Pecan Crusted Chicken-Freezer Meal

Pecan Crusted Chicken

You can make this fresh or prep everything for a quick freezer meal.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pecans. toasted
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast (opt)tenderloins (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
• 1/4 cup honey mustard OR
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 1 T Garlic
• 1/4 c buttermilk

Directions-Freezer Prep

 1. Toast Pecans if needed. Using a food processor, grind the pecans into fine crumbs. Place in quart size freezer bag with the bread crumbs and basil. Add salt and pepper. 

2. Place Chicken in freezer bag with marinade.   Use EITHER honey mustard  dressing OR Thyme, garlic and buttermilk.

3. Label with cooking directions!

• Preheat oven to 400.

  Pour off excess marinade and discard.   Place breasts one at a time into crumb mixture, pressing into both sides

  Place on sprayed baking sheet, lightly spray tops and bake 12-18 min
  

Directions Fresh:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Using a food processor, grind the pecans into fine crumbs. Transfer to a wide, shallow bowl and stir in the bread crumbs and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Rub each chicken breast with honey mustard, then coat with the pecan mixture. Place on a nonstick baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Bake until the juices run clear, 15 to 20 minutes.
   

Mini Maple (Whole Wheat) Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins

It's not secret that I'm in love with Bakerella and her latest recipe was just what I needed for a school morning.  Quick and simple with very little cleanup!  But oh, so good!  Here is a teaser for what is to come!

I'm loving the fact that I have been making a homemade breakfast for my kids every morning before school.  We have oatmeal, pancakes, eggs, waffles, muffins....lots of great starts to the day.  I think that it gives them a better start than cereal.  Let's face it, Raisin Bran might be healthy, but kids prefer the sugar!


Plus the homemade breakfast makes me feel better about the days that I wimp out on dinner and don't make anything!  Homemade food once a day is good, right?  Who needs a big dinner anyway?


So here is the recipe, with my notes italicized.  I think I may replace some of the butter with applesauce.  They were a tad greasy for my taste, but the whole wheat worked well.  Just note that chocolate chips sink in the batter.  Not a big deal, but if you wanted to use MINI chocolate chips, it might work well too.





Mini Maple (Whole Wheat) Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins.

(Bakerella said, "Someone please come up with a shorter name for these."  but I only made it longer!)

1 cup flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter (maybe a tad much for this recipe? 1/2 applesauce next time)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (I only had semi-sweet)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Sift together with a wire whisk.
• In another bowl, stir buttermilk, egg, maple syrup and melted butter until just combined.
• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips. Reserve a few chips to sprinkle on the tops.
• Bake for 8-9 minutes.

Makes 24 mini pancake muffins.

Let cool slightly and remove from the pan. You may need to use a toothpick around the edges to separate the pancake muffins from the pan.

Serve immediately with warmed butter if you like or even just with maple syrup.  My kids ate them with no butter or syrup, they had plenty of butter in them and a slight hint of maple syrup.

Amazing Triple Chocolate Banana (Cake) Bread

So this bread is so good that it's almost a cake.  Rich fudginess, moist texture and mild banana flavor.  So good and justifiable because technically, it's healthy...bananas are healthy, right?

Anyway, here you are.

Triple Chocolate Banana Bread
1 cup Sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 Tbsp oil (optional, not needed if you use white flour)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder or Special Dark cocoa
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp bakiing soda
1 1/4 cup mashed rip bananas, about 3
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of loaf pan.

Beat eggs, sugar, applesauce and (opt) oil. Add vanilla.  Mix flour, cocoas and baking soda; beat into sugar until just combined, batter will be thick.  Stir in bananas and chocolate chips.

Bake 50-70 min until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 10 min in pan, remove and cool completely on wire rack.

Try to wait till it's cool before you eat it!

Sloppy Joe Monday

I haven't ever made sloppy joes so I figure that it's about time.  Plus i have some hamburger and buns that are calling to be used up.

1 lb Ground beef
1 chopped onion
1/2 c chopped green pepper
1 7.5 ounce can tomatoes, cut up
2 TBS Quick Oats
1/4 c water
1.5 tsp chilli pdr
1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Garlic
Salt/Pepper
dash of hot sauce

Cook meat and onion, drain fat off. Stir in undrained tomatoes, etc and bring to boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer 5-10 to reach thicker consistancy. Serve on buns.  (Makes 6 servings)

*******Edit**********
I would used crushed tomatoes instead.  The kids balked at the visible pieces of tomato.  I also added a heaping amount of ketchup and a bit of brown sugar.  The original recipie was very 'chunked up" meat and less sloppy joe.  It's from an old Betty Crocker cookbook so that's probably why it was so meh.  I added more seasoning and next time I might try tomato paste/dash of vinegar/brown sugar instead of ketchup...

Menu Plan

Monday: Evil Lasagna (go watch Igor)
Tuesday: leftover potroast from Sunday
Wed: Hot Dogs and veggie sticks
Thursday: Stir Fry w/ squash and zuchinni OR same Veggies with Pasta
Friday: Baked Squash and Chicken?
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Crock Pot Chicken Dumplings

Menu Plan

i'm going to try this menu planning thing out....wish me luck!

Monday: Sauteed onions and Green Apples with Chicken and Spatzle
Tuesday: (work night) leftover pizza from Sunday
Wed: (worknight): Edemame with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Thursday: burritos!  (yum!)
Friday: Last Date Night...Kids get chicken nuggets and veggie sticks, we go out....Chipotle?
Saturday: Baked Butternut Squash, Chicken and Brocolli
Sunday:  Leftovers from Thursday and Sat.

Chicken and Apple Skillet

Ingredients:

• 4 teaspoons olive oil or canola
• 2 tart apples, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

In heavy skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat; cook apples, onion and thyme for about 4 minutes, or until just tender but still a bit crisp. Remove to bowl and set aside. Add remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to skillet; cook chicken, turning once, for 2 to 4 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. Reduce heat to medium low. Set 1 tablespoon apple juice aside and pour remaining juice in skillet along with the cider vinegar. Cover and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. With slotted spoon, remove chicken to platter; keep warm. Combine cornstarch with reserved tablespoon apple juice; stir into skillet juices and cook over high heat, scraping up any browned bits, for 2 minutes or until thickened. Return apple mixture to pan and heat through, season with salt and pepper. Spoon apple mixture around cooked chicken. Serves 4.

I used one large chicken breast/apple/onion and chopped them up (instead of slicing) and it was enough for 4 with baked sweet potatoes and edamame.