Adobo Chicken with Rice

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It has been a long time!  It's been awhile since posting as well as preparing this recipe.  I guess it is only fitting that I revive my postings with this recipe.  This recipe is from Cooking Light's October 2009 issue is quite simple to make.  The recipe serves 4, but there is only two of us.  I prepared 3 chicken thighs, but the entire sauce recipe.  It allowed us to have a little extra sauce with our rice.  The oranges pictures are optional.  I can't get the husband to eat fruit with a meal unless it is breakfast.  
An adobo is actually from the Phillipines and means to cook in vinegar or the marinade.  It is about the process and not just for meats.  Adobos are typically meats cooked slowly in the sauce.  We all know that cooking slowly means cooking for a long time.  This recipe is a shorten version of traditional adobo recipes and the use of chicken thighs gives the impression of slow cooked meat because of the tenderness of chicken thighs.  

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 8 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups hot cooked rice
• 
  
Procedure
• 1.  Heat oil in a nonstick pan on medium-high heat.  Add chicken.  Brown on each side for about 3-4 minutes.  Remove chicken from the pan.  Add the onions.  Saute for about 4 minutes or until they begin to soften.  Add garlic and saute for 1 minute longer while stirring frequently. 
• 2.   Add soy sauce, water, vinegar, honey, pepper, and bay leaf to the pan.  Scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and combine the ingredients.  Return the chicken to the pan.  Allow to simmer on medium heat covered for about 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.  Turn the chicken over about halfway through cooking.  Discard the bay leaf.
• 3.   Serve over rice.  

Notes: 

1.  I only used 3 chicken thighs that were boneless and skinless, but used the same sauce measurements.

Skillet Chicken Souvlaki with Greek Salad

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I love going to Greek restaurants for chicken and pork souvlaki.  This is a lighter version of what is found in restaurants, and is easy to make.  The recipe originally comes from Cooking Light's August 2009 edition.  

Ingredients 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast finely sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion

1 cup thinly sliced green pepper

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Sauce

1/2 cup grated English cucumber

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon fresh, chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 6-inch pitas cut in half

2 plum tomatoes, sliced

Procedures

1. Combine cucumber and next 6 ingredients to make the sauce.  Set aside.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and season with salt and pepper.  Saute' about 5 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove the chicken from the pan.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in same pan.  Add onion and pepper to pan.  Saute' 3 minutes.  Return chicken to pan and add garlic and oregano.  Cook 30 seconds.
4. Serve chicken mixture with yogurt, warmed pita, and tomato slices.  

Greek Salad

Combine 5 cups of romaine lettuce, 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onions, 3 sliced pepperoncini, and 1/2 cup sliced cucumbers.  Combine 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Toss with lettuce mixture, 1/4 crumbled feta cheese, and 3 tablespoons sliced kalamata olives.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Notes:

• The original recipe calls for bottled minced garlic, but I like to use fresh minced garlic.  
• If I can find it, I like to use naan instead of pitas.  I cut the naan, wrap in a damp paper towel, and microwave for about 10 seconds.  
• Pork tenderloin can be substituted for the chicken.

Chicken Quesadillas

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This recipe is an original that I created after reading a variety of quesadilla recipes.  The layers begin with a cream cheese mixture spread over a flour tortilla, and then topped with queso cheese, chicken, fresh tomatoes, and more queso cheese.  Then it is finally topped off with a second flour tortilla and a thin layer of butter.  Both the husband and I really enjoyed this dinner.
I seasoned my chicken breast with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin and then baked it in the oven for about 30 minutes until it was cooked through.  To roast jalapenos, place on a pan and bake at 450º F for about 20 minutes or until the skin begins to blacken.  Remove from the oven and place jalapenos in a heavy duty zipper bag.  Allow to sit in the bag 20 minutes and then remove the skin of the pepper.  Remove the top and seeds.  Dice.


Makes 5 servings.


Ingredients
10 Fajita sized flour tortillas
1 cooked chicken chicken breast, thinly sliced
1 oz. tablespoon reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper 1/2 cup diced onions
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 cup diced tomatoes, seeded
1 teaspoon diced, roasted jalapeno
1 1/2 cup queso cheese

1.   In a medium saute pan, cook onions over medium heat until they are translucent, about 5 minutes.  Chop the cilantro and place in a small mixing bowl.  Add cream cheese, diced jalapeno, cumin, salt, pepper.  Add onions to the mixture.  Stir to combine.  


2.  Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture over 5 tortillas.  Sprinkle a tablespoon of cheese, place a few slices of chicken, 2 tablespoons of tomatoes, and another tablespoon of cheese on each tortilla.  Place another tortilla over each topped tortilla.  Spread a little butter over the top of each quesadilla.  


3.  Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat.  Place one quesadilla butter side down in the pan.  Add a little butter to the bottom of the quesadilla.  Cook until it brown and then flip.  When both sides are browned, remove from the pan and cut into quarters.  Repeat with remaining quesadillas.