Chicken Taquitos

We're Mexican food fanatics in this house.

I happen to consider myself a bit of a Mexican food connoisseur, since I grew up in a place known for Tex-Mex and spent many of my summers in Mexico. Oh how I miss good Tex-Mex and Mexican food!

You'd think living in Arizona, only a short drive away from the Mexican border, that we'd be able to find good Mexican food here. But that is not really the case. Most of the Mexican food we have tried in our town did not meet my high standards.

Solution? Make my own (healthier) Mexican food!


These taquitos are far from authentic, but they certainly helped satisfy a craving. They were easy to make at home and also provided a much healthier version of something that's usually deep fried and greasy.

For the filling I used some leftover chicken from a whole roasted chicken that I made earlier in the week. The best part about these taquitos is that you could really adapt this method to include any leftovers or ingredients you have on hand. Leftover steak? Make steak taquitos! Lots of veggies on their last leg? Make veggie & bean taquitos! The opportunities are endless!
Served with a side of black beans and brown rice, these made a great, healthy meal!

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Source: Annie's Eats

Yield: about 12 taquitos

Ingredients:

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ cup salsa

1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. cumin

½ tsp. onion powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp. chopped cilantro

1-2 green onions, chopped

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, etc. would also be good)

10-12 6-inch flour tortillas (I think these would be great with corn tortillas too! I plan on trying that next time.)

Cooking spray

Kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, spices, cilantro, green onions, chicken and shredded cheese (I actually used a food processor to mix the ingredients and chop things up a little more. Just pulse a few times until well mixed.). Mix thoroughly until well combined.

Briefly heat the tortillas in the microwave to make them soft enough to roll easily, about 20-3o seconds. Place a tortilla on a work surface. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the filling mixture down the middle of the tortilla. Roll the tortilla up tightly around the filling. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling, spacing the assembled taquitos evenly on the baking sheet. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. (You may be tempted to skip the sprinkle of salt, but it really adds a nice touch.)

(To freeze before baking, transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and chill the assembled taquitos 30-60 minutes. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. To bake from the freezer, simply add a few additional minutes to the original baking time, until the filling is warmed through.)

Bake 15-20 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Serve with sour cream and salsa, if desired.

Roast Chicken, Take 2

Apparently I am doomed to never actually take good photos of roast chicken, as evidenced by my last post on roast chicken and as evidenced by this post that you're about to see. It's a tragedy really, because roast chicken DESERVES great photos to do it justice. But alas, the curse continues.

You may be wondering why I decided to try a new recipe for roast chicken, when I had a perfectly good one already. I'm bored easily. That's really the only explanation I have. That and I like to try new takes on the same thing. So sue me!

Hence, a new roast chicken recipe was found on Cooking Light that involved dried sage and LOTS of garlic, and I was sold! So I roasted my little heart out and ended up with this:
It may not look good, but it sure does taste good! I think this recipe was even easier than the other one I made, and easier is always a bonus for me.

I also tried something new and used my broiler pan instead of my roasting pan. I did this because I wanted to roast the potatoes alongside the chicken but I didn't want them to end up covered in all the chicken fat drippings (to save a few calories). I actually really loved doing it this way!! All the chicken fat dripped down into the bottom part of the pan and not onto my veggies.


I served my chicken & potatoes on top of a bed of spring mix lettuce to get some extra greens.


And I most definitely did NOT "discard the skin" as the recipe suggests to cut calories. Some calories are just worth it, and crispy chicken skin happens to be one of those things.

Roast Chicken with Potatoes & Butternut Squash

Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• 1 (3 1/2-pound) roasting chicken
• Cooking spray
• 12 ounces red potatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 1/2 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 8 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and sage in a small bowl. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken. Rub garlic mixture under loosened skin. Place chicken, breast side up, on rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Place rack in broiler pan.

3. Combine potatoes, squash, butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Arrange vegetable mixture around chicken. Bake at 400° for 1 hour or until a thermometer inserted into meaty part of thigh registers 165° (my chicken was at least 4.5 pounds so it took about an hour and a half to cook). Let stand 10 minutes. Discard skin.

YBBC - Day 3

Ahlo govnahs! (I'm a nerd) Time for another Your Best Body Challenge (YBBC) recap post!

Catching up? Check these out: Intro Post - Day 1 Post - Day 2

Per the usual, here's what was on le schedule:

But here's what actually went down my gullet! :)

BREAKFAST

I wasn't in the mood for a savory eggs & ham breakfast so I subbed in:
Whipped banana oatmeal made with 1/2 banana, 1/3 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup water, 1 tsp chia seeds and 1/3 cup rolled oats (though I wished I had used my fave oat bran instead). Topped with a tablespoon of peanut butter and a sprinkle of coconut (can you tell I'm obsessed with sprinkling coconut on top of things?!?)

I didn't end up finishing this (probably ate about 2/3rds) because my tummy was full.


MORNING SNACK

Skipped because I wasn't hungry (I am basically never hungry between breakfast and lunch....later in the day is a different story)!


LUNCH
Stuck with the plan on this one. Bean & cheese burrito made with 1/2 cup semi-mashed black beans, sprinkle of shredded cheese, salsa, cilantro, & baby spinach all wrapped up in a La Tortilla Factory tortilla.

Plus half a grapefruit that I was supposed to eat with breakfast.


AFTERNOON SNACK
Una manzana (a.k.a. an apple)

y queso! a.k.a. that disgusting-looking blob which is microwaved string cheese. (I've come to the conclusion that string cheese is 5 bajillion times better when it's melted.)

Annnnnd...
...a Nature Valley Granola Thin. Apparently I was in a very snacky mood this afternoon!


DINNER
We had the veggie burgers last night so I made Sunday's dinner instead: Penne (in our case Rigatoni) with Chicken Marengo

Served alongside some roasted brocc (our fave veggie side dish of all time).
The dish was just okay. It was a little weird because it was sweet and very orangey from the orange juice and zest. If we made it again, we both agreed that we could do without the orange elements. At the last minute I added some baby spinach to the dish as a way to add some more greens to the meal, and we really liked that addition!

Penne with Chicken Marengo
Source: adapted from Women's Health Magazine
Serves: 4 Prep: 10min |Cook: 20min |Total: 30min

8 ounces penne
1/2 cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree (we used diced tomatoes instead)
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 big handfuls of baby spinach

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander and transfer to a warmed serving bowl.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, cover the sun-dried tomatoes with boiling water and soak for 5 minutes. When softened, drain and chop coarsely. Set aside.

3. Toss the chicken with the flour, thyme, and pepper. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Add the mushrooms and 2 tablespoons of the broth. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mushrooms are barely softened and have begun to release their juices.

4. Add the crushed tomatoes (with puree), orange juice, orange zest, sugar, salt, the sun-dried tomatoes, and the remaining broth. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release the browned bits. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened and the flavors are blended. In the last 2 minutes of cooking toss in the baby spinach and cook until wilted slightly.

5. Pour the mixture over the pasta and toss to coat well.

Nutritional Facts per serving
CALORIES 389.9 CAL
FAT 5.8 G
SATURATED FAT 1 G
CHOLESTEROL 32.9 MG
SODIUM 513.8 MG
CARBOHYDRATES 61.6 G
TOTAL SUGARS 9.5 G
DIETARY FIBER 5.4 G
PROTEIN 25.7 G


DESSERT

I ate a small handful of Junior Mints (the last of the box...sad face).


FITNESS

I did the Best Workout for a Pear-Shaped Body again, only this time I did it "circuit style" by completing all the exercises back to back with no rest between. I did the circuit 3 times.

I finished up my workout with a quick and easy 10 minutes jogging on the treadmill.


That's all she wrote for today, folks! Have a lovely night!

Your Best Body Challenge - Day 1

So today was day numero uno of the Best Body Challenge Week! I'd say it was a good first day, although I did find myself with a few obstacles and making a few minor tweaks to the plan to keep me happy. :)

Here is what the plan called for:

And here is how things actually went down:

BREAKFAST

2 scrambled eggs + 1 egg white + whole wheat toast (I can't eat eggs without toast) + coffee

plus half a grapefruit


MORNING SNACK

I skipped snack #1 because I wasn't hungry between breakfast and lunch.


LUNCH
Turkey wrap made with 4 slices of deli-style turkey, a sprinkle of shredded mozarella cheese, dijon mustard & some spring greens all rolled up in a whole wheat tortilla.

On the side I had a sliced apple and a tablespoon of peanut butter (which I justified was okay since I skipped the morning snack).


AFTERNOON SNACK

Sargento Light String Cheese. After I finished the snack I was still hungry and knew I wouldn't make it til dinner without a little more, so I actually ate a 2nd string cheese. This particular brand is only 50 calories per piece so my snack was still only 100 calories.


DINNER

Spicy Chicken Pasta + a side salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette


I adapted the recipe a bit to increase a lot of the amounts so we would have enough to satisfy my husband's hungry tummy. I also added a few things that I thought would make the flavor better (chili powder in marinara sauce just didn't appeal to me).

Spicy Chicken Pasta
adapted from Women's Health Magazine

serves 3-4

6.5 oz thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta (about half a box)
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks (about 2 breasts)
1 tsp flour
2 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1.5 cups spaghetti sauce
salt & pepper to taste
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain.

As pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and garlic until the onion starts to get tender.

Add the chicken, red pepper flakes, cayenne, paprika & Italian seasoning to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is almost completely cooked through.

Mix the flour and the water in a small bowl. Pour the spaghetti sauce and flour mixture into the skillet. Add a little water to the pan if you need to thin out the sauce. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat. Pour the cooked pasta into the pan with the sauce and mix well. Add salt & pepper to taste and sprinkle fresh basil on top.


DESSERT

Okay so according to the plan there is no dessert option for tonight, but I have to at least have something sweet at night so I am planning on eating one small square of Lindt Dark Chocolate (unpictured because I haven't eaten it yet).


FITNESS

I did two back-to-back sets of all the strength training exercises in the "best workout for a pear-shaped body".

Then I followed it up with the "Smart Cardio Intervals":
I did my "maximum effort" intervals at 7.0mph on the treadmill and my "recover" intervals walking at 3.6mph. The whole thing took about 30 minutes and I think I burned around 300 calories. I was a schweaty mess when it was all over!


CONCLUSION

I think I did pretty darn good today! Other than the time in the afternoon when I was hungry, I felt satiated most of the day.

I'm already thinking though that this won't last more than a week because I didn't really like being confined to a set plan. I tend to just go with my cravings, so it's hard when I want something but "can't" have it. For example, for breakfast I really wanted my usual peanut butter & banana oatmeal, but the plan called for eggs. I decided to stick to the plan as closely as possible for just a week as an experiment of sorts, but I don't see myself continuing with it after the week is up.

We shall see!

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie is and always will be one of my ultimate comfort foods. I just love it.

Something about the creamy sauce, tender veggies & chicken and the flaky pastry crust just makes me swoon.

I hadn't made a good homemade chicken pot pie in far too long, so I decided that now was the time to do it (before it gets to be hot as hades and comfort food doesn't sound as appealing)!

I loosely based my recipe off of Alton's Curry Chicken Pot Pie. I really wanted to try the curry pot pie version but that was unfortunately nixed by the husband, who happens to be a curry-hater. :::sad face:::

So instead I just winged it and vaguely followed Alton's method. I tried to make my version very veggie-heavy to increase the nutrition a bit. I think even a veggie-hater would love this dish since the veggies are smothered in a creamy sauce!


It turned out really well so I think I'll file this one away for future reference when a pot pie craving hits. :)

Chicken Pot Pie
source: loosely based on this recipe

Serves 4-6 people, depending on portion sizes

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup carrot, chopped
1 baking potato, peeled and chopped
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn)
1/2 packet of Ranch dressing mix
3 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup milk (I used 1%)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed (*see notes below)
1 sheet packaged puff pastry, thawed

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.

Add onion, celery, carrot and potato and cook for about 10 minutes, until the veggies soften. Add in the frozen veggies and continue to cook until they are thawed and heated through.

Stir in the Ranch dressing and the flour and continue to stir while it cooks, about 1-2 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and the milk and stir frequently until the mixture thickens a bit (about 3-5 minutes).

Stir in the rest of the ingredients, except for the puff pastry, and cook until everything is heated through (about 2 minutes).

Pour the mixture into a square baking pan that has been coated with cooking spray. Place the sheet of puff pastry on top of the mixture.

Cook at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the puff pastry has browned and the mixture looks bubbly.

*Notes: I didn't have any leftover cooked chicken to use for this recipe so I just cooked 3 chicken breasts with about 1/2 cup of chicken broth in a slow cooker on low for 7 hours. Works every time for perfect, tender chicken!

Feel free to increase, decrease or substitute the veggies to your liking!

A Meal Made for a 9 Year Old

I made my husband a very happy man last night.

Those of you having dirty thoughts right now, get your minds out of the gutter! :)

It wasn't because of that, it was because I made a meal that would make 9 year olds the world over jump up and down with excitement.

Buffalo Chicken Fingers and....

Mac 'n Cheese

In our house we pretty much swoon over anything buffalo-flavored and anything draped in cheese, so these foods are an obvious hit for us. But I've tried making healthier recipes for both of these items in the past and was totally unimpressed. I either ended up with soggy chicken fingers or not-so-cheesey mac. Not cool.

These recipes, however, totally accomplished the healthy-yet-delicious feat that I was searching for. The chicken tenders were perfectly crispy and tender and the mac was awesomely cheesy and creamy.

The Mac 'n Cheese actually has canned pumpkin in it for added nutrition, but I waited to tell Hubs that until after he tried it and began singing its praises. I'm sneaky like that!

The overall verdict on this meal was that "I can feel free to make this meal every week, or actually every day if you want"....and that is a direct quote from the Hubs.

Lightened-Up Buffalo Chicken Fingers
source: adapted slightly from the Active Foodie

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
• 2 tablespoons Frank's Red Hot
• 1 cup low fat buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup panko crumbs or whole wheat bread crumbs
  
• 1/2 cup crushed whole wheat Saltine crackers - about 10 crackers
  
• 8 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• Cooking spray (olive or canola oil)
• 1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot

Preparation

1. Whisk together chili-garlic sauce, Frank's, buttermilk, vinegar and salt. Add chicken and marinate for at least 2 hours or as long as overnight (I only marinated for 2 hours and it still turned out great).
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray wire rack with cooking spray.
3. Combine panko, cracker crumbs, flour, paprika, cayenne and salt in a large bowl.
4. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, shake off excess and place on wire rack. Repeat with all chicken pieces.
5. Spray chicken breasts with cooking spray, making sure to hit all parts of the chicken.
6. Cook for 10 minutes. Take out, turn chicken pieces over, spray again, and return to oven for another 5-10 minutes, or until all pieces are golden brown and crispy.
7. When chicken strips are done, brush them with Frank's Red Hot (or just pour it over like I did). Serve immediately after topping them with sauce (otherwise they will get a little soggy).

Note: After I started cooking I realized I didn't have enough panko or whole wheat breadcrumbs, so I crushed up the Saltines to substitute. We ended up really liking the addition of the cracker crumbs, so I'll probably make them that way from now on. But if you don't want to use the cracker crumbs, feel free to just double the amount of breadcrumbs.


Lightened-Up Mac 'n Cheese
Source: adapted from Meals & Moves

Ingredients:

-3 cups whole wheat elbow macaroni
-2 cups broccoli florets (cut into small pieces)
-1.5 cups part-skim ricotta
1/2 cup 1% milk
-1/2 cup canned pumpkin
-a couple dashes of hot sauce
-3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar
-1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
-salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Boil noodles according to package directions and toss in the broccoli for the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain well.

While pasta is cooking, combine ricotta, milk, pumpkin, hot sauce, salt & pepper in a large bowl. Stir well so that the mixture is completely incorporated and smooth.

Add drained pasta and cheese to the sauce and stir to incorporate. Pour the whole mixture into a square 9x9 inch pan that has been coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over the top.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking another 10-15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbly.

Enjoy!

Note: Janetha's original recipe called for cottage cheese (blended until smooth) instead of ricotta, but I didn't have it so I just thinned out ricotta with milk instead. This method saves you from having to clean an extra dish (the blender) and it turned out great. However, I'm still curious to try the cottage cheese blender method sometime soon! Click here to check out her method!

Also, I think the addition of the broccoli was a great way to add some extra veggies in the mix, but feel free to omit that if you'd like. If you don't use the broccoli, you will want to increase the pasta to 4 cups total.

Last but not least, don't worry - you CANNOT taste the pumpkin in this at all. I promise! Even the Hubs says so. :)

Italian Wedding Soup

The love for soup continues (despite the fact that it definitely feels more like Spring here in Southern Arizona)!

I saw this recipe for Italian Wedding Soup on the blog Food, Fitness, Fashion and I immediately bookmarked it. Well, that was back in SEPTEMBER and I'm just now getting around to making it. Sheesh!

This turned out great! It was really light and yet still filling, thanks to the pasta and meatballs. Alex wasn't a huge fan of it but he's not really a soup kinda guy....he'd rather have something manly like chili. :) He did admit that he really liked the meatballs though....surprise, surprise! (not!)

Anyway this was really good! Make it!

Gotta run now because I'm actually blogging from the Tucson airport as I wait on my flight to Houston. I think we're getting ready to board. Woohoo! Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Italian Wedding Soup
Source: adapted slightly from Food, Fitness Fashion

1 lb. ground chicken or turkey breast (I used chicken)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons egg whites
1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
2 cups whole wheat elbow macaroni
4 cups baby spinach
10 cups low sodium chicken (or veggie) broth
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon marjoram
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl, using your hands to incorporate well. Scoop out a teaspoon of meat and roll the mixture into mini meatballs with your hands. Repeat until all the chicken has been rolled into mini meatballs.

Pour the broth into a large pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and add the meatballs. Let the meatballs cook in the broth for about 6 minutes.

Add pasta and let it cook for about 10 minutes (or however long it takes for your pasta to cook). Once pasta is tender, add the 4 cups of spinach and let it wilt (about 2 minutes). Serve and enjoy!

Healthier Buffalo Wings & Broccoli Stuffed Potato Bites

I had a request from my friend Kim to post the recipes for the food that we made for the Super Bowl. I know I talked about needing a detox the day after, but in reality that was more from the volume of food I ate, not the unhealthiness of the food.

The food we made were actually healthier versions of two favorite "football foods":

Buffalo Wings....

and Potato Skins....

Alex was in charge of the Buffalo Wings.

He used Alton Brown's recipe for Buffalo Wings, which involves first steaming the wings and then baking them at a high temperature in the oven.

It's a bit labor intensive, but it really does result in wings that are healthier and just as delicious as their fatty fried counterparts! We actually both commented that we may even like these better than the typical fried version.

They were so good! He even made them healthier by decreasing the amount of butter called for in the recipe and increasing the hot sauce.

The only downside to the making of these wings is that the oven was smoking so much while they were baking that our fire alarms (every single one in the house) were going off for 10 minutes straight and we couldn't seem to get them to turn off, even with every window and door in the house open. It was stressful, to say the least. :)

I was in charge of the "Potato Skins", which were a recipe that I found in the most recent edition of Rachael Ray Magazine (no, I don't subscribe, but I do sometimes purchase it if I see a lot of good looking recipes).

She calls them "Hot Potatoes", but I think calling them "Broccoli Stuffed Potato Bites" is a more accurate description. They're basically a healthified and vegified version of Potato Skins, made in bite size form.

These were also a bit labor intensive, first requiring you to boil the potatoes, then cool them, then cut in half, then scoop out the insides, then assemble the "stuffing", then place the stuffing back inside the halved potatoes, and then bake them. Oh and you also had to boil the broccoli, cool it, and then chop it into tiny pieces for the filling.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure they were completely worth all the effort. They were tasty, but I think they lacked a lot of flavor. If I were to do them again I think perhaps incorporating barbecue sauce (or some sort of sauce) into the stuffing would have made them a bit more special. Or maybe they just needed a more flavorful dipping sauce (I just served them with greek yogurt as a topping).
If you're interested, click the link for the recipe for Rachael Ray's "Hot Potatoes", aka Broccoli Stuffed Potato Bites.

What are your favorite "football foods"? Did you cook anything for the Super Bowl?

Sunday Roasted Chicken

I love roasting a whole chicken on Sundays. Not only is it delicious and affordable, but it also means I'll have delicious leftover chicken to use in another meal later in the week. That's a win-win!

I've experimented with a lot of different roasted chicken recipes but I've recently settled on one that is my go-to. It's easy, I almost always have all the ingredients on hand, and it tastes AMAZING!

I've made this a couple of times recently and every time I forgot to take a photo of the finished roasted chicken because I was so anxious to eat it. This time it happened again and I realized I was just going to have to deal with a photo of the chicken already cut up. At least you can tell how delicious it is by how much we wanted to eat it RIGHT AWAY. :)

Crispy Roasted Chicken

source: me

1 whole chicken (mine was 6 lbs)

1 lemon, cut into quarters

1 onion, cut into quarters

salt & pepper

2 Tbsp softened butter or margarine

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp Herbes de Provence (or 1 Tbsp rosemary & 1 Tbsp thyme would work just fine too)

1 tsp garlic salt

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Remove the innards from the cavity of the chicken (I always make Alex do this part) and rinse the inside and out of chicken. Pat dry with paper towels and place on a roasting rack or on top of a bed of vegetables (I use onions & potatoes when I do it this way).

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the quartered lemon and onion into the cavity of the chicken.

Mix together the butter, oil, herbs & garlic salt until well combined. Using your hands, spread the mixture on the chicken. Also spread some of the mixture underneath the skin around the breast area. Make sure the whole chicken is covered in the butter mixture.

Place the chicken in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue cooking for about another 1.5 hours, or until the area under the wing registers at 180 degrees.

Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving.

**Note: If you put vegetables under your chicken, like I did in the picture, be sure that they are not cut too small. I cut mine too small this time and they were pretty much burnt to a crispity crisp by the time the chicken was done.

**Note #2: If you do NOT put vegetables under the chicken you will end up with awesome fat drippings under the chicken at the end of cooking, which you could then use to make gravy...(whisk in a little flour and chicken stock and heat until thickened). Sometimes we do this but lately we are trying to save the calories...and really the chicken is so moist and juicy that it doesn't even need gravy!

**Note #3: After we both get one dinner out of the chicken, we usually still have 2-3 cups of leftover chicken for another meal. Try using the chicken in a soup...it's soo good!

**Note #4: You can experiment with the spices in the butter/oil rub (as I often do)...Lemon Pepper also makes a great addition.

Maybe someday I'll actually remember to take a picture BEFORE we dig in to the chicken.