Recipe for Cilantro Lime Pesto Roasted Chicken

I love all the fun pesto concoctions you can find these days!  Different nuts, different herbs...  I have my standby pesto recipe that I adore but I found a locally produced cilantro, lime, macadamia nut pesto here on Maui and wow is it good!  I had a nice organic free range chicken in the fridge and tried the pesto out in my usual roasted chicken recipe.  This was a flavorful, easy dish. 

This roasted chicken technique turns out perfect every time.  I did, however, almost drop this one transferring it from the pan to the cutting board.  Hence the torn up skin where I clamped down with the tongs!  Never fear, the chicken made it to the table just fine!



Here is the basic recipe and technique for the chicken.  Use your favorite pesto under the skin and rubbed all on the outside and in the cavity.

This roasting technique always turns out juicy and tender chicken, no matter how you season it.

Do a search in the upper right column for chicken and see some other ways I've made this.  Enjoy!

Recipe for Curried Chicken and Rice Casserole

We have a great Indian restaurant on Maui and enjoy getting together with a bunch of friends to go stuff ourselves on curries, naan, tandoori meat, lentil dishes.....   If it's just the two of us craving Indian flavors, I'll throw together an easy curry.  This recipe is an adaptation of a wild rice and chicken casserole I used to make when my kids were small.
It had a lot of sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, cheese...that kind of casserole! For this meal, I used coconut milk, fire roasted tomatoes, Indian spices, and raisins (probably would be good with some sauteed onion-next time!).  This was very satisfying and delicious.

Time: about an hour (I cooked the rice and chicken ahead of time, so for just combining and baking-25 minutes)
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
• 1 TBSP turmeric
• water (or broth/stock)
• 1 cup mixed rice (wild, brown, black mix or any wild rice mix) cooked according to package
• 1 14.5 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 TBSP garam masala
• 1 1/2 TBSP curry powder
• Few shakes crushed red peppers (more if you like it really spicy hot)
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Cook rice mixture according to package directions (mine said 50 minutes).
• Cook chicken in turmeric and water (or broth/stock) until done, about 12 minutes.  Let cool then chop/shred.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Mix chicken, rice, tomatoes, coconut milk, spices and raisins together.  Taste and add salt if needed.
• Spray casserole dish and pour mixture in.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until well heated through.

Serve with a veggie (ooh, next time I think I'll stir in some English peas) and enjoy!

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Recipe for Another Summer Super Salad Inspiration

We enjoyed the last summer super salad so much that I've pretty much added it to the weekly rotation.  This version has refreshing and juicy watermelon mingling with blueberries, feta and mint, a simple vinaigrette and a summer staple-grilled chicken.  Once again, Mr. ELEB did his magic on the grill and contributed perfectly cooked chicken breasts.  A quick vinaigrette whipped together in the blender, a toss together of the watermelon, blueberries, feta and mint, and dinner was on the table in just about 30 minutes.


Time: 30 minutes or less
Servings: 3

Watermelon-Blueberry Drizzle
Ingredients:

• ½ cup seedless watermelon cubes
• ¼ cup blueberries
• 5 mint leaves
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp salt

Method:

• Blend together (in blender) until no large chunks remain-it will be watery but will thicken up with 15 minutes in the fridge.

Watermelon, Blueberry, Feta Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 cups seedless watermelon cubes
• 1 cup blueberries
• ½ cup (or more) low fat feta cheese crumbled
• 10 mint leaves (or more), finely sliced; more for garnish
• Salt (if needed, to your taste)

Method:

• Gently mix all ingredients together.  Add sprinkle of salt if needed when serving.

To prepare:

• 3 grilled chicken breasts, sliced
• 3 cups romaine (or other lettuces), shredded into bite sized pieces
• Sprinkle lettuce with watermelon blueberry drizzle and mound in center of serving platter.  
• Place chicken breasts over lettuce. 
• Sprinkle chicken with watermelon blueberry drizzle.  
• Surround lettuce and chicken with watermelon, blueberry and feta salad.  
• Garnish with mint.

A hit on all fronts!  What summer salads are you putting together?

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Recipe for Summer Super Salad Inspiration

Aloha all,
I'm starting to get caught back up from being away for so long!  Hope your summer is going well and you're enjoying some lovely fresh summer produce.  Last week, I was really in the mood for a salad of some type for dinner.  It was a hot, muggy day and my brain was just feeling lethargic-ever get like that?

Anyway, I knew I wanted a salad but not just any salad.  A tasty, "more than lettuce and tomato" kind of salad.  I was searching for some inspiration...didn't really find it with a quick look on line or a perusal of this month's food/recipe magazines stacked up (actually I have a few month's worth stacked up).  I figured I wasn't the only one who would enjoy a summer salad, so I'm sharing today what I ended up putting together.  It was awesome.  


First, the kitchen didn't get heated up because Mr. ELEB cooked the chicken outside on the grill.  Second, I was able to get some great locally grown produce.  And third, the variety of tasty sweet and salty morsels in the salad satisfied my yearnings for something beyond a basic salad.  Hope you will be inspired to create your own Summer Super Salad.


Serves: 2
Time: 30 minutes


Ingredients:

• 4 cups mixed lettuces
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• 1 1/2 cup finely diced tomato (seeded)
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup pistachios (salted, shelled)
• 2 oz. goat's cheese, crumbled
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and sliced
• Drizzle of lemon olive oil (or oil and vinegar mixture)
• Salt and pepper

Method:

• Preheat the grill and grill chicken breasts until cooked.
• Compose or toss salad ingredients together.
• Add chicken.
• Dress with olive oil (or oil and vinegar), salt and pepper.

That's it.  Easy, satisfying, tasty.  And lot's of possibilities for variations.  Enjoy!


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Recipe for Quick and Easy Chicken Piccata-Secret Recipe Club

I was a little nervous when I got Barbara Bakes for my assignment for this month's Secret Recipe Club.  We'd just finished off the amazing Armenian Coffee Cake I made and really didn't want or need to have anything else tempting in the house for a while.  


I needn't have feared though.  Barbara has, in addition to all her mouth watering baked goods, a great selection of savory dishes.  Her chicken piccata recipe got my attention right away since it is a "quick and easy" recipe and one of our favorite chicken dishes to order at a restaurant. However, I'd never made it at home, which won't be an issue now I have her recipe in my files!


Barbara, like many of us, started her blog to share her favorite family recipes and her adventures in the kitchen. She also enjoys the Daring Bakers recipes as I do (where the Coffee Cake came from!).


The only significant change I made to the original recipe was throwing in some mushrooms which I know isn't traditional but they made a nice addition to the sauce and we eat them any time we can.


Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 2 servings


Ingredients:

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• AP flour
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup dry white wine 
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon drained capers
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Fresh lemon slices
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Plastic wrap or waxed paper

Method:

• Heat olive oil over med-high heat in a non-stick frying pan.
• Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to make thinner pieces.
• Place the thin pieces between waxed paper or plastic wrap and pound to very thin (about 1/4 inch).
• Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour on both sides, shaking off any excess flour.
• Brown and cook the chicken in the oil, about 2-3 minutes per side (depending on how thin you got them).
• Remove from pan and keep warm.
• Pour off any remaining oil and deglaze pan with wine, gently stirring for a minute to release the "brown bits" from the pan.
• Add garlic, broth and mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add lemon juice and capers and cook an additional minute to warm through.
• Return chicken and any juices to pan and heat for 1-2 minutes.
• Plate chicken and then stir butter in to sauce.
• Top chicken with sauce, chopped parsley and lemon slices.

If you like a lot of sauce, I would double the liquids but otherwise this recipe is perfect!

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Some of the other Secret Recipe Club recipes I've made (Search for "Secret Recipe Club" in the search box on the right):


Moussaka

Stuffed Portabellas

Recipe for Thai Chicken Enchiladas

Like you probably do, I keep a folder of recipes to try.  Sometimes I get to them within the month, sometimes never, and sometimes like this recipe, I make it the next day!


I saw this recipe on one of the blogs I read, How Sweet It Is, which is not a blog full of dessert recipes (the name is in reference to the James Taylor song).  I thought "what a great idea!" and pinned in on Pinterest and added the ingredients to the grocery list for that afternoon.  The pin got repinned alot that day, which just confirmed to me that it was an interesting recipe.  Thanks Jessica!

Yield: 8 enchiladas (4-6 servings depending how hungry you are)
Time: 60 minutes


Ingredients:

• 8 flour tortillas
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 tsp Thai curry seasoning (I used Baron's*)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 cup sweet onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup finely chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cabbage
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1/3 cup finely chopped peanuts and more for garnish
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro and more for garnish
• 2 1/2 cups light coconut milk
• 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce, divided (adjust up if you tolerate "heat" and like things more spicy)
• Cooking spray

 *contains sea salt, fenugreek, cardamom, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, red pepper, cumin, turmeric, yeast and onion

Method:

• Poach chicken breasts in water and 2 tsp Thai curry seasoning for 20 minutes.
• When chicken is cooked and cooled, slice finely.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat oil over medium heat and add the cabbage, carrots, garlic, remainder of curry seasoning, salt and pepper.  Cook gently until softened, about 8-10 minutes.
• Add green onion, peanuts, chicken, 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce, and 1 cup of coconut milk.  Cook until bubbling, 1-2 minutes.
• Stir in cilantro.
• While mixture is heating, mix together remaining sweet chili sauce and coconut milk.
• Spray casserole dish with cooking spray and spread 1/4 cup of milk/chili sauce mixture over the bottom.
• Using about 3/4 of the chicken mixture, fill each tortilla and roll up.  Place in casserole dish, seam side down.
• Sprinkle remaining chicken mixture over the top of the rolled tortillas and then pour remaining milk/chili sauce mixture over the top.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling.
• Top with additional chopped peanuts and cilantro.

AMAZING!  Really delicious and different.  Got the hubby thumbs up too.

Are you cooking any dishes with Thai influenced flavors?

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Adapted slightly from How Sweet it Is

Recipe for Curried Chicken with Peanuts

As I recently mentioned, we've been eating a fair number of Asian themed meals lately.  They are quick to put together-usually from stuff on hand.  They are also tasty and healthy.  So I find it's hard to go wrong!  Take this recipe for example. Tender chicken, salty peanuts, a subtle curry/coconut milk background and a little pop from the green peas stirred in at the end.  Simple and pretty perfect!

Yield: 4 servings
Time: 45 minutes


Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP canola oil
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 TBSP fresh ginger, grated
• 1 TBSP curry powder (or more to taste)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1 1/2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup peanut halves
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• Salt and pepper 

Method:

• Heat oil over medium-high and when hot, add chicken that has been well seasoned with salt and pepper.
• Brown chicken for about 2-3 minutes then remove from pan.
• Add ginger and curry powder and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add broth, rice, and raisins and bring to a boil.
• Add chicken back to pan and reduce heat to medium/medium low, cover pan and cook until rice is tender about 20 minutes.
• Stir in the coconut milk, peas and green onions; let sit covered, off the heat for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the cilantro and peanuts and serve.

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Adapted from Williams Sonoma

Recipe for Chicken Curry

I've been cooking a fair number of Asian themed meals: stir fries, curries etc. This recipe is based on one that a group of us used to make on the weekends in the dorm back in the 70's.  We were poor and had very little in the way of utensils.  We cooked on an illegal hot plate and used inexpensive canned chicken.  We sure didn't have access or means to acquire fresh herbs or coconut milk. And the only seasoning we had was Martha's curry powder her family sent her from India.   But we turned out a mean chicken curry.  The whole floor of the dorm smelled lovely and we ate well! So here's to the girls on the 12th floor!

Yield: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes


Ingredients:

• 2 cups finely chopped potato (1/2x1/2 inch)
• 1 ½ cup chopped onion (similar size to potato)
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 TBSP curry powder (more if desired)
• 1 TBSP Garam masala
• ½ TBSP ground cardamom
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into small pieces (similar size to potato)
• 2 cups frozen green peas, defrosted
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro plus more for garnish
• 1 cup golden raisins
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• Heat oil over medium heat.
• Add spices and stir constantly while cooking for 45 seconds.
• Add potatoes, onions, water, and coconut milk and cook for 15 minutes. 
• Add chicken that has been seasoned with salt and pepper (and more water/coconut milk if needed-you do want a moist curry).  
• Cook 10 more minutes or until chicken no longer pink and potatoes are soft.
• Stir in peas, cilantro, raisins and cook 2 additional minutes.
• Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.
• Serve garnished with cilantro, with rice or naan.

The fragrant cooking smells will drive you crazy until the dish is finished and you can sit down and eat.   What recipes do you cook that bring back memories of days gone by?

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Recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu Bites

Now here's a fun little appetizer. While these take a bit of effort to make, they are sure to please.  We ate these (along with lots of other goodies) at a friend's football party.  Unfortunately, the team we were all pulling for lost (San Francisco 49ers) but these are a winner!  


I named these little goodies after a favorite chicken dish-chicken stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese.  These are actually "inside out" in some respects since the bacon is on the outside!

Yep, takes a bit of patience to wrap them up.  Worth it though!

Yield: 30 bites
Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch strips
• 4 slices low fat swiss cheese, sliced into 1 inch pieces
• 10 oz. center cut bacon slices, cut in half
• Pepper

Method: 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Season chicken with pepper.
• Fold a piece of cheese inside each chicken piece, then wrap each in a piece of bacon.
• Secure each with a toothpick.
• Cook on rack over tin foil lined baking sheet for 15-20 minutes until chicken is no longer pink and bacon is crispy.
• If chicken is cooked and bacon isn't, place under high broiler for 2-3 minutes to finish crisping bacon.

They are best when warm out of the oven but still good at room temperature.

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Recipe for General Tso's Chicken

Have you found the terribly addicting website "Pinterest"?   If not, I suggest one of two things:  If you're a visual person and have some time every day to dawdle and browse around a really fun website, check it out.  If you're a super busy person who already wastes too much time on-line, stay away!  Seriously though, it is a great place to see all sorts of things from food and recipes, to ideas for decorating, funny pictures and sayings and so much more.  I found the inspiration for this recipe there.

Yield: 4 servings
Time: 45 minutes


Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks
• 1 1/2 cups cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup peanut oil, plus 1 tsp
• 1/4 tsp dried red chili flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds, for garnish
• 1 scallion, green parts thinly sliced, for garnish

Marinade

• 1 TBSP soy sauce
• 1TBSP sherry
• 2 egg whites

Sauce

• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 1/2 TBSP tomato paste
• 1 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 TBSP rice vinegar
• 1 tsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp chili paste
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp cornstarch

Method:

• Mix the marinade ingredients together and marinade chicken for 15 minutes.
• Mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
• Heat 1 cup of peanut oil in a hot wok over med-high heat.
• While oil heats, drain chicken from marinade and toss in cornstarch to coat.  Shake excess cornstarch off and add chicken in batches to hot oil in wok.
• Cook chicken until well browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes.
• Remove chicken-drain on paper towels, and discard oil.  Wipe wok out with paper towels.
• Add 1 tsp peanut oil, garlic and red pepper flakes to hot wok and stir fry for 30 seconds until fragrant but don't burn garlic.
• Add in sauce (stir first if cornstarch has settled) and stir fry for 1-2 minutes until thickening.
• Add chicken to wok and cook until well coated and warmed through.
• Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

We don't have any really good Chinese restaurant here (I know this probably isn't authentic Chinese but...) so I was happy to find a relatively easy recipe reminiscent of good Chinese restaurant food.  Do you cook "Chinese" at home?

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Original Recipe

Recipe for Greek Chicken with Tzatziki-Win a Trip to Greece!

I hope that photo makes your mouth water...mine is and it is only 8 am here as I'm typing this!  Of course, if you are still stuffed from Thanksgiving and really can't think about food, just save this and check it out later! 


If you look up at the top of the page, you'll see the statement about what my blog is all about:  "Celebrating the delights of good healthy food and special treats! Sharing recipes, information and experiences."  That pretty much sums up my and Mr. ELEB's philosophy on good living and living a healthy life.  Everything in moderation.  Most of the time we eat healthy.  He runs, I bike.  We moved to Maui so we could enjoy the outdoors every day of the year.


And, part of good living is enjoying a splurge now and then...like this weekend that we enjoyed at the Kapalua Food and Wine Festival or this chocolate torte.  But most of the time, we try to stick to the healthier side of life.


Today's recipe fits in the "good healthy food" category and, always a bonus, it tastes fantastic!  



Yield: 6 servings
Time: 60 minutes including marinade time


Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into large chunks
• 1/3 cup coconut (or olive) oil
• freshly squeezed juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup, reserve 1 TBSP)
• 2 tsp vinegar (red wine, rice, champagne etc)
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 TBSP dried organic no salt seasoning (I use Kirkland brand-mix of 21 spices and other ingredients including onion, garlic, pepper, parsley, mustard seed, coriander, rosemary, cayenne pepper...)
• 1 cup Fage plain non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 cup grated cucumber, squeezed dry in paper towels
• 2 tsp fresh chopped dill weed
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• Salt and pepper

Method:

• Mix the oil, juice-reserving 1 TBSP, vinegar, and seasonings together and marinate the chicken for 30 minutes (I find any longer than that changes the texture of the chicken and we don't like it as much)
• While the chicken marinates, mix the remaining ingredients together for the tzatziki including the 1 TBSP reserved lemon juice-adding salt and pepper to taste-and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Remove chicken from marinade and pat excess marinade off with paper towels.
• Bake for 15 minutes on a rack over a baking pan (see technique here).
• Serve with tzatziki and Greek Salad.

Tender, flavorful chicken with a tangy yogurt sauce.  Mmmmm.  Add the Greek salad for a filling healthy meal.


As part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher program, I have been entered for the chance to win a trip to Greece courtesy of FAGE. You too can enter to win one of three trips to Greece by entering the FAGE Plain Extraordinary Greek Getaway here: http://www.fageusa.com/community/fage-greek-getaway


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Recipe inspiration adapted slightly from Katherine Martinelli's blog

Recipe for Cheesy Chicken Penne Pasta. Secret Recipe Club!

It's that time again!  I'm really enjoying the opportunity to participate in the Secret Recipe Club.  It is a collection of bloggers who secretly pick a recipe from another's blog and cook and post about it.  Not only is it fun to spook around on someone else's blog but it is also a treat to see who had your blog for the month and what they picked to cook.

This month my assigned blog was The Life & Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch authored by Shelby, a wife and a mom to two grown boys, Justin and Christopher. Now, coincidence or what?  I'm a wife and a mom to two grown boys, Justin and Christopher.  Okay, Shelby lives in NY and I live in Maui, so not everything is spookily the same but, I'm just sayin'! 


Shelby has some awesome recipes on her site.  Like I've been into an Indian kick lately, she's been into an Asian one.  I definitely have plans to try her honey and sesame chicken some time soon but for today I chose her cheesy chicken penne pasta.

Time: 55 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

·         8 oz. whole wheat penne pasta

·         1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces

·         1 TBSP olive oil

·         Salt and pepper

·         1 shallot, chopped

·         1 clove garlic, chopped

·         1 cup organic vegetable broth

·         ¾ cup fat free half and half

·         6 oz. gruyere cheese, shredded, divided

·         1 cup frozen English peas

·         1/3 cup homemade breadcrumbs

·         Cooking spray

Method:

·         Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente.

·         Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

·         Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and when hot, add chicken that has been seasoned with salt and pepper.

·         Cook chicken for about 4-5 minutes, until browned.

·         Add in shallot and garlic and lower heat to medium and cook 5 additional minutes.

·         Add broth and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

·         Add half and half and simmer an additional 5 minutes.

·         Stir in 5 oz. of the cheese and cook until melted.

·         Stir in peas and drained pasta.

·         Spray casserole dish with cooking spray and add pasta/chicken mixture.

·         Top with breadcrumbs and then remaining cheese.

·         Bake for 25 minutes or until top has browned and casserole is bubbly.

I made very few changes to the original recipe, which Shelby adapted from another blogger (isn't recipe blogging great!), the main one being using fat free half and half instead of heavy cream.  We really enjoyed this casserole!  I used 365 Organic Whole Wheat Penne which we find to be very tasty and with none of that cardboard taste some whole wheat pasta has (unsponsored). 


If you wanted to make this a bit more decadent, I think adding in some bacon would be amazing and make it reminiscent of a carbonara.  Enjoy!


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Recipe for Light Version of King Ranch Casserole

Maybe this should be called "Princess Ranch Casserole" because it is probably less than half the fat and calories of the classic recipe.  No canned soups, full fat milk, or sour cream, and a modest amount of low fat cheese.  Still delicious though!

If you like Mexican Lasagna I think you'll like this recipe.  It is full of smoky cumin/chipotle heat (on the top edge of my weenie tolerance level so adjust the seasonings accordingly) with a creamy, rich sauce-all for just under 300 calories per serving.  The crunchy bell pepper is a nice complement to the mouth-feel of the sauce.


I adjusted the already lightened up inspiration recipe by using white whole wheat flour, added lime juice, switched in chipotle powder for chili powder, used whole grain wraps instead of corn tortillas, and cooked the chicken and veggies together rather than using pre-cooked chicken.   If you are short on time, using pre-cooked chicken would help, but don't let the long list of ingredients put you off, it really comes together pretty quickly.  Just have all your ingredients ready before you start the roux.

Completed roux

Out of the oven

Yield: 4 servings

Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup nonfat milk
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground smoked cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 TBSP canola oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups diced skinless chicken breast
• 2 large whole- or multi-grain wraps, cut into wedges
• 3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

Method:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• While broth comes to a simmer in a medium saucepan, whisk together the milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth. 
• Add the flour mixture to the broth and cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, for about 2-3 minutes (until thickened and smooth).
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in yogurt, tomatoes, chiles, lime, chipotle powder, oregano and cumin. 
• Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and chicken; cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked, about 4-5 minutes.
• Line the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish with half the wrap wedges. Layer with half the chicken mixture, then half of the sauce. Repeat with remaining wrap wedges, chicken mixture and sauce. 
• Sprinkle with Cheddar. 
• Bake until bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.

For the wraps, I used La Tortilla Factory Whole Grain Smart and Delicious Soft Wraps-I love them for their flavor, texture and 12 grams of fiber (unsponsored endorsement!).  Serve this with a side salad for a filling and satisfying meal.

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