Marinated Grilled Chicken

This marinated grilled chicken tops the list for ease and flavor! Seriously - any time of the year, this will be your go-to recipe for a quick, tasty, low-calorie dinner. Nothing beats grilled chicken breasts, unless you've marinated it in this 2-ingredient sauce.

We just made this last night (seriously) and the kids love it everytime. Be sure to add any left-overs into our semi-famous coleslaw recipe.

When we visit Washington state over the summer, marinated grilled chicken is always on the menu! Thanks mom!

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-2 inch thick slices
1 bottle Wishbone Italian Dressing (not low-fat)
1 c. soy sauce

Directions:

Place chicken breast slices into a freezer bag. Combine Italian dressing and soy sauce. Pour over chicken, seal and refrigerate for 4-8 hours.

Remove chicken and grill over a pre-heated gas or electric flame - about 350 degrees- for 3-5 minutes each side. If you wish, you can place the chicken on a skewer beforehand, but its not required....

Serve with corn on the cob, roasted potatoes, fruit salad and/or greens. Yep, its delicious!

Honey and Balsamic Glazed Chicken

This post is in honor of my son, who happened to be watching the Food Network while I was having a pedicure last weekend. He asked me to make Honey and Balsamic Glazed Chicken, but I missed the show (admittedly, I was reading the latest Oprah magazine, instead).

So, we had to improvise a bit. Fortunately, my son agrees that my recipe tastes as good as he imagined it would be!

Ahhh... what a good boy. Try this and see if you agree!

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 T. olive oil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1 T. fresh chopped thyme
2 T. balsamic vinegar
2 T. honey

Directions:

1. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper and thyme.

2. Heat olive oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken about 4 minutes on each side, turning once. Remove chicken and keep warm.

3. Add balsamic vinegar and honey to pan and simmer 1-2 minutes over medium-low heat until glaze thickens.

4. Pour glaze over chicken and enjoy!

You can use this glaze for salmon or pork, as well. Its so versatile and delicious!

Chicken and Mandarin Oranges

Quick! Its almost dinnertime! What are you going to serve tonight? Why not Chicken and Mandarin Oranges? No, really... its not too much work (though it tastes like you spent much more than the 20 minutes it will take you from start to finish.

Take a "wok" on the wild side, or use an ordinary non-stick skillet. You'll see why this Asian-inspired chicken recipe is a family favorite at our house!

Amazingly, this recipe is less than 400 calories per serving (serves 4) That means its a double bonus recipe: fast AND low-calorie!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts (4 breasts, sliced into smaller tender pieces)
1 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 T. butter
2 t. olive oil
1/2 c. orange marmalade
1 T. cornstarch
1 T. lemon juice (slice 1/2 lemon and squeeze the juice, carefully catching and removing seeds)
1/2 t. dry yellow mustard
1/2 c. chopped green onions
1 can (7 oz) mandarin oranges

Directions:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat butter and olive oil in a wok, or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 4 minutes on each side, until browned. Leave in pan, but turn off heat until third step.

2. In a medium bowl, combine marmalade, cornstarch, lemon juice and mustard with a whisk. Stir in mandarin oranges.

3. Add orange mixture to chicken, and simmer over low heat about 5-6 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Sprinkle with chopped green onions

Serve with white or brown rice, seasoned with 1/2 c. each sliced green onions and chopped cashews. Or, serve over cooked and drained rice pasta noodles.

Chicken Piccata

I love all things salty – salt, olives, capers. I’d take salty and savory any day over sweet. That’s probably why Chicken Piccata is one of my favorite meals. It’s a super-savory chicken dish that appears and tastes better than your average mid-week chicken meal. It reminds me of the wonderful dishes served in Europe. The butter, capers and light breading (via the flour) put an elegant touch to this dish that's beyond the ordinary.

This recipe is perfect for company, and also makes a romantic dinner to impress that someone special.

My next door neighbor was a culinary chef and made the best Chicken Piccata. Though she refused to part with her secret recipe, I've recreated my own! Its so good you'll want to have a basket of crusty bread alongside to mop up the remaining sauce from dinner.

Why not put a twist on Easter brunch this year? Instead of the old, worn-out ham recipe from your mother-in-law, serve Chicken Piccata instead. Your guests will be lining up to come over next year (so... if you don't like your guests, serve the ham instead!)

This recipe serves 2, so be sure to double or triple everything if you are expecting a larger crowd.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts skinless (1 1/2 pound total)
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons parmesan grated (use the real stuff if company is coming, otherwise, the green can stuff works fine).
• salt to taste
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice – fresh is always better
• 1/2 cup chicken broth/stock or a nice white wine
• 1/4 cup brined capers
• 1/4 cup parsley chopped

Instructions:

1. Cut the breasts in half horizontally, butterflying them open. Put between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat hammer until they are 1/4 inch thick.

2. Mix together the flour, salt and pepper, and grated Parmesan. Rinse the chicken pieces in water and dredge them thoroughly in the flour mixture, until well coated.

3. Heat the olive oil and 2 Tbsp of the butter in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add half of the chicken pieces (you don't want to crowd the pan). Brown well on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and reserve to a plate, cook the other breasts in the same manner, remove from pan. Cover with aluminum foil and keep warm in the oven while preparing the sauce.

4. Add the chicken stock (or white wine), lemon juice, and capers to the pan. Use a metal spatula to scrape up the browned bits. Reduce the sauce by half. Whisk in the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter.

Put the chicken on the serving plates and pour the sauce poured over the top. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Garnish with thinly sliced lemon, if desired.

By the way, Easter brunch is at 2:00 at my house this year!