Best Chicken Breast Recipe Ever – Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps

4 Comments | Written on April 19, 2013 at 12:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

The winning dish in our “Best Chicken Breast Recipe Ever” contest is a fresh and healthy meal with a flavorful international twist!  Congratulations to “egadsby2″ for her creative “Chicken Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps with Asian Pear-Cucumber Salsa.”  These low carb wraps are bright and colorful with a satisfying crunch.

Keep reading for the winning recipe…

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10 Ways to Prepare Chicken Breast

No Comments | Written on April 12, 2013 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

We are always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to prepare chicken breast for dinner.  This lean protein is incredibly versatile and always a crowd pleaser!  Today I have assembled 10 of my favorite ways to enjoy chicken breast at mealtime.  Pick your favorite or share your best recipes with all of us by entering the “Best Chicken Breast Recipe Ever” contest!   

 Keep reading for the recipes…

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Best Italian Recipe Ever – Italian Chicken with Pine Nut Gremolata

3 Comments | Written on January 24, 2013 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Last week, Better Recipes put out the call for the “Best Italian Recipe Ever” and once again, our readers did not disappoint!  I traveled to Italy back in October and I fell in love with the cuisine all over again.  Especially the rustic, family style dishes made with simple, beautiful ingredients.  The winning recipe from our Italian contest showcases olives, lemons, tomatoes and basil.

 Keep reading for the winning recipe!  

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Chile Chicken Enchilada Dip

14 Comments | Written on September 27, 2012 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Football season is underway and you know what that means…Game Day Foods!   This ooey gooey cheesy dip earned top honors in our recent “Game Day” recipe contest.  If you love chicken enchiladas, wait until you try this Chile Chicken Enchilada Dip!

 Keep reading for the recipe.  Grab some chips and dive in!  

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Roasted Peach Chicken

No Comments | Written on August 10, 2012 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

I am always on the lookout for new ways to prepare chicken for dinner.  Easy recipes using seasonal ingredients are a must!  That’s why I love this recipe for Roasted Peach Chicken.  It’s perfect with a fresh garden salad and a glass of iced tea!

Keep reading for this easy chicken recipe…

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Five Spice Chicken Lo Mein to Celebrate National Noodle Day

9 Comments | Written on October 5, 2011 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Tomorrow is National Noodle Day!  In honor of this “food holiday” I received this special delivery yesterday…

Believe it or not, that is a unique piece of wall art featuring the Better Recipes logo made entirely out of noodles!  How cool is that?!

It was sent over as an official invitation for the Better Recipes readers to join P.F. Chang’s celebrate National Noodle Day with a Twitter party.  Tonight from 8-10 EST you can join @PFChangs and follow the hash tag #noodlenight for a chance to win prizes and get the Noodle Day celebration started right.  They are launching a new line of noodle entrees to the P.F. Chang’s Home Menu including:  Garlic Chicken with Dan Dan Noodles, Pepper Steak with Chow Fun Noodles, Grilled Chicken Teriyaki with Lo Mein Noodles, Firecracker Shrimp with Yakisoba Noodles.  You can even enter to win one of their VIP noodle tasting kits, chef-quality skillets to prepare your meal, and a grand prize trip for two to spice up your weekend in Las Vegas!  Check out their facebook page for more info.

I decided to kick off National Noodle Day with this fast and flavorful recipe for “Five-Spice Chicken with Shiitake Mushrooms and Lo Mein Noodles.”  Chinese 5-Spice powder is an aromatic blend of ground cinnamon, cloves, Szechuan pepper, star anise and fennel.  If you are looking for a flavor punch without using a lot of ingredients, definitely keep a jar of 5-spice on hand.  It pairs perfectly with chicken as well as the earthy flavors of mushrooms.  Serve over lo mein noodles and garnish with sesame seeds!

By the way, don’t forget to enter the blog giveaway this week for a chance to win the amazing Wok Set and accessories!  Simply follow this link and leave a comment to win!

http://www.betterrecipes.com/blogs/daily-dish/2011/10/03/wok-weekly-blog-giveaway

 

Five-Spice Chicken with Shiitake Mushrooms and Lo Mein Noodles  (click here to view and print recipe)

1 box Chinese Lo Mein noodles

1 pound thinly sliced chicken cutlets

2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder

3/4 pound shiitake mushrooms

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon Sesame oil

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Prepare Lo Mein noodles according to package directions.  While the noodles are cooking, prepare the chicken.

Sprinkle both sides of the chicken cutlets with the five-spice powder, rubbing it in well.  Trim and slice the mushrooms.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan.  Add the chicken and cook over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.  Remove to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pan.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan.   Add the mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until  lightly browned and quite tender, about 3 minutes.

Add 2/3 cup water and the soy sauce to the pan.  Boil, uncovered, until the sauce is slightly reduced, 1 to 2 minutes.  Return the chicken to the pan and heat through.

Toss noodles with sesame oil.  Serve chicken over noodles and garnish with sesame seeds.  Serves 4.

 

“Grill-Off” Chicken Winner

2 Comments | Written on July 19, 2011 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Sliders are all the rage, and we are always looking for new ways to enjoy chicken at mealtime.  No wonder these delicious, innovative and adorable grilled chicken sliders came out on top this week in our grilling contest!  Everyone say “hello” and “congratulations” to our latest winner, Jeanette Nelson!

Jeanette says, “These Island Inspired Chicken Sliders were made specifically for this contest.  The bold and vibrant exotic flavors will have your friends and family begging for this recipe.”

Keep reading to see the recipe for this winning dish!

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Easy Summer Meals Winner

1 Comment | Written on July 5, 2011 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

I can’t believe it!  The Semi-Annual Recipe Contest is complete.  After 23 weeks we have assembled the top recipes in delicious categories all across the board.  Without further ado, let me introduce you to Chris Gerstbrein the final winner in our weekly contest and mastermind behind this “Easy Summer Meal.”

Chris says, “Men, don’t be shy about getting in the kitchen and sharing the recipes you come up with! When grilling don’t be afraid to raid the spice rack and try new flavors and combinations.”

His recipe for Mediterranean Grilled Chicken is an effortless meal that is packed with flavor.  Check out that gorgeous dish!  No one will ever know how easy it is to prepare.

MEDITERRANEAN GRILLED CHICKEN

Healthy and loaded with flavor–boneless, skinless chicken breasts marinated with fennel and coriander, then stuffed with feta and sun-dried tomatoes and grilled.

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Marinade:
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp fennel seed
• Filling:
• 6 oz feta cheese
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 tsp olive oil

Directions:

In a resealable gallon bag, combine olive oil, garlic, coriander and fennel seed to create a marinade. With a sharp knife, cut a pocket into each chicken breast before placing it in the marinade. Refrigerate chicken for a minimum of 2 hours, or overnight. Combine the feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and olive oil to make the filling. Remove chicken from the marinade and fill the pocket with the feta cheese mixture. Use toothpicks to secure the edges of the filled pocket closed. Place chicken on grill and cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees and is no longer pink.

Number of Servings: 4

Congratulations on being our final weekly winner!  How did you come up with your winning recipe?

“This recipe was developed on the fly while grocery shopping. I knew I had chicken breasts to prepare on the grill and wanted to try some new flavors. I picked up a container of feta cheese and then just picked out the other ingredients that I thought would go well with it (olive oil, garlic, and sun dried tomato). I love the citrus notes coriander adds and the anise flavor of fennel seed so I used these in the marinade.”

What inspired you to enter the Better Recipes weekly contest?

“This is the first recipe contest I have ever entered. My wife and I really liked this recipe and a few days after making it I saw the Better Recipes contest while on the internet and decided to enter.”

That’s fantastic!  How exciting that you won on your first try!  Why do you think your recipe stood out to the judges?

“This is a simple, quick recipe but the citrus of the coriander and anise of the fennel seed really go so well with the tangy feta and concentrated flavor of the sun dried tomato. It is not a heavy dish but packs a lot of flavor.”

Right now you are one for one.  Do you have any advice for others interested in entering our recipe contests?

“Just do it! If you enjoy cooking and come up with a recipe you like, share it.”

Do you have any plans for the prize money? Any plans if you should win the grand prize?

“I never dreamed my recipe would win, especially since it was the first contest I have entered so I don’t have plans for the prize money yet. If I were to win the grand prize I think a new grill would be on the list.”

Well, if you love to grill be sure to check out our new contest just for summer.  The “Better Recipes Grill-Off” is underway and the theme this week just happens to be Grilled Chicken!  Next week is Grilled Fish and the following week is “wild card.”  (In other words, if you can grill it, we want to see it!)

After that we will debut a whole new round of weekly contests as well as a huge announcement.   Keep visiting “The Daily Dish” for all the breaking news and everything you need to know!

Lemon Chicken with Prosciutto

2 Comments | Written on April 6, 2011 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Tell me if this sounds familiar…  It’s a busy Wednesday night, and you want to get an easy and flavorful dinner on the table without spending hours in the kitchen.  Chicken is always a go-to solution, but it can be hard to keep it new and exciting.  That’s where Better Recipes comes in!  Not only do we have an array of “Easy Chicken Recipes” to choose from, but I just created a brand new list of my “Top 10 Ways to Enjoy Chicken Tonight!”  Wings or thighs, Italian or Mexican, from the crockpot or in a sandwich – when it comes to chicken for dinner, the possibilities are endless!

One of my personal favorites is this recipe for Lemon Chicken with Prosciutto.  It is a 5-ingredient dish that can be prepared in about 30 minutes.  Give it a try tonight!

LEMON CHICKEN WITH PROSCIUTTO (click here to view and print recipe)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (not thin sliced)
1/3 pound very thinly sliced prosciutto
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 lemons
Hot cooked and buttered orzo to serve 4

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking pan (jelly roll pan) with nonstick aluminum foil; set aside.  Place chicken breasts between pieces of plastic wrap and pound each evenly flat to half its thickness.  Place on baking pan, without breasts touching.  Evenly divide prosciutto and place pieces on top of chicken, covering completely. Slice one of the lemons into 8 even, thin slices.  Place 2 lemons on each side of breasts.  In a small bowl, stir together butter, generous salt and pepper, and grated rind of other lemon until combined.  Dot the length of each breast evenly with the lemon butter.  Bake for about 25 minutes until chicken is just tender and cooked through.  If desired, chicken can then be placed under broiler about 4-5 minutes for added color and crispness of prosciutto, watching very carefully as not to burn.  Spoon any juices in pan over chicken. Serve with orzo.

Recipe Notes:  To get a full, wonderful lemon flavor, press fork down firmly onto lemons that are atop chicken and let the juices run over the chicken, or pass extra wedges of lemon to squeeze over top.

Week 8 “Chicken” Winner

7 Comments | Written on March 22, 2011 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Congratulations to the winner from our “chicken” week, Lisa Keys!  She is driven by a passion for food and family.  In fact, Lisa told me she even has a bumper sticker which says, “Love People Cook Them Tasty Food.”  So fun!  Let’s take a look at the winning dish and learn more about the creative cook behind the recipe.

CHICKEN SCALLOPINE AND HONEY LEMON CAPER SAUCE (click here to view and print recipe)

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken cutlets
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup low salt chicken broth
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons small capers, drained
2 tablespoons minced Italian flat leaf parsley

Directions:

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and garlic powder, shaking off excess and set aside. In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat. Cook chicken for 2-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and just cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm. Pour the chicken broth into the pan, raise the heat to high, then with a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits in the pan. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add lemon juice, honey, capers and remaining butter. Return chicken, and any accumulated juice, to the pan. Cook, turning chicken in sauce, for 1 minute or until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley.

Number of Servings:  4

Notes:  You can substitute 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves for the cutlets, but pound them to an even thickness for even cooking.

Welcome to the winner’s circle Lisa!  What made you decide to enter the Better Recipes chicken contest?

“I entered the Better Recipes contest because I feel the folks who work for this organization are the ultimate taste testers.  It’s a great reward to win the $250.00, but more so to win the respect of the professional judges.  Being chosen by Better Recipes is a validation that I cook tasty food for the people I love and that means so much to me.”

Awww….that is so sweet of you to say, Lisa!  Tell us more about how you came up with your winning recipe.

“Speaking of the people I love-we are a huge Italian family whose gatherings center around food.  I love to take our family favorite dishes like a chicken picatta or veal scallopine and twist it up a bit.  It may sound strange, but I love the honey & lemon combination and often prescribe it to my patients (I am a physician’s assistant) as a sore throat/cold remedy.  We’ve had a terribly long winter in Connecticut and I thought why not use that same combo in my favorite easy chicken dish.  There is a balance of flavor with the saltiness of the capers and the sweet tang of the honey and lemon in combination with the savory of the chicken.”

Well, you certainly can taste the love in this dish!  Do you have any other cooking tips you would like to share with our readers?

“Cook what is in season and buy local whenever possible. When an ingredient is fresh and local there is very little one needs to do to it to make it taste good.  In fact, I use local honey in my recipe.  My friend’s dad has bee hives!”

Fantastic!  You can’t get much more local than that!