Simple Turkey Piccata with Grilled Lemon Broccolini

This light and simple turkey piccata is a great weeknight dinner when your bored with the usual plain chicken breast. The sauce is light and very fresh and flavorful. A simple side of grilled lemon broccolini pairs beautifully for a healthy dinner. If your looking for small and simple Thanksgiving dinner idea, and don't need to buy a large whole turkey, this is a great substitute. 

We have been spending a ton of time outdoors lately seeing as the weather here in Phoenix is too gorgeous to pass up a reader recently scolded me for not bragging about the weather more. Actually, what she said was "I'm so sick and tired of people not bragging about the weather in Arizona more." 

My bad. 

I'm too busy enjoying it to sit at the computer and write about it I suppose. Plus, who likes a bragger anyway? pshhh!

The boys were in a big Veterans Day parade here in the Valley yesterday and we spend all day soaking in the sights and the sun. I haven't been able to sit in front of the computer for more than a few minutes at a time because the outdoors are calling to me! It's finally hiking 'season' Yayyyy! So pardon my short posts this month please. ;}

Recipe from Cooking Light October 2013




SERVES  8        TIME 20 MINUTES

Ingredients

• 8 (3-ounce) turkey cutlets  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided 
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon sliced garlic
• 3/4 cup dry white wine 
• 1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock 
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. 1. Sprinkle turkey evenly with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 4 cutlets to pan, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove cutlets from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and cutlets.
2. 2. Add 1 tablespoon butter to pan. Add shallots and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Increase heat to high. Add wine; bring to a boil, and cook 2 minutes, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Combine chicken stock and flour, stirring with a whisk. Add stock mixture to pan, and bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter, juice, and capers. Pour sauce over cutlets; sprinkle with parsley.

Simple Turkey Piccata with Grilled Lemon Broccolini

Posted by admin

This light and simple turkey piccata is a great weeknight dinner when your bored with the usual plain chicken breast. The sauce is light and very fresh and flavorful. A simple side of grilled lemon broccolini pairs beautifully for a healthy dinner. If your looking for small and simple Thanksgiving dinner idea, and don't need to buy a large whole turkey, this is a great substitute. 

We have been spending a ton of time outdoors lately seeing as the weather here in Phoenix is too gorgeous to pass up a reader recently scolded me for not bragging about the weather more. Actually, what she said was "I'm so sick and tired of people not bragging about the weather in Arizona more." 

My bad. 

I'm too busy enjoying it to sit at the computer and write about it I suppose. Plus, who likes a bragger anyway? pshhh!

The boys were in a big Veterans Day parade here in the Valley yesterday and we spend all day soaking in the sights and the sun. I haven't been able to sit in front of the computer for more than a few minutes at a time because the outdoors are calling to me! It's finally hiking 'season' Yayyyy! So pardon my short posts this month please. ;}

Recipe from Cooking Light October 2013




SERVES  8        TIME 20 MINUTES

Ingredients

• 8 (3-ounce) turkey cutlets  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided 
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon sliced garlic
• 3/4 cup dry white wine 
• 1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock 
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. 1. Sprinkle turkey evenly with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 4 cutlets to pan, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove cutlets from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and cutlets.
2. 2. Add 1 tablespoon butter to pan. Add shallots and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Increase heat to high. Add wine; bring to a boil, and cook 2 minutes, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Combine chicken stock and flour, stirring with a whisk. Add stock mixture to pan, and bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter, juice, and capers. Pour sauce over cutlets; sprinkle with parsley.

Chinese Chicken Salad with Honey-Peanut Dressing

This absolutely falls into the "What to make when you don't feel like making dinner" category. 

I even used a store bought rotisserie chicken (gasp!) because, well, I really didn't feel like doing a damn thing involving the oven yesterday. I blame the crazy, unrelenting heat here in Phoenix. You're probably tired of my using that excuse and quite frankly I'm tired too. All of us Zonies deal with the triple scorching digits in our own way May through August but I gotta tell you, come mid September, I personally am spent. Done and down right cranky.

We didn't even get an honest to goodness Monsoon this year! This may not sound like a bad thing if you live in the mid-west or maybe in Japan.  Complaining about  not  getting 80+ mph winds and feet upon feet of rushing waters because the bone dry, compacted desert ground can't absorb it fast enough might sound crazy if you in fact did not live in the South Western deserts of Arizona. You must keep in mind that even the tall and mighty saguaro start looking parched and pathetic by the end of a summer were temperatures have been consistently averaging around 115F.  Every. Single. Day. 

This salad was a welcomed treat for a weeknight dinner. The kiddos thought it "looked pretty" with all of the colors and loved the honey-peanut sauce which made the veggies "taste yummier". 

This could very easily be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken. You would still have a lot of protein from the peanut sauce and the bean sprouts which are a wonderful source of protein. Also, you could use tahini (a sesame paste with a milder flavor than peanut) if you prefer.

The Crunch Factor in this salad makes it very filling. I used baby clementines instead of canned mandarin oranges this time because I had a big gab of them on the counter. I much preferred the fresh taste but the little seeds in them were annoying to pick out in each bite especially with all of the other crunchiness going on.



 juice from the mandarin oranges
tablespoon at a time of warm water to thin to desired consistency

PREP TIME  15 MINUTES        SERVES   6


INGREDIENTS

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 head Napa cabbage, chopped
1 large handful fresh bean sprouts
1 red bell pepper cut in strips
1 bunch green onions, chopped
handful of packaged julienned carrots
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
small handful of chopped peanuts
1 can mandarin oranges, reserve juice

1 tablespoon (no added sugar) peanut butter (or tahini)
1tablespoon local, Organic honey
1tablespoon tamari


Putting it all together

In a large bowl combine all veggies and toss together.
Add chopped chicken and toss.
In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, honey, soy sauce juice and water.
Drizzle the sauce over the salad and sprinkle with nuts.

Tamari Soy Sauce, Wheat Free, Organic

Chinese Chicken Salad with Honey-Peanut Dressing

Posted by admin

This absolutely falls into the "What to make when you don't feel like making dinner" category. 

I even used a store bought rotisserie chicken (gasp!) because, well, I really didn't feel like doing a damn thing involving the oven yesterday. I blame the crazy, unrelenting heat here in Phoenix. You're probably tired of my using that excuse and quite frankly I'm tired too. All of us Zonies deal with the triple scorching digits in our own way May through August but I gotta tell you, come mid September, I personally am spent. Done and down right cranky.

We didn't even get an honest to goodness Monsoon this year! This may not sound like a bad thing if you live in the mid-west or maybe in Japan.  Complaining about  not  getting 80+ mph winds and feet upon feet of rushing waters because the bone dry, compacted desert ground can't absorb it fast enough might sound crazy if you in fact did not live in the South Western deserts of Arizona. You must keep in mind that even the tall and mighty saguaro start looking parched and pathetic by the end of a summer were temperatures have been consistently averaging around 115F.  Every. Single. Day. 

This salad was a welcomed treat for a weeknight dinner. The kiddos thought it "looked pretty" with all of the colors and loved the honey-peanut sauce which made the veggies "taste yummier". 

This could very easily be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken. You would still have a lot of protein from the peanut sauce and the bean sprouts which are a wonderful source of protein. Also, you could use tahini (a sesame paste with a milder flavor than peanut) if you prefer.

The Crunch Factor in this salad makes it very filling. I used baby clementines instead of canned mandarin oranges this time because I had a big gab of them on the counter. I much preferred the fresh taste but the little seeds in them were annoying to pick out in each bite especially with all of the other crunchiness going on.



 juice from the mandarin oranges
tablespoon at a time of warm water to thin to desired consistency

PREP TIME  15 MINUTES        SERVES   6


INGREDIENTS

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 head Napa cabbage, chopped
1 large handful fresh bean sprouts
1 red bell pepper cut in strips
1 bunch green onions, chopped
handful of packaged julienned carrots
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
small handful of chopped peanuts
1 can mandarin oranges, reserve juice

1 tablespoon (no added sugar) peanut butter (or tahini)
1tablespoon local, Organic honey
1tablespoon tamari


Putting it all together

In a large bowl combine all veggies and toss together.
Add chopped chicken and toss.
In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, honey, soy sauce juice and water.
Drizzle the sauce over the salad and sprinkle with nuts.

Tamari Soy Sauce, Wheat Free, Organic

Sweet and Smokey Slow Cooked Garbanzo Beans on Flax Seed Crepes and a Set of Spices and Flavored Salt from Gourmet Nut Give Away!

Nothing beats a slow cooked dish that makes your mouth water from the sweet and smokey flavors wafting through your home all day. And when the flavors have soaked into your slowly cooked chicken and garbanzo beans and you can finally spoon the contents from your slow cooker and place them in a super healthy, simple home made wrap, you are basically giddy with joy. Pure bliss I tell you.

Sure you could throw the onion into the slow cooker and cook it all day with the rest of the stuff, but I have a strange affection for searing my onions until they are beautifully browned.  I could eat them by the spoonful that way.

The fine people from Gourmet Nut sent me a nice goodie box filled with their trail mixes, power snacks  and some pink and smoked sea salts to try. They also sent me some of their different spices/rubs to hang out with. We were more than eager to try out the Coffee Steak Rub on our T-Bones and I massaged my fillet Mignon with the Sweet and Smokey Steak Rub.


Mouth watering, sweet Heaven coming from our grill.



I was quickly addicted to the Sweet and Smokey rub and had to come up with a weekday dish other than steak which we only eat on rare occasion. So when I saw these tacos using smoked paprika over at Family Style Food I immediately knew what I had to do.

Crazy simple and insanely delicious, even picky eaters 2 and 4 loved these!  You can easily make these vegetarian/vegan by omitting the chicken but I knew my little guys would be more willing to eat them with just a bit of chicken in them.

Gourmet Nut is going to give away a Set of their spices and flavored salts to not one but THREE lucky Simply Healthy Family readers!

Please visit Gourmet Nut and tell me which spices or salts are your fav and what you would make with them! This isn't mandatory but I am interested at all of the possibilities with their range of 

salts and spices!

serves    6          Time |   prep  15   cook  8 hours    

ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped white onion

½-1 of a jalapeno pepper, seeds and veins removed, minced

1 1/2 cups dry garbanzo beans 

2 chicken thighs, bone in

4 cups chicken broth, veggie broth or water

1 tablespoon Gourmet Nut Sweet and Smokey steak rub

1 teaspoon salt

Optional Garnishes:

cilantro

avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

1 ripe tomato, sliced

Arugula greens

shredded sharp cheddar cheese

instructions

1. rinse and drain dried garbanzo beans. soak garbanzo beans overnight in plenty of water, this step is important.
2. in the morning drain the garbanzo beans and add to your slow cooker along with broth or water, salt and sweet and smokey spice. add bone in chicken thighs. cook on low setting for 8-10 hours till beans are soft. do not lift lid during this time.
3. make tortillas, recipe below.
4. when beans are done, sauté onion in olive oil over high heat till browned, add jalapeno and cook 2 more minutes.
5. Using a fork, shred the chicken off the bone and stir into beans, discard bones and skin.
6. spoon mixture onto tortillas, top with onion and garnishes.

notes: This is easily converted to a vegetarian meal by omitting the chicken. Also, in a pinch you can use canned garbanzo beans (chick peas)

Recipe adapted from  Wheat Belly Cookbook

MAKES   4 wraps       time   15 minutes

Flax seed Wraps

1/3 cup flax meal (ground flax seeds)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing the pan

2 tablespoons water

2 eggs

1. In a small bowl, mix together the flax meal, baking powder, onion powder, paprika and salt. Stir in coconut oil. Beat in the water and eggs until blended.
2. Heat a small, non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Add a bit of oil to lightly coat the pan. Pour in a small amount of the batter to just thinly coat the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until small bubbles form on the top and you can easily get a rubber spatula under the wrap. 
3. Carefully, flip the wrap over using a rubber spatula. Cook and additional minute. Remove from heat, repeat. 

notes: I suggest making a big batch of these and refrigerating or freezing them. They will keep in the fridge for several days and can be used in place of tortillas or as a sandwich wrap. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sweet and Smokey Slow Cooked Garbanzo Beans on Flax Seed Crepes and a Set of Spices and Flavored Salt from Gourmet Nut Give Away!

Posted by admin

Nothing beats a slow cooked dish that makes your mouth water from the sweet and smokey flavors wafting through your home all day. And when the flavors have soaked into your slowly cooked chicken and garbanzo beans and you can finally spoon the contents from your slow cooker and place them in a super healthy, simple home made wrap, you are basically giddy with joy. Pure bliss I tell you.

Sure you could throw the onion into the slow cooker and cook it all day with the rest of the stuff, but I have a strange affection for searing my onions until they are beautifully browned.  I could eat them by the spoonful that way.

The fine people from Gourmet Nut sent me a nice goodie box filled with their trail mixes, power snacks  and some pink and smoked sea salts to try. They also sent me some of their different spices/rubs to hang out with. We were more than eager to try out the Coffee Steak Rub on our T-Bones and I massaged my fillet Mignon with the Sweet and Smokey Steak Rub.


Mouth watering, sweet Heaven coming from our grill.



I was quickly addicted to the Sweet and Smokey rub and had to come up with a weekday dish other than steak which we only eat on rare occasion. So when I saw these tacos using smoked paprika over at Family Style Food I immediately knew what I had to do.

Crazy simple and insanely delicious, even picky eaters 2 and 4 loved these!  You can easily make these vegetarian/vegan by omitting the chicken but I knew my little guys would be more willing to eat them with just a bit of chicken in them.

Gourmet Nut is going to give away a Set of their spices and flavored salts to not one but THREE lucky Simply Healthy Family readers!

Please visit Gourmet Nut and tell me which spices or salts are your fav and what you would make with them! This isn't mandatory but I am interested at all of the possibilities with their range of 

salts and spices!

serves    6          Time |   prep  15   cook  8 hours    

ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped white onion

½-1 of a jalapeno pepper, seeds and veins removed, minced

1 1/2 cups dry garbanzo beans 

2 chicken thighs, bone in

4 cups chicken broth, veggie broth or water

1 tablespoon Gourmet Nut Sweet and Smokey steak rub

1 teaspoon salt

Optional Garnishes:

cilantro

avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

1 ripe tomato, sliced

Arugula greens

shredded sharp cheddar cheese

instructions

1. rinse and drain dried garbanzo beans. soak garbanzo beans overnight in plenty of water, this step is important.
2. in the morning drain the garbanzo beans and add to your slow cooker along with broth or water, salt and sweet and smokey spice. add bone in chicken thighs. cook on low setting for 8-10 hours till beans are soft. do not lift lid during this time.
3. make tortillas, recipe below.
4. when beans are done, sauté onion in olive oil over high heat till browned, add jalapeno and cook 2 more minutes.
5. Using a fork, shred the chicken off the bone and stir into beans, discard bones and skin.
6. spoon mixture onto tortillas, top with onion and garnishes.

notes: This is easily converted to a vegetarian meal by omitting the chicken. Also, in a pinch you can use canned garbanzo beans (chick peas)

Recipe adapted from  Wheat Belly Cookbook

MAKES   4 wraps       time   15 minutes

Flax seed Wraps

1/3 cup flax meal (ground flax seeds)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing the pan

2 tablespoons water

2 eggs

1. In a small bowl, mix together the flax meal, baking powder, onion powder, paprika and salt. Stir in coconut oil. Beat in the water and eggs until blended.
2. Heat a small, non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Add a bit of oil to lightly coat the pan. Pour in a small amount of the batter to just thinly coat the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until small bubbles form on the top and you can easily get a rubber spatula under the wrap. 
3. Carefully, flip the wrap over using a rubber spatula. Cook and additional minute. Remove from heat, repeat. 

notes: I suggest making a big batch of these and refrigerating or freezing them. They will keep in the fridge for several days and can be used in place of tortillas or as a sandwich wrap. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Coconut Crusted Baked Chicken Strips {gluten free}

I remember when I was in college I thought grabbing some chicken fingers at Wendy's was a healthier choice than grabbing a cheeseburger, I mean no bread right? Wrong, duh me. I'm not going to lie, I still love a good, crispy chicken nugget but avoid the drive through like crazy nowadays. It's a good thing, a very, very good thing that home made chicken nuggets happen to be one of the very easiest things you can make. Yippee!







Anyone can make these even if you don't like to cook or it's not really your thing. This is one of my "go to" weeknight simple dinners. I'm bored to death with plain baked chicken not to mention the whole humane issue with eating cooped up chickens. Of course eating Organic & cage free chicken gets pricey when feeding a family of 6 so we don't have it very often.

These would be a perfect appetizer at a party!

When we do I make sure it's gonna be tasty and serve it up with lots of fruits and veggies. In this case, an amazingly sweet and creamy mango yogurt dipping sauce! I could have eaten it by the spoonful. Not ashamed.



One of my nutty kids doesn't like coconut (the shame) but the rest of us loved these sweet and crunchy chicken tenders and were more than happy to swipe Jack's chicken nuggets right of his plate. Ya gotta be quick around this joint when it comes to protecting your food and making sure you get the very last chicken nugget from the pan.

6-8 pieces chicken tenderloins (preferably Organic free range)

11/2 cups almond or other nut flour 

1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

4 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons milk (dairy free if possible)

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon oil for coating pan 

2 ripe mango's + 1/2 cup yogurt = mango dipping sauce

peel mango and slice fruit away from pit. Discard pit, place fruit into blender or food processor. Add yogurt, blend.

Preheat oven to 400F

Arrange 3 deep plates on counter. Add flour to one,  beaten eggs to the second and coconut to the third.

Working one at a time, place chicken tenders into flour and dredge on both sides to coat. Using your other hand, dip coated chicken into egg to coat. Next, lay chicken in coconut and dredge to coat, flip, coat other side.

Place on a lightly oiled pan or one lined with parchment. 

Continue to do this to remaining chicken. 

TIP 

 Only put half of the flour and half of the coconut onto plates as they will become gooey.

Half way through your chicken, quickly rinse off plates if needed and dry.

 Add remaining flour to one plate and remaining coconut to the other. 

Cook at 400F for 4-5 minutes. Using tongs, carefully flip the chicken pieces over. 

Cook an additional 5-6 minutes until golden brown.

Don't over cook chicken as it will become dry and taste like cardboard.

Enjoy!

Do you cook less when the weather gets warmer? 

What is your favorite warm weather dish?

Coconut Crusted Baked Chicken Strips {gluten free}

Posted by admin

I remember when I was in college I thought grabbing some chicken fingers at Wendy's was a healthier choice than grabbing a cheeseburger, I mean no bread right? Wrong, duh me. I'm not going to lie, I still love a good, crispy chicken nugget but avoid the drive through like crazy nowadays. It's a good thing, a very, very good thing that home made chicken nuggets happen to be one of the very easiest things you can make. Yippee!







Anyone can make these even if you don't like to cook or it's not really your thing. This is one of my "go to" weeknight simple dinners. I'm bored to death with plain baked chicken not to mention the whole humane issue with eating cooped up chickens. Of course eating Organic & cage free chicken gets pricey when feeding a family of 6 so we don't have it very often.

These would be a perfect appetizer at a party!

When we do I make sure it's gonna be tasty and serve it up with lots of fruits and veggies. In this case, an amazingly sweet and creamy mango yogurt dipping sauce! I could have eaten it by the spoonful. Not ashamed.



One of my nutty kids doesn't like coconut (the shame) but the rest of us loved these sweet and crunchy chicken tenders and were more than happy to swipe Jack's chicken nuggets right of his plate. Ya gotta be quick around this joint when it comes to protecting your food and making sure you get the very last chicken nugget from the pan.

6-8 pieces chicken tenderloins (preferably Organic free range)

11/2 cups almond or other nut flour 

1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

4 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons milk (dairy free if possible)

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon oil for coating pan 

2 ripe mango's + 1/2 cup yogurt = mango dipping sauce

peel mango and slice fruit away from pit. Discard pit, place fruit into blender or food processor. Add yogurt, blend.

Preheat oven to 400F

Arrange 3 deep plates on counter. Add flour to one,  beaten eggs to the second and coconut to the third.

Working one at a time, place chicken tenders into flour and dredge on both sides to coat. Using your other hand, dip coated chicken into egg to coat. Next, lay chicken in coconut and dredge to coat, flip, coat other side.

Place on a lightly oiled pan or one lined with parchment. 

Continue to do this to remaining chicken. 

TIP 

 Only put half of the flour and half of the coconut onto plates as they will become gooey.

Half way through your chicken, quickly rinse off plates if needed and dry.

 Add remaining flour to one plate and remaining coconut to the other. 

Cook at 400F for 4-5 minutes. Using tongs, carefully flip the chicken pieces over. 

Cook an additional 5-6 minutes until golden brown.

Don't over cook chicken as it will become dry and taste like cardboard.

Enjoy!

Do you cook less when the weather gets warmer? 

What is your favorite warm weather dish?

Apple Cider-Squash Penne with Swiss Chard, Toasted Walnuts and White Balsamic Cranberry Grilled Chicken.

It's been unusually cold and rainy here in Phoenix. Enough so that we had to dig through our closets and find our thick, cozy sweaters and dust them off accordingly. Even thought it has been in the low 40's when I wake up and head to work around 6 a.m. I still feel a bit silly piling on my mismatched layers of sweaters and jackets. It doesn't help that the only pair of mittens I own are both left handed. Odd.  and the only scarf I own is way dated and thread bear. I have to wrap it tightly around my neck several times to keep warm, which isn't easy to do wearing 2 left handed mittens.

So needless to say, I have been on a bit of a soup binge for the last couple of weeks. I love soup and have to get my fill before the temperatures jump to 80 next week. True story. Love Phoenix.

 I have the only kids in the Universe who aren't fans of spaghetti and meatballs. Maybe if I used a sugary pasta sauce instead of a home made marinara? 

They did love this pasta that I whipped up using one of the many boxes of healthy pasta that Barilla was kind enough to send me. This one is a "White Fiber" pasta and I dolled it up by roasting an  squash  and then blending it up with some apple cider. 

Just sweet enough to be a yummy dinner that everyone liked.

image source

Prep time     20 minutes           Cook time    50 minutes       Serves    6 

Ingredients:1 package Barilla White Fiber Penne Pasta1 small acorn or butternut squash2 chicken breasts1 small bunch Swiss or rainbow chard (preferably Organic)1 handful walnuts, chopped1 apple (Fuji, Macintosh, gala) diced1 cup apple cider or juice1/2 cup chicken broth (or water)3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar divided. (I used a white balsamic-cranberry)1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil divided1 teaspoon saltfreshly cracked pepper to taste (I used white pepper)

Putting it all together: 

Preheat oven to 400F. 

 Using a sharp paring knife, cut skin off of squash. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds and strings.  Cut into 1 inch pieces and place on grill pan  Bake at 400F for 30 minutes until a fork pierces flesh easily and squash is browned. Remove from oven, set aside to let cool slightly.

Cut chicken into thin strips. Place in small bowl and add 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon oil and a dash of cracked pepper.  Grill for 5-7 minutes on a hot grill pan, turning once. Remove, set aside. 

Meanwhile, wash chard and remove stems. Chop stems into 1/2 inch pieces, set aside. Chop leaves of chard into small pieces.  In a hot skillet add 1 tablespoon oil. Add chard stems, cook 2 minutes. Add leaves, cook 5 more minutes stirring occasionally. Add chopped apples. Cook 3-5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, toss to coat.  Cover and remove from heat. 

Cook pasta according to package directions. 

Place half of the cooked squash in a blender. Add apple cider, broth and salt. Blend till smooth and creamy adjusting liquid to desired consistency.  Drain pasta. Return to pot, turn off heat. Add squash mixture, toss to coat. Add chard, apple and squash pieces to pasta, toss to combine. 

Top with chicken.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Pasta can be a great source of good carbohydrates to fuel your body for exercise. When I make pasta I like to add lots of veggies, fruits and healthy toppings like nuts and good cheeses such as

 Romano and Parmesan. 

Barilla sent me a nice variety of their healthy pastas. I've cooked with Barilla Plus a few times before in my Pasta with White Clam Sauce.   They are offering to send a box full of a variety of their healthy pastas and an apron to TWO lucky Simply Healthy Family readers.

Barilla Pasta is a nutrient-rich, complex carbohydrate that is a good source of thiamin, folic acid, iron, riboflavin and niacin. It’s low in sodium and naturally cholesterol free.
Barilla PLUS offers a taste, color and texture as good as traditional Barilla pastas, and is a good source of protein, ALA omega-3 and fiber. It delivers 44 percent more protein and almost twice as much fiber than traditional pasta.

This time around I used the White Fiber pasta which they claim tastes just like regular pasta but with 3 X's the fiber and provides 30% of the DRV for whole grains all from natural ingredients.  Our family loved it!

With Barilla White Fiber, eating well can be fun for the whole family. Available in
three varieties, Mini Rotini, Mini Shells and Mini Penne, Barilla White Fiber looks
and tastes just like regular pasta, letting your whole family enjoy their favorite pasta
meals, while also providing them with a hidden boost of the fiber and whole grains
they need.

In order to win:

Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite healthy pasta dish is.

Not required to win, but greatly appreciated:
Follow Simply Healthy Family by signing up to recieving healthy recipes by email or adding Simply Healthy Family to your favorite reader or following me on GooglePlus.


TWO winners will be chosen at random on Thursday, January 31st. Winners will be notified by email so make sure you leave a valid email address in your comment.

One extra entry by Pinning an image from this post. Leave me a link so I can follow you!

Apple Cider-Squash Penne with Swiss Chard, Toasted Walnuts and White Balsamic Cranberry Grilled Chicken.

Posted by admin

It's been unusually cold and rainy here in Phoenix. Enough so that we had to dig through our closets and find our thick, cozy sweaters and dust them off accordingly. Even thought it has been in the low 40's when I wake up and head to work around 6 a.m. I still feel a bit silly piling on my mismatched layers of sweaters and jackets. It doesn't help that the only pair of mittens I own are both left handed. Odd.  and the only scarf I own is way dated and thread bear. I have to wrap it tightly around my neck several times to keep warm, which isn't easy to do wearing 2 left handed mittens.

So needless to say, I have been on a bit of a soup binge for the last couple of weeks. I love soup and have to get my fill before the temperatures jump to 80 next week. True story. Love Phoenix.

 I have the only kids in the Universe who aren't fans of spaghetti and meatballs. Maybe if I used a sugary pasta sauce instead of a home made marinara? 

They did love this pasta that I whipped up using one of the many boxes of healthy pasta that Barilla was kind enough to send me. This one is a "White Fiber" pasta and I dolled it up by roasting an  squash  and then blending it up with some apple cider. 

Just sweet enough to be a yummy dinner that everyone liked.

image source

Prep time     20 minutes           Cook time    50 minutes       Serves    6 

Ingredients:1 package Barilla White Fiber Penne Pasta1 small acorn or butternut squash2 chicken breasts1 small bunch Swiss or rainbow chard (preferably Organic)1 handful walnuts, chopped1 apple (Fuji, Macintosh, gala) diced1 cup apple cider or juice1/2 cup chicken broth (or water)3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar divided. (I used a white balsamic-cranberry)1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil divided1 teaspoon saltfreshly cracked pepper to taste (I used white pepper)

Putting it all together: 

Preheat oven to 400F. 

 Using a sharp paring knife, cut skin off of squash. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds and strings.  Cut into 1 inch pieces and place on grill pan  Bake at 400F for 30 minutes until a fork pierces flesh easily and squash is browned. Remove from oven, set aside to let cool slightly.

Cut chicken into thin strips. Place in small bowl and add 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon oil and a dash of cracked pepper.  Grill for 5-7 minutes on a hot grill pan, turning once. Remove, set aside. 

Meanwhile, wash chard and remove stems. Chop stems into 1/2 inch pieces, set aside. Chop leaves of chard into small pieces.  In a hot skillet add 1 tablespoon oil. Add chard stems, cook 2 minutes. Add leaves, cook 5 more minutes stirring occasionally. Add chopped apples. Cook 3-5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, toss to coat.  Cover and remove from heat. 

Cook pasta according to package directions. 

Place half of the cooked squash in a blender. Add apple cider, broth and salt. Blend till smooth and creamy adjusting liquid to desired consistency.  Drain pasta. Return to pot, turn off heat. Add squash mixture, toss to coat. Add chard, apple and squash pieces to pasta, toss to combine. 

Top with chicken.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Pasta can be a great source of good carbohydrates to fuel your body for exercise. When I make pasta I like to add lots of veggies, fruits and healthy toppings like nuts and good cheeses such as

 Romano and Parmesan. 

Barilla sent me a nice variety of their healthy pastas. I've cooked with Barilla Plus a few times before in my Pasta with White Clam Sauce.   They are offering to send a box full of a variety of their healthy pastas and an apron to TWO lucky Simply Healthy Family readers.

Barilla Pasta is a nutrient-rich, complex carbohydrate that is a good source of thiamin, folic acid, iron, riboflavin and niacin. It’s low in sodium and naturally cholesterol free.
Barilla PLUS offers a taste, color and texture as good as traditional Barilla pastas, and is a good source of protein, ALA omega-3 and fiber. It delivers 44 percent more protein and almost twice as much fiber than traditional pasta.

This time around I used the White Fiber pasta which they claim tastes just like regular pasta but with 3 X's the fiber and provides 30% of the DRV for whole grains all from natural ingredients.  Our family loved it!

With Barilla White Fiber, eating well can be fun for the whole family. Available in
three varieties, Mini Rotini, Mini Shells and Mini Penne, Barilla White Fiber looks
and tastes just like regular pasta, letting your whole family enjoy their favorite pasta
meals, while also providing them with a hidden boost of the fiber and whole grains
they need.

In order to win:

Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite healthy pasta dish is.

Not required to win, but greatly appreciated:
Follow Simply Healthy Family by signing up to recieving healthy recipes by email or adding Simply Healthy Family to your favorite reader or following me on GooglePlus.


TWO winners will be chosen at random on Thursday, January 31st. Winners will be notified by email so make sure you leave a valid email address in your comment.

One extra entry by Pinning an image from this post. Leave me a link so I can follow you!

Guest Post for Lazaro Cooks: Tahini Soba Noodles with Caramelized Jumbo Sea Scallops

I've been a fan of Lazaro Cooks since I started blogging a few years ago. His cooking style is what mine used  to be 3 or 4 kids ago. His take it or leave it  personality mimics mine and I love to read his blog while sipping a glass of red wine and longing for the day when I can cook amazing, grown up food with actual spices in it without having to clean it off of the walls afterwards.






I  love ethnic foods. Especially when it involves exotic spices and seafood. I also have a serious addiction to veggies and seafood. Even as a child I adored giant sea scallops and requested them for my birthday every single year along with Kahlua cake. My mom used to put cayenne in EVERYTHING from spaghetti, mixing it into peanut butter and sprinkling it on top of cottage cheese, so I grew up being accustomed to spicy foods. I have to hold back a bit on the spices with my little ones but am trying to build up a tolerance as we speak.

The kids loved this Tahini soba noodle dish slightly sweetened with honey and which I served to them with cubed chicken and saved the spicy-sweet jumbo sea scallops for my husband and myself. Tahini is a wonderfully mild paste made from toasted sesame seeds and commonly used in hummus. I've never been a big fan of peanut butter but love tahini's unique taste. Feel free to use peanut or almond butter in this if you wish.

Please head over to Lazaro Cooks for the recipe, it's simple, delicious and you'll  love  Laz's collection of recipes, I promise.

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Guest Post for Lazaro Cooks: Tahini Soba Noodles with Caramelized Jumbo Sea Scallops

Posted by admin

I've been a fan of Lazaro Cooks since I started blogging a few years ago. His cooking style is what mine used  to be 3 or 4 kids ago. His take it or leave it  personality mimics mine and I love to read his blog while sipping a glass of red wine and longing for the day when I can cook amazing, grown up food with actual spices in it without having to clean it off of the walls afterwards.






I  love ethnic foods. Especially when it involves exotic spices and seafood. I also have a serious addiction to veggies and seafood. Even as a child I adored giant sea scallops and requested them for my birthday every single year along with Kahlua cake. My mom used to put cayenne in EVERYTHING from spaghetti, mixing it into peanut butter and sprinkling it on top of cottage cheese, so I grew up being accustomed to spicy foods. I have to hold back a bit on the spices with my little ones but am trying to build up a tolerance as we speak.

The kids loved this Tahini soba noodle dish slightly sweetened with honey and which I served to them with cubed chicken and saved the spicy-sweet jumbo sea scallops for my husband and myself. Tahini is a wonderfully mild paste made from toasted sesame seeds and commonly used in hummus. I've never been a big fan of peanut butter but love tahini's unique taste. Feel free to use peanut or almond butter in this if you wish.

Please head over to Lazaro Cooks for the recipe, it's simple, delicious and you'll  love  Laz's collection of recipes, I promise.

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Saucy Mamma! Hawaiian Grilled Chicken-Pineapple Sandwiches with Home Made Terryaki Sauce

It's only a few weeks into Summer and already unbearably hot outside here in Phoenix. I have officially sworn off cooking or baking until October.... at least. Might as well unplug my stove. I'm done. I am however, o.k. with sending my dear husband outside to BBQ something wonderful for dinner. Hey, I'll put everything all together, all he has to do is stand there by the fire and look manly with a large pick fork and cold beer in hand. We have a nice pool that he can jump into any time he starts to scorch and feel a heat stroke coming on. Cush job right?


4th of July is coming up very soon. This Hawaiian Pineapple BBQ sandwich is my idea of a perfect backyard celebration. When paired with Grilled Corn on the cob, Watermelon Boats, Coconut-Berry Cake and Cherry Lime Aid Slushies next to the pool I'm in heaven!




Believe it or not, when asked what the fam would like to BBQ for special occasions the majority vote is always for these Hawaiian Chicken sandwiches. Maybe it's due in part to the fact that grilling steaks scares me. They never turn out good, let alone to die for. When you splurge and spend the money for high end steaks you expect them to be perfect, not fatty and grisly and either under or over cooked. I can see the raised, confused eyebrows now. Don't judge. We just don't eat read meat very often... at all. So we are far from being savvy on the grilling technique used to master a perfect steak. Not that my husband and teenage son wouldn't like engorge themselves in humongous carnivorous slabs of meat on a daily basis but I'm more than fine without.

 I'm all about the grilled veggies and home made sauces and the sides that go along with the barbecuing experience.

When at the grocery store, it's all that I can do to refrain from stopping people who have jarred marinades and sauces in their cart and shaking some sense into them. That stuff is just gross, full of sugar, preservatives and additives not to mention expensive. I don't get it. Why do people insist that making their own salad dressing and marinades is a difficult thing.  It's just not I tell you. You can make a very quick and delicious marinade for chicken, fish or veggies with just 3-4 ingredients that most people have in their pantry anyway. 

Any combination of ketchup, brown mustard, soy sauce, terryaki, brown sugar, onion, garlic, cornstarch, horse radish, juice, ginger or grill seasoning can be cooked down into a fabulously simple grill sauce. Think of how many batches of sauce you can get out of these pantry staples for the price of one pre-made jar of BBQ sauce. Experiment and use whatever you have on hand. Even just a simple mixture of ketchup, brown mustard, a pinch of brown sugar and soy sauce would be delicious.

Freshly grated ginger really adds a zingy punch to the sauce.

YIELDS  2 1/2 CUPS       TIME   20 MINUTES

Terryaki Sauce:

1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice

1/4 cup peanut, avocado, coconut or vegetable oil

1/3 cup soy sauce (preferably *Organic Tamari)

1/2 cup molasses 

1 teaspoon ground ginger (use 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger if you have some) 

1 tablespoons cornstarch

1-2 tablespoon Raw (turbinado) sugar or brown sugar
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes

Sesame seeds for garnish

Optional: Thai Chili Pepper Sauce to bring some heat. Bring it.



Putting it all together:

In a small bowl whisk together corn starch with pineapple juice, set aside. Combine all remaining ingredients except Tamari soy sauce. Bring to a gentle boil while whisking. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes whisking occasionally. Remove from heat, add Tamari and let cool slightly then pour into a large plastic bag to coat chicken. Reserve 1 1/2 cups for spooning over done chicken. Lay the bag of marinated chicken on a large plate so sauce covers it and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably 2-3 hours.

*Tip:  

I pound my thawed chicken breasts with a rolling pin while they are in the zip lock bag to make

them large enough to fit a bun and to cook faster and evenly.

Other simple sides to make this 4th of July

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Chile Butter

Watermelon Boats with Blueberries and Fresh Coconut

Cherry Lime Aide Slushies

GF Coconut-Berry Patriotic Cake recipe here

Saucy Mamma! Hawaiian Grilled Chicken-Pineapple Sandwiches with Home Made Terryaki Sauce

Posted by admin

It's only a few weeks into Summer and already unbearably hot outside here in Phoenix. I have officially sworn off cooking or baking until October.... at least. Might as well unplug my stove. I'm done. I am however, o.k. with sending my dear husband outside to BBQ something wonderful for dinner. Hey, I'll put everything all together, all he has to do is stand there by the fire and look manly with a large pick fork and cold beer in hand. We have a nice pool that he can jump into any time he starts to scorch and feel a heat stroke coming on. Cush job right?


4th of July is coming up very soon. This Hawaiian Pineapple BBQ sandwich is my idea of a perfect backyard celebration. When paired with Grilled Corn on the cob, Watermelon Boats, Coconut-Berry Cake and Cherry Lime Aid Slushies next to the pool I'm in heaven!




Believe it or not, when asked what the fam would like to BBQ for special occasions the majority vote is always for these Hawaiian Chicken sandwiches. Maybe it's due in part to the fact that grilling steaks scares me. They never turn out good, let alone to die for. When you splurge and spend the money for high end steaks you expect them to be perfect, not fatty and grisly and either under or over cooked. I can see the raised, confused eyebrows now. Don't judge. We just don't eat read meat very often... at all. So we are far from being savvy on the grilling technique used to master a perfect steak. Not that my husband and teenage son wouldn't like engorge themselves in humongous carnivorous slabs of meat on a daily basis but I'm more than fine without.

 I'm all about the grilled veggies and home made sauces and the sides that go along with the barbecuing experience.

When at the grocery store, it's all that I can do to refrain from stopping people who have jarred marinades and sauces in their cart and shaking some sense into them. That stuff is just gross, full of sugar, preservatives and additives not to mention expensive. I don't get it. Why do people insist that making their own salad dressing and marinades is a difficult thing.  It's just not I tell you. You can make a very quick and delicious marinade for chicken, fish or veggies with just 3-4 ingredients that most people have in their pantry anyway. 

Any combination of ketchup, brown mustard, soy sauce, terryaki, brown sugar, onion, garlic, cornstarch, horse radish, juice, ginger or grill seasoning can be cooked down into a fabulously simple grill sauce. Think of how many batches of sauce you can get out of these pantry staples for the price of one pre-made jar of BBQ sauce. Experiment and use whatever you have on hand. Even just a simple mixture of ketchup, brown mustard, a pinch of brown sugar and soy sauce would be delicious.

Freshly grated ginger really adds a zingy punch to the sauce.

YIELDS  2 1/2 CUPS       TIME   20 MINUTES

Terryaki Sauce:

1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice

1/4 cup peanut, avocado, coconut or vegetable oil

1/3 cup soy sauce (preferably *Organic Tamari)

1/2 cup molasses 

1 teaspoon ground ginger (use 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger if you have some) 

1 tablespoons cornstarch

1-2 tablespoon Raw (turbinado) sugar or brown sugar
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes

Sesame seeds for garnish

Optional: Thai Chili Pepper Sauce to bring some heat. Bring it.



Putting it all together:

In a small bowl whisk together corn starch with pineapple juice, set aside. Combine all remaining ingredients except Tamari soy sauce. Bring to a gentle boil while whisking. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes whisking occasionally. Remove from heat, add Tamari and let cool slightly then pour into a large plastic bag to coat chicken. Reserve 1 1/2 cups for spooning over done chicken. Lay the bag of marinated chicken on a large plate so sauce covers it and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably 2-3 hours.

*Tip:  

I pound my thawed chicken breasts with a rolling pin while they are in the zip lock bag to make

them large enough to fit a bun and to cook faster and evenly.

Other simple sides to make this 4th of July

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Chile Butter

Watermelon Boats with Blueberries and Fresh Coconut

Cherry Lime Aide Slushies

GF Coconut-Berry Patriotic Cake recipe here

Shredded Chicken BBQ Sandwiches- revisited

BBQ has never been one of my favorite things. I know, how un-American of me! I never really liked pizza either until I discovered the thin crusted ones with fresh veggies, herbs and goat cheese scattered on top. When my husband and I were first dating, he took me to this little BBQ place in old downtown Gilbert, AZ. It was sitting room outside only on picnic tables and was very popular. I thought I would just order a salad or something, I mean we were dating, I was still trying to impress him. ;-) After just a few minutes however, I was overcome by the heavy smokey BBQ sauce smell and just couldn't stomach it. Poor guy, he loves his BBQ. I guess he loved me more because here we are, 9 years later happily married.

So, the point of my little love story is well, first I like to talk, and second I want my sweet husband and my boys to eat the foods they love too. I have found that I actually enjoy my homemade BBQ sauce, especially on these delicious chicken sandwiches. This sauce is tangy and mouthwatering! Far less sugar than jarred varieties and no preservatives, fresh is best!

I have also found that using my Kitchen Aid food shredder attachment to shred my own cabbage makes a world of difference in taste. I used to buy the pre-packaged, pre-shredded cabbage. The kids wouldn't touch it and to be honest, I thought it was to thick and well, cabbagy tasting for BBQ sandwiches. Shredding your own into a fine texture actually makes the cabbage taste sweet! The kids gobbled it up!


A great trick to getting perfectly shredded chicken in just seconds.... throw the cooked chicken into your Kitchen Aid stand mixer with the cookie paddle attachment. Turn it onto speed 4-6 and in just 20 seconds you'll have perfect, restaurant style shredded chicken.  Tip: Make sure the chicken is warm/hot before you shred it. Refrigerated chicken is harder and may harm your mixer.

perfect, resteraunt style shredded chicken

Just in time for Summer!

You Will Need:

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

package of Kaiser Buns

2 cups finely shredded green cabbage

3 cups homemade BBQ sauce, recipe here.

Putting it all together:

I throw frozen solid big chicken breasts into my pressure cooker and they cook perfect and so moist in aobut 8 minutes! If you don't have one, put it on your birthday wish list and in the meantime, boil your thawed chicken in a large stock pot for about 20 minutes.

When chicken is done, place in a big bowl and shred with 2 forks. I "cheat" on this too, I put my cooked chicken in my KitchenAid with the paddle attachment and it shreds perfectly in about 15 seconds, resteraunt style! (put a KitchenAid on your Christmas list) ;-)

Meanwhile, preheat your broiler. Saute chopped onion in a pan for about 4 minutes until translucent. Shred your cabbage with a food processor.  Toast your halved buns by placing them face up on a broiler pan and putting them about 6 inches from the broiler for about 1-2 minutes. Watch them carefully, bread burns fast! Toasting them is really key for BBQ. Otherwise they will get soggy.

PRINT THIS RECIPE (and sauce recipe)

Quick BBQ Sauce:

1 1/2 cups ketchup

3/4 cup spicy brown mustard

1 onion finely grated

1/4 c. lemon juice

2 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tbsp. Worcestershire

1 tbsp. brown sugar OR honey

1/2 c. water

2 TBSP Grilling Seasoning

Combine all ingredients together in a sauce pot. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes whisking occasionally.

Other BBQ Sauce Recipes You Need To Try

Papa's Chicken and Honey Spice Marinade from Kitchen Confidante

Soda Pop Pulled Pork with Spicy Cilantro Pesto from Indigo's Sugar Spectrum

Terryaki Turky Burgers with Home Made BBQ Sauce from Good Life Eat's 

Shredded Chicken BBQ Sandwiches- revisited

Posted by admin

BBQ has never been one of my favorite things. I know, how un-American of me! I never really liked pizza either until I discovered the thin crusted ones with fresh veggies, herbs and goat cheese scattered on top. When my husband and I were first dating, he took me to this little BBQ place in old downtown Gilbert, AZ. It was sitting room outside only on picnic tables and was very popular. I thought I would just order a salad or something, I mean we were dating, I was still trying to impress him. ;-) After just a few minutes however, I was overcome by the heavy smokey BBQ sauce smell and just couldn't stomach it. Poor guy, he loves his BBQ. I guess he loved me more because here we are, 9 years later happily married.

So, the point of my little love story is well, first I like to talk, and second I want my sweet husband and my boys to eat the foods they love too. I have found that I actually enjoy my homemade BBQ sauce, especially on these delicious chicken sandwiches. This sauce is tangy and mouthwatering! Far less sugar than jarred varieties and no preservatives, fresh is best!

I have also found that using my Kitchen Aid food shredder attachment to shred my own cabbage makes a world of difference in taste. I used to buy the pre-packaged, pre-shredded cabbage. The kids wouldn't touch it and to be honest, I thought it was to thick and well, cabbagy tasting for BBQ sandwiches. Shredding your own into a fine texture actually makes the cabbage taste sweet! The kids gobbled it up!


A great trick to getting perfectly shredded chicken in just seconds.... throw the cooked chicken into your Kitchen Aid stand mixer with the cookie paddle attachment. Turn it onto speed 4-6 and in just 20 seconds you'll have perfect, restaurant style shredded chicken.  Tip: Make sure the chicken is warm/hot before you shred it. Refrigerated chicken is harder and may harm your mixer.

perfect, resteraunt style shredded chicken

Just in time for Summer!

You Will Need:

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

package of Kaiser Buns

2 cups finely shredded green cabbage

3 cups homemade BBQ sauce, recipe here.

Putting it all together:

I throw frozen solid big chicken breasts into my pressure cooker and they cook perfect and so moist in aobut 8 minutes! If you don't have one, put it on your birthday wish list and in the meantime, boil your thawed chicken in a large stock pot for about 20 minutes.

When chicken is done, place in a big bowl and shred with 2 forks. I "cheat" on this too, I put my cooked chicken in my KitchenAid with the paddle attachment and it shreds perfectly in about 15 seconds, resteraunt style! (put a KitchenAid on your Christmas list) ;-)

Meanwhile, preheat your broiler. Saute chopped onion in a pan for about 4 minutes until translucent. Shred your cabbage with a food processor.  Toast your halved buns by placing them face up on a broiler pan and putting them about 6 inches from the broiler for about 1-2 minutes. Watch them carefully, bread burns fast! Toasting them is really key for BBQ. Otherwise they will get soggy.

PRINT THIS RECIPE (and sauce recipe)

Quick BBQ Sauce:

1 1/2 cups ketchup

3/4 cup spicy brown mustard

1 onion finely grated

1/4 c. lemon juice

2 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tbsp. Worcestershire

1 tbsp. brown sugar OR honey

1/2 c. water

2 TBSP Grilling Seasoning

Combine all ingredients together in a sauce pot. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes whisking occasionally.

Other BBQ Sauce Recipes You Need To Try

Papa's Chicken and Honey Spice Marinade from Kitchen Confidante

Soda Pop Pulled Pork with Spicy Cilantro Pesto from Indigo's Sugar Spectrum

Terryaki Turky Burgers with Home Made BBQ Sauce from Good Life Eat's