using your hands/fingers, rub the entire chicken breast (lightly) with olive oil.  Side note: be sure to pour some oil into a bowl as you will contaminate the oil with your “raw chicken fingers”.

Put the oiled chicken into the seasoning that you have poured onto a plate.  I like to use a premixed chicken seasoning from the spice aisle (McCormick’s makes a good chicken rub).  Cover both sides and then place it on the cookie sheet.

Put the thicker chicken breast on the outside and the thinner ones on the inside if you can.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink inside.

Slice the chicken into strips.

Our first dinner consisted of a large tossed salad with chicken strips.

The second meal was sooo easy!  For dinner two nights later, I sauteed some fresh veggies in a non-stick skillet.  When they were soft enough I tossed in some of the chicken strips and poured in some Light Italian Salad dressing (1/4 cup maybe?).  We ate that over rice and boy was it good!

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A Simple Dinner

Valerie Bertinelli is featured on a recent Jenny Craig commercial and she is almost in tears as she admits that this year her New Years Resolutions did not have to include her weight.  Mine didn’t either.  But then I ate like a pig over the Holidays.  And gained five pounds.  And can hardly fit into my pants.  And refuse to buy new ones.

So, the resolution began.  I am doing the Weight Watcher thangy.   It works for me.  I don’t go to the meetings or the weigh-ins any more – I just use the little points calculator and stay within my points.  And when the weight drops back off I’ll be allowed to eat like a real girl should.

I am surprised to find that I am having very little trouble with it this go round.  Of course it’s only the second week.  The hubby is doing it too so maybe that’s why it’s easier this time.

Regardless, I felt compelled to use that weight loss story as an intro to this dish.  Maybe because this  recipe was made for supper because it fit into my points plan. I really wanted to post something from Ina Garten’s new cookbook so I did roast some zucchini – which didn’t have all the fun veggies in it that Ina used for her roasted vegetables.  And really isn’t a recipe from her now.  Hey, I had a zucchini in the fridge and there’s a foot a new snow on the ground today.  That’s my excuse.

The view from the back porch

The view from the back porch

So, here it is.  A lower fat supper that is quick, easy and pretty darned tasty.

teriyaki-chicken

Chicken Teriyaki

Serves 5

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup sugar

3 tsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. water (may need more if your sauce is thick)

1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced

3/4 tsp. ground ginger

5 boneless chicken breasts (I used 8 Tyson frozen chicken tenderloins)

Combine all sauce ingredients in a non-stick skillet.  Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about three minutes.

Add chicken.

Cook for about 45 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally.

Didn’t I say it was easy?  While that simmered I did some plain white rice.  I also cubed up a zucchini, tossed it in just a bit of olive oil, kosher salt and ground pepper.  Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes.  Turn about half way through if you like the sides to all get browned.

Kinda’ boring tonight but it is fast, easy and can be made with chicken straight from the freezer. Enjoy!