Some issues of magazines are just blow-you-over good. The 2008 Cookies issue of Fine Cooking is like that. Another 2008 goodie? The November 2008 issue of Everyday Food. I can’t tell you how many great recipes I have made from that issue.

These enchiladas are among my favorites — flavorful, creamy, cheesy and spicy (want to make them spicier? Double the amount of chipotles in the recipe). Honestly, my kids are not a fan of these because of the heat they pack … but that’s okay. Sometimes just parents can enjoy right?I serve these with avocado, sour cream, rice and a big salad. That way everyone has something to enjoy with them … even if the enchiladas are too spicy.

Do you make any dishes that your kids aren’t a fan of?

Lighter Chicken Enchiladas
adapted from Everyday Food
serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp minced canned chipotle pepper in adobo
14 1/2 chicken broth (that’s the size of one can — I use a box though)
1/2 cup water
8 corn tortillas
1 1/2 lb cooked chicken (from a roasted chicken, preferably), chopped
1 cup cheddar-jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 8×8 inch square baking pan with cooking oil spray and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Whisk in the flour, cumin and chipotle peppers and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in chicken broth and water. Heat to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 1 minute to heat. Set aside.

Spread enough sauce into the bottom of the baking dish to cover lightly. In a medium bowl, toss one cup of sauce with the chicken. Divide the chicken mixture evenly among the tortillas and roll up. Arrange in the baking dish. Top with the remainder of the sauce. Sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges begin to brown ever so slightly. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about five minutes before serving.

For being such a big fan of using roasted chickens, I don’t roast my own often. The ones from the grocery store are so darn convenient, you know? However, there are so many really great reasons to buck up and do it yourself. For instance, you can control the quality of chicken used, the seasonings, the spices, the size … Need I go on?

Yes, I really do like being in control – especially when it comes to food.

So, lately, I have been roasting chickens. A few months back, I tried Chicken with 40 Cloves for the first time and I was smitten. I think we had it three or four times within a couple of weeks. But as much as I loved the results, the results of my first one were better than any of the subsequent ones. I have no idea why. And the mass of garlic? I loved it for the flavor and hated the idea that I might actually eat all 40 cloves over a day or two …

So, when I went to roast a chicken yesterday, I first looked for recipes that were easy and simple. When I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted, I improvised using several tips from Fine Cooking to roast. I choose olive oil instead of butter (FC’s preferred fat for browning) because it was more accessible and didn’t require me to soften any butter.

Per Fine Cooking’s tips, I didn’t truss the chicken (frankly, I hate trussing anyway!). This allowed the chicken to cook evenly and I got a crisp, delicious skin all over it. Oh, the skin … it was fab. Also, I loved the flavoring that the lemon and rosemary sprigs in the cavity imparted on the meat. So delicious.

We’ll be having this again soon.

Do you roast your own chickens? What are your favorite seasonings for it?

Easy Roasted Chicken
serves 4, plus leftovers

3-4 lb roaster chicken
olive oil
garlic powder
salt
pepper
1 lemon
3-4 sprigs rosemary

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Wash the chicken and cavity with cool water and pat dry. Set on a rack on top of a roasting pan. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil all over and then season with garlic powder, salt and pepper — don’t forget to season in the cavity too.

Cut the lemon into four wedges and stuff into the cavity – peel and all. Stick the sprigs of rosemary in the cavity as well.

Slide the chicken into the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 and roast for 45-55 minutes, until juices run clear.

Let sit for 15 minutes before carving.

Turns out that this delicious marinated chicken is a Greek specialty that is typically served on a skewer, kabob style. Better yet, it can be made at home. It takes just minutes to pull together the marinade and get it started. Once it’s really soaked in the delicious combination of lemon, oregano and other flavors, it’s ready to cook.

I’ve taken some serious liberties with this recipe. It’s traditionally served with tzatziki (a sauce made of yogurt and cucumber), onions and usually tomatoes. You could certainly add all that to this sandwich, but I didn’t. I also opted to use thin chicken breasts instead of pork or chicken thighs. Using thin breasts, this cooks up in about 10-15 minutes on the stove top. Easy peasy.

Don’t want to spend the money on thin-cut breasts? If you cannot find them on sale, then purchase regular ol’boneless skinless chicken breasts and either pound them down to about 1/4 inch thickness or carefully cut each breast into two slices. I used to be a huge advocate of the slice method, but I think pounding really makes them more tender. What do you think?

Instead of making the salad that we’re used to, I decided to use this delicious marinated chicken on a sandwich. Layered with goat cheese and mesclun salad greens, this was absolutely delicious. My husband couldn’t get over how similar the taste of the chicken was to our local restaurant’s salad chicken, which is positively craveworthy.

If you aren’t a fan of goat cheese, I suggest trading it for a slice of feta cut from a block. Use about one ounce per sandwich. In a pinch, fresh mozzarella could be used too — though I think that goat cheese just works better with this marinade.

Disclosure: I was given a free trial of this service in order to experience it for reference in my writing here and on other sites.

Chicken Souvlaki Sandwich
serves 4
adapted from The Six O’Clock Scramble

1 lb thin-cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 oz goat cheese (or 4 oz feta, sliced from a block)
4 hard rolls
1 cup mesclun greens or other baby greens

Rinse the chicken under cool water and place into a resealable plastic bag. Set aside.

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour into the bag with the chicken. Seal and let sit for 2-3 hours, flipping once or twice to ensure even marinating.

Remove the chicken from the bag and discard excess marinade. In a large preheated skillet set over medium heat, cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes per side, until cooked through and slightly browned.

Meanwhile, spread one ounce of the goat cheese on one side of each hard roll. Divide the mesclun evenly among the rolls, piling it on the half of the roll without the cheese. Top with the chicken. Serve immediately. (If using feta, place the slice of feta on top of the mesclun salad instead of trying to spread it.)

This is delicious with a Greek salad and/or roasted potatoes.

There is something amazing about biting into the crispy coating of fried chicken. It crunches between your teeth, revealing layers of flavors. It’s salty and wonderful … Before you know it, you’re biting into juicy chicken, just below the skin. Well, at least I hope it’s juicy. I’ve had a lot of flavorless meat on fried chicken in my day. Haven’t you?

This chicken is the total package: crispy and packed with flavor inside and out.

In 2010, I am focusing a lot on healthy, budget-friendly dishes. Chicken drumsticks are definitely budget friendly, and since these are baked, this is lightened up. (Don’t worry … only a portion of the 2 tbsp of butter actually makes it onto the chicken). Perfect for a night when you are craving comfort food … but not willing to break your healthy resolutions.

Psst … are you participating in the Ten in 2010 challenge? It’s a community effort to support each other to a healthier, happier 2010. Don’t worry — you don’t even need a blog to join. Click here to learn more.

Crunchy Oven Fried Chicken Drumsticks
serves 4
view the printable recipe at Tablespoon

2 cups corn flake cereal
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp skim milk
1 tsp garlic salt
4 chicken drumsticks (about 1 1/3 lbs)
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Spray an oven-safe 13×9x2 inch pan with cooking oil spray.

Place the cereal in a resealable bag and crush with a rolling pin. Add 2 tbsp parsley and the paprika to the bag and shake to incorporate. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a small skillet. Remove from burner and let cool for a few minutes. Then, whisk in the milk, 1 tbsp parsley and garlic salt. Wash and pat dry the chicken. Then, roll it in the butter mixture. Transfer chicken pieces to the resealable bag and shake until well-coated (do then all at once — it’s easiest). Place the chicken into the prepared pan. Spray lightly with cooking oil spray.

Slide the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

After coming back from vacation last week, I had a rough time getting back into the rhythm of blogging. That transition from relaxation to dedicated workerbee sure is a hard one, isn’t it? That’s why there was only one recipe last week. Forgive me, there will be more recipes this week. Promise.

So let’s talk favorite comfort foods today.

There are some meals that I could eat several times a week and never grow tired of them. Among them is Chicken Parmesan, and I think Will, Paige and Shawn would agree. It’s comfort food at it’s best: tender, juicy breaded chicken with a solid, crisp crust that is neither too hard nor too mushy. Cooked with brilliant basil infused marinara sauce and topped with melty cheese that pulls apart in long strings when you eat it, it’s just mouthwatering good. For the sauce, I love homemade, but if not that then we all adore Bove’s Basil Marinara. It’s the freshest jarred sauce I’ve ever tasted.

Yum.

This particular recipe for Chicken Parmesan comes together really quickly and is super simple. And the results are something that everyone in the family just devours. Heck, we even fight over the leftovers. And with a limited amount of added fats, it’s not too bad for you either.

What’s your favorite comfort food?

Quick Chicken Parmesan
serves 4

2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Place one chicken breast in the middle of a long sheet of waxed paper. Fold the paper over the chicken. Using a meat mallet, pound to 1/2 inch thickness. Repeat with second breast. Cut each breast into two pieces.

Dredge the chicken in the flour, then the egg and then in the breadcrumbs. Repeat until all the chicken has been breaded. Set aside.

In a 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side until browned. Pour in the marinara sauce and sprinkle with cheeses. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, until cheeses are melted.

Serve over pasta.

Today is Cinco de Mayo, a day that commemorates the Battle of Pueblo where the Mexican army defeated French forces. It’s a big thing for Mexico. I remembered briefly this morning when Facebook reminded me to wish one of my childhood friends a happy birthday. Then I promptly forgot. When I sat down to write this post, I realized what a funny coincidence it is that I am writing about a delicious chili recipe today. But yes, it’s completely a coincidence.

Meanwhile, if we have one more rainy day here in Connecticut, I might just start sprouting parsley from my hip. After a long and cold winter, all we really want to do is to get outside and play, plant and enjoy our yard. Instead, we have lots of rain, which seems to be encouraging weeds to sprout waist-high overnight (I kid you not!).

But if there is one meal that just screams of wanting to warm you up on a dreary, rainy day, it’s chili. Of course, with summer nudging around the corner, we only have a few more weeks (days?) before we need to trade hearty dishes for lighter, cooler fare.

This chili has a definite kick with the chipotle, but I think it’s more medium than hot. The kids? Well, they weren’t that thrilled with the heat but Shawn and I loved it. The chicken is a nice change up in this hearty, slightly spicy chili. Served over rice, this will fill your belly and leave you satisfied.

Chipotle Chicken Chili
serves 4-6

This chili has a moderate amount of heat, which should be ideal for most adults. If you want it to knock your socks off, add another chipotle pepper to the mix. However, if you are cooking for young children, this might be a little spicy, so I suggest cutting back a little on the chipotle (one pepper should be ok). As for the garnish — the cold tomatoes and smooth, creamy avocado take this delish chili and make it an OMG WOW!

2 tbsp canola oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and ends removed
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 chipotle peppers from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo (available in most supermarkets)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, cut into a 1″ dice
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with chilis
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed
1 15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed
salt (about 1 tsp — but to taste)
1 cup frozen corn

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium heat.

Combine the onion (you may need to cut it in half or quarters), garlic and chipotle peppers in a food processor. Process until finely chopped and well combined. Add the mixture to the pot and cook, stirring occationally, for about five minutes until it dries a bit and thickens.

Add the chicken to the chipotle mixture and cook, tossing occationally, until the chicken is opaque on all sides and well coated. Add all of the tomatoes, along with the black beans, kidney beans and salt. Stir well. Lower the heat to low and cover. Let simmer for 1 1/2 – 2 hrs. The chili will thicken as it cooks, so try not to let it go longer than two hours.

Stir in the frozen corn (I used white shoepeg corn) and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until corn is hot too.

To serve: Dish out the thick chili on a bed of rice. If desired, garnish with diced avocado, diced tomatoes and cheddar cheese.

Yesterday afternoon, Paige woke up long before Will from their afternoon nap, a very rare occurrence. Apparently all that fresh air really did him in. Finally, as it neared evening, I had to wake him up. Paige was munching on tasty low-fat chocolate chip cookies and scampered into their bedroom with me. Did she boast about her bounty? No, she proceeded to try to feed a barely awake (he didn’t even have his eyes open!) Will half-eaten cookies. She even climbed onto the bed to get a better angle for shoving the cookies in his mouth.

It was really cute. I daresay she missed her big brother. But then, it got even better. After finishing the cookies, she scooted down in the bed and laid her head on the pillow, pulling the blankets up and over her. Will was just starting to open his eyes when she grabbed a book and started leafing through. Adorable.

They laid there, side by side, looking at books for at least 20 minutes.

I love how much my kids love each other. It’s the best thing ever. I won’t fool you: they don’t always get along (who does?), and they have little spats of jealousy here and there. Paige loves to steal Will’s drinks and drink them in front of them. Will doesn’t always like to share his toys. But ultimately, that is pretty normal. And at the end of the day, they both have showered each other with plenty of kisses, hugs and wonderful shared moments like this. I have two pretty great kids.

Another pretty cute thing? Will sometimes will finish his food and help Paige with hers, stabbing her food with her fork and feeding her. Even when she isn’t interested in being helped by Shawn or I, she usually likes her big brother to help her with her favorite dishes like macaroni and cheese or chicken (any way).

Chicken makes very frequent appearances on our table here. It’s a lean protein that we all like and it’s easy and adaptable. It can be breaded into cutlets or cut into strips and stir-fried. It can be shredded and mixed with barbecue and put into sandwiches  too … the possibilities are endless.

But sometimes, you just don’t want to fuss. In cases like that, having an easy go-to recipe that can be used in a ton of ways is so helpful. This recipe is that for me. The chicken cooks up quickly and comes out juicy every single time. Since you only use a spray of olive oil, it’s also pretty low-fat and dare I say healthy. The simple act of salt and peppering really makes this chicken pop with flavor, but it can also easily adapt to being used with sauces, in sandwiches, with pasta (and sauce, over rice … or whatever you feel like.

And I highly recommend pounding the chicken. It’s therapeutic and makes the chicken so perfect.

Easy Low-Fat Salt and Pepper Chicken Breasts
serves 4

1 lb chicken breasts
salt and pepper
olive oil cooking spray

Heat a large skillet on your stove’s medium setting.

Rinse the chicken breasts and trim away any excess fat. Place in the center of a long (about two feet) sheet of wax paper and fold the paper over the chicken. Use the flat side of a meat mallet to pound the chicken to ¼ inch thickness.

Cut each breast into 2-3 pieces.

Spray the skillet with olive oil cooking spray. Sprinkle the chicken liberally with salt and pepper.

Place the chicken salt and peppered side down on the skillet. Sprinkle the other side with salt and pepper too. Cook for a few minutes on each side until opaque and cooked through. Remove pan from the burner and set aside (or just use the chicken like that).

NOTES:

• Alternatively, you can purchase chicken that has been thin sliced, however you will pay a big premium for it and really, pounding and cutting chicken doesn’t take that long or that much effort.
• I keep a pinch bowl filled with a 1:1 ratio of salt and pepper next to my stove at all times. It’s a great, inexpensive and easy way to flavor meat in a hurry. It also is great on veggies. Just make sure you pinch with clean hands.

It’s grilling season! It’s grilling season!

That’s exactly what I felt like shouting the first night that Shawn and I cooked dinner outside. We’ve repeated our outdoor cooking almost every night since. I love grilling outside. The scent of cooking food wafting through the air, the sounds of crackling inside the grill, the wave of heat that smacks you in the face when you open the lid . . . what’s not to love?

This is a new recipe for me. I have some OMG balsamic vinegar from a small chain of pasta stores called Villarina, and I wanted to try it in a marinade for chicken. The result was a slightly tangy, slightly sweet chicken breast with a rich color. Try it. It makes good leftovers too for salads or wraps.

Grilled Balsamic Chicken
serves 4

1 lb. chicken breasts

Marinade:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
10 cloves roasted garlic
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Wash the chicken and pat dry. Cut diagonal slits across the chicken breast (about 1/4 inch thick). This allows the marinade to penetrate the meat. Place into a resealable plastic bag.

Combine all marinade ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Pour the marinade into the plastic bag with the chicken and seal, removing as much air as possible.

Preheat the grill to the medium setting.

Spray the grill grates with cooking spray (while standing back!). Put the chicken on the grill.

Cook for roughly 15-20 minutes, flipping once. Chicken is done when juices run clear.

Bacon Cheddar Barbecue Chicken Rollatini

1 lb chicken breast (boneless and skinless, thin sliced)
1/2 cup grated cheddar (sharp)
1 slice bacon per chicken breast
barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray an oven safe pan with cooking spray.

Wash chicken (remember, you need 1 lb of thin sliced chicken). Lay out pieces and divide cheddar evenly among them. Starting at one end, roll each one up tightly. Lay out bacon slices (these should be UNCOOKED) and wrap around each chicken roll. Secure with a wooden toothpick and place in the pan. Be sure that your toothpicks don’t have any plastic fringe on them or anything — that would be a disaster.

One all the chicken is rolled and wrapped, place the pan in the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and brush each roll with about 1 tbsp barbecue sauce. I prefer a honey barbecue for this application like Sweet Baby Ray’s.

Return the pan to the oven and cook for 5-6 more minutes. Then, turn the oven off and turn the broiler on high. Do not open the door or remove the chicken from the oven. Cook for an additional 5-6 minutes until the bacon is browned on top.

Remove from oven and serve immediately.