Tangy Mustard Chicken

I've been using chicken thighs more often lately--they have more flavor than chicken breasts and cost less too. The thighs do have a higher fat content than the breasts do, but still have less fat than beef or pork. Used in moderation, chicken thighs are a good addition to your dinner menu.

Tangy Mustard Chicken

1/4 cup yellow mustard

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 Tbsp dry mustard powder

1/4-1/2 tsp hot sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 Tbsp olive oil

4 chicken thighs

Combine yellow mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard powder, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Reserve 1/4 of the sauce in a separate bowl.

Baste chicken thighs with sauce.

Heat olive oil in a medium frying pan. When hot, add chicken thighs. Cook 8-12 minutes (depends on size of thigh) on one side without disturbing. Flip thighs over, baste with sauce, and cook for an additional 7-10 minutes or until done. Top with reserved mustard sauce.

Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

Have you tried gnocchi before? They're delicious little potato dumplings that add an interesting texture to this soup. You can find gnocchi near the dry pasta in the grocery store. They're worth a try! I made this soup for a brainstorming session to plan my next vacation with two friends. The winner---Alaska!

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

1 cup cooked and diced chicken

16 oz potato gnocchi

1 1/4 cup finely diced white onion

1/2 cup finely diced celery

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup flour

1 quart half and half

1 cup shredded carrots

1 14 oz can chicken broth

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/2 tsp black pepper (or to taste)

Cook (any method works) and dice chicken. Set aside.

Cook gnocchi according to package directions and set aside.

Combine onion, celery, garlic, butter, and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook until onion becomes translucent.

Add flour to form a roux. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes.

Add half and half, carrots, and chicken. Once mixture thickens, add chicken broth. When mixture thickens again, add cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasonings.

Heat through, and serve.

Serves 6.

Teriyaki Chicken

This teriyaki chicken is quick and absolutely delicious. It's my new favorite recipe. It's good hot for dinner and then cold for lunch the next day. Plus, chicken thighs tend to be fairly cheap.

Teriyaki Chicken

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 chicken thighs

2 tsp sesame seeds

Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, ginger, pepper, and garlic in a large plastic bag. Add chicken thighs and toss to coat. Marinate chicken in the refrigerator for one hour, tossing chicken every 15 minutes or so.

Place chicken skin side down on a broiler pan. Broil for 6 minutes. Turn chicken over, and cook for an additional 6 minutes. Top with sesame seeds. Reduce heat to 400 degrees and move oven rack to middle shelf. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Let sit for 2-3 minutes. Enjoy!

Honey Mustard Chicken Tenders

Here's a slightly more sophisticated chicken nugget with honey mustard--although the Wendy's version is delicious too!

Honey Mustard Chicken Tenders

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp yellow mustard

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp vinegar

1 1/2 Tbsp honey

Salt and Pepper

1 lb chicken tenders

2 cups panko bread crumbs

Whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, vinegar, and honey. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reserve 1/4 of the sauce in a separate bowl.

Place chicken tenders (or chicken breasts cut into strips) into a pie dish. Pour in remaining sauce. Turn chicken to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least four hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place panko bread crumbs into another pie dish. Remove chicken from the refrigerator. Pick up each individual piece, place in the bread crumbs, and stir to coat.

Bake chicken on a greased cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes. Then turn on broiler and broil for an additional 1-2 minutes per side or until lightly browned.

Serve with reserved sauce.

Pesto Pastry Chicken

This chicken recipe is my own creation, and I'm rather proud of it. It looks (and tastes) like it is a fancy dish, but is actually rather fast and easy to prepare. It can easily be adapted for any size of crowd. My rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Pesto Pastry Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1 Tbsp butter
4 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup pesto
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
1 egg
salt
pepper

Get the frozen puff pastry out of the freezer and let it start thawing. It needs to thaw for about 35 minutes before using it.

Melt butter in a large frying pan. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts. Place chicken in melted butter and cook for about 3 minutes per side. The chicken should be browned but does not need to be completely cooked.

Combine pesto and cream cheese in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg. Set both aside.

Roll out puff pastry sheet to a large rectangle that is big enough to cover all four chicken breasts. No need to be exact--just get it bigger than it is now.

Cut the puff pastry into four equal rectangles.

In the middle of each rectangle, spread 1/4 of the cream cheese mixture. Leave a 1.5" border on all sides.

Place a chicken breast in the middle of each puff pastry on top of the cream cheese. Brush 1.5" border with beaten egg.

Fold the puff pastry around the chicken. Try to keep the puff pastry at the same thickness all the way around the chicken. Place, seam side down, on a cookie sheet that is lined with foil.

Brush top and sides of each chicken "packet" with beaten egg.

Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

The Ultimate Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is a simple food that unfortunately gets messed with a lot. I've seen chicken salad with all sorts of unappetizing spices and fruits added in. Blech. Here's a basic chicken salad recipe that is my favorite--it has a perfect flavor and just the right amount of crunch. My rating: 5 out of 5.

Chicken Salad

6 chicken breasts
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
3/4 cup diced celery
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup Lighthouse ranch dressing
3/4 cup slivered almonds

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add chicken breasts and cook for 30 minutes or until done. Dice or shred chicken into small pieces.

Add drained pineapple, celery, onions, salt, and pepper. Stir well.

Add mayonniase and Lighthouse ranch dressing (yes, Lighthouse really is the best choice here). Stir well.

Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Stir in almonds just before serving.