2 Step Easy Balsamic Chicken

This week has been super hectic! I mean crazy busy! I feel like I haven't had a moment to sit down and just breath! The kids and they're activities are non stop, then they have been recovering from the colds that they had and then the baby was sick too! but she's much better now just recovering too.  Anyhow with the preface how I have had zero time this week I threw this together.  I actually did this on a Monday night and that happens to be our most hectic evening of the week!!  A helpful note for this chicken is to MAKE EXTRA! the leftovers are simply delicious for the next day!

Happy eating from my kitchen to yours! 

What You Need:

4 chicken breast

salt and pepper to taste 

1 bottle of balsamic vinaigrette dressing (I used Kens Dressing for mine)

How to:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place your chicken in a deep baking dish.   While your oven is pre-heating take a minute to season your chicken with salt and pepper.  Then pour the entire bottle of dressing over your chicken.  Cover with tin foil allowing the sides to be partially exposed. cook for 45 minutes or until your chicken reaches an internal temperature of  170 degrees Fahrenheit.  Pour reaming balsamic liquid that, you will find on the bottom of your baking dish on top of the chicken for additional yumminess. 

Crock Pot Chicken and Soba noodle soup

This week I feel like I we are living off of soups! My son came down with the flu and I think the rest of us are starting to get a little hint of hint of it also.  So with that said my remedy is well I'm sure you guessed it is Soup!  I made a chicken soup for the gang in the crock pot( which is my all time favorite way to make soup) and I realized that oops! I'm out of the long spaghetti so, as I'm on a scavenger hunt in my pantry I passed the soba noodles and I thought "I can just break these up a bit and toss em' in"  and sure enough it turned out to be incredible! Just because the soba noodles do not become super soggy like the pasta does, the soba noodles can stand up to a hearty soup and stand out in it as well!.  Soba noodles are actually a from buckwheat so it gives less carbs and more protein.  This soup is super hearty and just down right delicious! 

Happy Eating from my kitchen to yours! 

What you Need:

Crock Pot

6 cups chicken stock (if you want you can add 4 cups chicken stock and 2 cups water if you don't have enough stock)

2 cups of chopped baby carrots

3 stalks of celery chopped

1 large onion chopped

1 green bell pepper chopped

2 chicken breasts 

1 table spoon of dried basil

1 table spoon of dried oregano

1 table spoon of dried parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 lb dried soba noodles 

How to:

Add all ingredients to crock pot except for soba noddles they will go in 15 minutes prior to serving, Turn crock pot on high for 6 hours. 

Before serving you want to shred you're chicken breast so that the chicken will be bite size and nicely combined in the soup.

Break the soba noddles apart and add them to you're soup 15 minutes prior to serving. 

Niccoles Happy Kitchen: Sticky Honey Garlic chicken wings

Niccoles Happy Kitchen: Sticky Honey Garlic chicken wings: This weekend we were super busy we went to Santa's Enchanted Forest which is huge Christmas themed carnival down in Miami Florida...

Lemon Chicken with Broccoli

Chicken and broccoli happens to be one of my favorite take out foods! However;   I find that most times there is way to much salt added and it's also way to oily.  So I decided that I would make my own take out for dinner! It's clearly less expensive, I made it quicker then if I placed an order from the Chinese restaurant, it's healthier and it's budget friendly as well.  My family really enjoyed this and I hope yours will too!!  Happy eating from my kitchen to yours! 

Delightfully adapted from WW 360

Ingredients

	2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
	1/2 tsp table salt, divided
	1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
	12 oz uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast(s), thinly sliced
	2 tsp olive oil
	1 1/2 cup(s) fat-free, reduced sodium, chicken broth, divided
	2 tsp minced garlic
	2 1/2 cup(s) uncooked broccoli, small florets
	2 tsp lemon zest, or more to taste*
	2 Tbsp fresh parsley, fresh, chopped
	1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

• On a plate, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper; add chicken and turn to coat.
  
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning as needed, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes; remove to a plate.
  
• Put 1 cup of broth and garlic in same skillet; bring to a boil over high heat, scrapping up browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Add broccoli; cover and cook 1 minute.
  
• In a small cup, stir together remaining 1/2 cup of broth, 1/2 tablespoon of flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt; add to skillet and bring to a simmer over low heat.
  
• Cover and cook until broccoli is crisp-tender and sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in chicken and lemon zest; heat through.
  
• Remove skillet from heat and stir in parsley and lemon juice; toss to coat. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

Sticky Honey Garlic chicken wings

This weekend we were super busy we went to Santa's Enchanted Forest which is huge Christmas themed carnival down in Miami Florida, and while we were there I saw a food truck that made a variation of chicken wings.  I said to myself after I paid a whopping $15 bucks for the wings "I could totally make these myself and better"! so here they are! my take on these yummy honey garlic wings! which are by the way a new family favorite! Enjoy!  Happy eating from my kitchen to yours! 

Even the hubs and kids helped with the prep work!

Marinade getting sticky!

Delightfully adapted from www.foodness.com

• 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 3/4 cup honey
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
• 1/8 tsp cayenne
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 3 lbs chicken wings

1. Double-line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, garlic, sesame oil (if using), and cayenne. Add chicken wings and toss to coat. Marinate for 1 hour, (or up to overnight).

3. Remove wings from marinade and spread in a single layer on foil-lined baking sheet. Reserve marinade. Bake wings for 35 minutes, brushing with sauce twice (after 10 minutes and 20 minutes – but not during last 10 minutes of cooking because the marinate will not have long enough to cook properly, having touched raw chicken).

4. Boil remaining marinade over high heat until thick and syrupy – pay close attention, it goes from syrupy to burnt very quickly. Toss with chicken wings. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and serve.