Share a Spoon - Souper Chicken Pot Pie

 

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Share a Spoon
"Chicken Pot Pie SOUP!"

This week is all about that belly warming, comforting down to your toes, gotta eat it with a spoon....SOUP!  Last week, my good friend Andrea over at Good Girl Gone Redneck tweeted me up.  She was asking what the theme was last week because she couldn't find it (hangs head in shame) but there wasn't a theme.  I flaked out on my blog last week.  I have been a little overwhelmed with the whole going back to work, getting back on schedule, kids back to school, cooking, cleaning....being the mom, chauffeur, cook, maid, etc.....
Anygoodfornothinglameexcuse, I tweeted to @goodgirlgonered that she could have this week's theme....SOUP.  She has some yummy chowder to share with us!  Yeah for participation!  *ahem*
When I was thinking of recipes to share this week, I kept craving chicken pot pie.  I thought, I can make that into a soup!  So...I put those flavors into my soup pot...I thickened up the soup a bit, topped it with a biscuit.  SCORE!  I love chicken pot pie.  It reminds me of when I was little.  Chicken pot pie is like Electric Co., Bert and Ernie, Grover the Waiter, The Count, Oscar the Grouch and the Kool-Aid Guy all wrapped up in a warm blanket!  The only thing you'll be missing is Cookie Monster...but hey, grab a cookie for dessert and you'll be set!
You are remembering those little tins with pot pies in them now aren't you?  I loved those when I was little.  Then when I grew up, I found the grown up version of those in the freezer case...made by a famous Marie.  I fell in love all over again.  Then Marie broke my heart.  I read the label on her perfect pot pie box!  HOLY HELL talk about blowing a month's worth of fat grams for one little pot pie.  So...I had to break up with her.
This soup will bring you back to those childhood memories, satisfy that craving, AND???  It's waaaaaay less fat and calories than that famous Marie's version.  Now, mind you...I took out the "pie", crust that is.  The biscuit will replace that, and really, you could omit that if you wanted.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts diced4-5 medium gold potatoes diced4-5 large carrots diced4 stalks celery diced1 large onion diced2 large cloves garlic grated4 stems thymesalt n' pepper8 cups chicken stock1 cup frozen peas2 Tablespoons corn starch1/2 cup cold water1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

In a large heavy bottom soup pot over medium high heat, brown diced chicken in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.
Once chicken is cooked through (about 6-8 minutes), add grated garlic, onions, carrots, potatoes, celery and throw in the thyme.  Stir will and let the veggies cook for about 5 minutes.
Add 8 cups of chicken stock.  Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork tender.
Dissolve corn starch in cold water.  Stir into soup.  Add cream.  Bring the soup back to a boil.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove the thyme stems.  All the leaves will have fallen off and into the soup.
Cook biscuits.  I'll share my tip here.  I buy the frozen biscuits.  They are in the freezer case at the grocery store.  Not the refrigerated case, the freezer case.  Don't give me any grief.  Look, I've told ya'll...I can make anything I want, except a biscuit.  Don't tell me I can do it, Paula Deen herself could not help me make a biscuit.  It's my nemesis, my kryptonite.  I've tried!  Like a gazillion times.
Moving right along....top your soup with a biscuit (frozen or otherwise) and serve.  If you can make fabulous biscuits?  Bully for you.  Bite me!
Kidding.  Sort of.
This soup takes little effort and is so freaking yummy!  You'll love it, I promise.  Best part is, you won't hate yourself for eating that pot pie!
Now, get off your badonkadonks and type up your favorite soup to SHARE with us this week!  Do it!  Do it now!
Leave me some love and since we are getting to the season of sharing and FOOD, tell me what you want to see here on #ShareaSpoon in the weeks to come!

#ShareaSpoon - Parmesan Chicken Strips

 

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Share a Spoon
"Chicken Boobs"

Images provided via Google Images

I am really glad that Stephanie of Babes Rockin' Mami and Steph's Rockin' Bakery asked for a chicken theme this week.  I love chicken.  She specifically asked for the breasts!  Um....that's pretty much all I eat.  I know that most chef-types, cook-types, food people prefer dark meat.  They say it's more flavorful, more juicy, blah, blah....whatever.  I don't like the dark parts of the chicken.  It's....well....slimy.   I'm comfortable with myself....I'll just say it.... I AM A BOOB GIRL!
When I go to grocery shopping, I buy chicken at the wholesale clubs.  Unless it's on sale for a ridiculous price at the local grocery store.  I usually buy two 10lb bags of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  I can get 10lb bags for $19.99 which makes it $1.99 per pound.  I can make that chicken go a long, long way for my family.  Depending on the size of the breasts, which are usually pretty large, 2 breasts usually will feed my whole family in chicken soup, chicken and rice, chicken pot pot, chicken and dumplings, and the list continues!
We do so many things here at Casa di Romano with chicken breasts.  I bake it,  BDC grills it, throw it in the slow cooker, and I cut it up and make it part of all sorts of yummy goodness.  I have some tips for you Smackers!  Many of those chefy-types, cook-types and other food people I mentioned earlier don't like white meat because it gets dry.  At least that's the complaint.  Um....don't over cook it!  When we grill our breasts and when we bake them, I usually make sure they are still half frozen.  Juicy chicken every single time!
I marinate chicken breasts as well.  For best results, take your frozen chicken breasts out, put them in a zip top bag, add your marinade, Italian dressing, whatever you like as flavoring and put in the fridge the night before.  Many of the store bought marinades say 30 minutes.  Yeah...um...do it overnight.  WAY MORE FLAVAH!
My kids favorite thing is chicken tenders.  I make them baked, however, I also fry them on occasion.  I NEVER buy chicken tenders in the store.  For one thing, they are always expensive.  Another problem is they are really thin, which causes them to get dried out.  So, in order to make chicken tenders, I cut boneless skinless chicken breasts into tender sized strips.  I promise, once you try them this way, you won't buy the tenders anymore.  The thickness of the breast cut into strips gives a better mouth feel once you bake them or fry them!
Parmesan Chicken Breast Strips
4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips2 cups all purpose flour1 Tablespoon paprika1 teaspoon cayenne pepper1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon seasoned salt1 teaspoon kosher salt1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper3 extra large eggs3-4 dashes hot sauce1/2 cup milk or cream2 cups seasoned bread crumbs1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cut boneless skinless breasts into even strips.  You should get 4-5 strips per breast.
Set up 3 shallow baking dishes.  In one mix flour and all spices.  The second mix eggs, milk and hot sauce.  In the last mix bread crumbs and grated Parmesan.
Season your strips with salt and pepper.
Dip dry strips in flour.  Shake off excess.  Dip floured strip into egg mixture.  
Roll strips in bread crumbs and Parmesan mixture.  Place coated strip on a baking sheet.
In a large pot for frying, bring peanut oil (canola would be fine)  up to 360 degrees.  Gently drop 4-5 strips into hot oil one at a time.  Fry tenders for 5-6 minutes until nicely browned.
Remove from oil and allow to drain on paper towels or brown paper bags.
Now, don't be scared of the cayenne pepper or the hot sauce.  These tenders are not "spicy".  My mom doesn't like spicy anything and she loves these.  It just adds the ever elusive "FLAVAH" we all search for!  Don't be scared of the frying either!  When things are fried at the right temperature, they are greasy! One more thing, and this is IMPORTANT!  Are you listening?  You can bake frozen chicken, and you can grill frozen chicken, but DO NOT FRY frozen chicken!  EVER!
Ok...now...it your turn to share a boob recipe!  Get your chicken on!  Also, click that Facebook "LIKE" button over there on the right for me!   

Share a Spoon - Crunchy Ranch Chicken Tenders

 

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Share a Spoon
"Cereal, It's not just for Breakfast!"
Stephanie over at The Blue Zoo came up with this week's theme.  She has been one of my most faithful Share a Spoon contributors, and friends over the past year.  I puffy heart her!  She makes really awesome cookies as an aside!  Yep, we swapped cookies in a cookie swap.  I was super excited that Steph and I got partnered up because I know she can bake!
Now, I know that everyone has had some version of the recipe I'm going to share today, but, I think my additions to the original will make your taste buds do a happy dance!  You Smackers know that I am not big on frying things.  This recipe will please your cravings for something crispy without all the guilt of deep frying.

Crunchy Ranch "Oven-Fried" Chicken Tenders
2 lbs Chicken tenders2 cups low-fat Buttermilk1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper the tenders.  Sprinkle with the cayenne pepper.  Add the chicken to a large zip top plastic bag and cover with the buttermilk.  Massage the chicken to evenly distribute the seasonings.  Refrigerate for 2 hours.
3-4 cups Cornflakes cereal1 package powdered Buttermilk Ranch dressing3 eggs (or equivalent egg substitute) plus water for egg washFlour for dusting.
Blitz the cornflakes and Ranch powder mix in the food processor until the cornflakes are crushed.
Set up three shallow dishes.  In one put the flour.  
In the second, whisk the eggs with 1/4 cup of water.  Add a dash or two of hot sauce if desired.
Last set up is the ranch cornflakes.
Remove the tenders from the buttermilk.  Drain all excess liquid.  Lightly dredge in the flour.  Shake off all excess flour.
Dip in the egg mixture.  The flour will help the egg wash adhere.
Roll the tender in the cornflake mix.
Place the tenders on a prepared baking sheet with aluminum foil and cooking spray.  (or use the non-stick aluminum foil)
Cook on 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  (Depends on the size of your tenders and your oven baking times.)
Cook's Note:  This recipe can easily be adapted for boneless skinless chicken breasts.  Just make sure the breasts are all evenly sized and not too thick.  You'll need to cook the breasts a little longer as well.  If you use large(ish) breasts, decrease the heat to 325 degrees and cook for about an hour.  This will allow the chicken to cook through without burning the coating.

There you have it Smackers!  Next time you see that Cornflakes cereal on sale B1G1 free and you have coupons, and you think to yourself, no one will eat that, remember, there are plenty of things you can do with those Cornflakes!!
Now, leave me some love.  Then go type up your favorite cereal recipe.  Then link up with us!!  As always, I'm open to suggestions.  Let me know what YOU want to host here on Share a Spoon.

Share a Spoon - Slim n' Trim Chicken

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Share a Spoon
Trim n' Slim
My good buddy @QuesoBonito aka Alicia from It Ain't Easy Being Cheesy chose this week's theme.  I have gotten great responses from the masses about offering up FIGURE FRIENDLY meals this week.  So everyone say THANK YOU ALICIA!  Then when you're done here, go give her some love and kisses.  She'll be needing them since we are all off the chocolate going slim and trim for the new year.  :P
I originally shared this recipe over at Lose It Bitches, you know, my 2010 resolution that crashed and burned.  Not the site, just the weight loss goal.  While I did lose some weight last year, the first six months went much better than the last six months.  *sigh*  I plan to revive the site this year.  Just have to get over a few humps in life first. 

Bach, Bach.....CHICKEN!  I love Chicken.  Like seriously, I could eat chicken every single day and never get tired of it.  I know most people aren't that way, and that people get tired of the same ol' same ol'.  But here's the thing, you could eat chicken everyday and never have the same dish twice.  It is the most versatile meat.  I know lots of you out there don't like the white meat because it dries out, blah, blah, blah.

It only dries out if you cook it too long.  I thought I would share some tips and a quick recipe with you today bitches Smackers!  I marinate my chicken quite often.  One of my favorites and my family's too, is Italian Dressing.  You just take whatever your favorite Italian Dressing (there are some really great lowfat or fat free variations out there now) is, and enough chicken breasts to feed your family.  Take a large Ziploc plastic bag.  Add your boneless skinless chicken, your dressing and put it in the fridge.  Easy right?

I bake chicken this way, grill it, broil it, and I have even sauteed it in a skillet.  It's fantastic regardless of how you choose to cook it.  Cook this chicken anyway you want.  Then add the best topper ever.

Ingredients:

3-4 tomatoes seeded and chopped
1 clove of garlic grated
3-4 Tablespoons of FRESH basil julienned
About 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper
About a cup of shredded Asiago Cheese (depending on how many breasts you have)


In a large bowl mix your tomatoes.  (To seed them, remove the top and bottom of the tomato.  Over the garbage can, sink or another bowl, squeeze the juice and seeds from the tomato.)  Roll your basil bunches together after removing the stems and slice very thin.  Add to bowl.  Grate one large fresh garlic clove over the mixture.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper.  Top with olive oil.  Stir mixture well.

Top your cooked chicken with the tomato mixture and place in the oven on 400 degrees  for 4-5 minutes.  Just long enough to warm the tomato mixture through.  Remove from oven and top with the Asiago Cheese.
Voila!  Best chicken ever!

 (Image from Google images.  Yours should have more Cheese.)

So...now it's your turn.  Share your favorite lower calorie, lower fat recipe with us.  Then leave me what you would like to see in the coming week for themes on Share a Spoon.  THEN, go link up with me, and don't forget to go visit our HOSTESS with the MOSTEST!