Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken

My sister-in-law gave me this recipe a couple of years ago, but I just got around to making it finally!  I had it at her house and I absolutely loved it!  It's super easy, but so delicious and elegant looking if you want to impress dinner guests!  You might want to adjust it for your kiddos, I doubt they will like the green stuff floating in the sauce (spinach) or the sun-dried tomatoes!!  But I guarantee they will love the creamy cheesy sauce over some noodles!

Enjoy!

Kirsten

CREAMY TUSCAN GARLIC CHICKEN

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon garlic powder or 1-2 cloves fresh

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup spinach, chopped

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes

1) In a large skillet, add olive oil and cook chicken on medium high heat 3-5 minutes per side or until lightly browned.   Remove from pan and set aside.

2) Add heavy cream, broth, garlic, Italian seasoning and parmesan to the same pan.  Whisk over medium high heat until it starts to bubble and thicken.

3) Add the spinach and tomatoes and let simmer until the spinach starts to wilt.

4) Add the chicken back to the pan and cook until warm, just a few minutes.

5) Serve over gluten-free pasta

NOTES:

~I do heat the olive oil a bit before adding the chicken, but don't heat it too long at too high of heat or it will splatter like crazy when you add the chicken!

~I recommend using fresh garlic, and I used 3 cloves.

~For the parm, I like to use the grated kind in the green can, but you could certainly use shredded.

~I love Barilla's gluten-free pasta!  I prefer to serve this dish over spaghetti or fettucine, but you can choose your favorite noodle of course.

~I didn't chop the spinach, I just removed the stems and threw the leaves in whole.  This is personal preference, and I just didn't think the extra step was necessary!

~I did add some salt and pepper to the meat as it was cooking, and also to the sauce while it was simmering.

~If you really want to go all out, serve it with some gluten-free garlic bread! Yum!

Update!

 Hi gluten free friends,

Well, life certainly does change in the blink of an eye.  In my last update, I shared that I had remarried and sadly, this update finds me single once again.  It has been a painful couple of years, but you know what they say, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger!

I have a new career too!  I am a licensed cosmetologist and own my own business called Hair Crush, LLC.  I found my passion, being a hairstylist, so if you're in the Oswego, IL area - look me up!  My website is: Haircrush.GlossGenius.com.  I'd love to see you in my chair sometime!  We can talk gluten free recipes.  Anyway, enough about me...

How about all of the gluten free options out there now!!!  Things have changed SO much since I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease so many years ago!  When I was diagnosed, nobody, including me, had even heard of Celiac Disease and I thought gluten sounded like someone who eats too much, wait, that's a glutton. Ha, you get my point, it wasn't even a thing!

I used to have to bake using a blend of 4-5 or more different types of gluten free flour and then I had to use a conversion chart to figure out how much to put into recipes in place of regular flour.  It was awful, and then most of the time, the end result was crumbly, dry and not even close to what the recipe would be had you used regular flour.

Fast forward a bunch of years to today and you can run to the grocery stop and pick up some measure for measure flour blend that makes your gluten free baked goods taste so good, you could fool people into thinking they were made with all purpose flour!

Life is good!!  So many options, so many restaurants with gluten free menus, it really is a great time to be gluten free!

I hope you enjoy my blog!  I don't add as many recipes as I used to, but I think you'll find some delicious recipes that you and your family (including your kiddos) will love to make and enjoy for years to come!

Feel free to pass it along to your gluten free family and friends too!  Sharing is caring!

Happy Fall!!

Kirsten

Easy Peasy Chicken Tacos

This is probably the easiest recipe you'll ever make, but it's SO yummy!  Only two ingredients and dinner is ready!

Enjoy!

Kirsten

EASY PEASY CHICKEN TACOS

1 Rotisserie Chicken

1 jar of your favorite salsa

1)  Take the chicken off the chicken in bite sized pieces and place in a frying pan.

2)  Dump one jar of salsa over the chicken.

3)  Heat over low-medium heat until hot and bubbly.

4)  Serve in your favorite tortillas with your favorite toppings.

NOTES:  

~This is delicious served with my Mexican Rice recipe!

~Bigger family?  Use two chickens and two jars of salsa!

~To keep this gluten free, be sure to use corn tortillas!

Huge Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

My son actually found this recipe online and I just replaced the flour with a gluten free flour blend.  They are hands down THE BEST chocolate chip cookies I've ever had!  Big, soft, and yes, they stay soft!!  The only bad thing is it only makes 12 cookies, so you might want to double it!  You are going to love these!

Enjoy!

Kirsten

HUGE CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

8 tablespoons salted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 1/2 cups King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cups chocolate chips

1)  Preheat oven to 350F.

2)  Microwave butter 40 seconds, so it's mostly melted.

3)  Beat butter and sugars until creamy.

4)  Add vanilla and egg, beat on low until blended, don't over beat

5)  Add the flour, baking soda and salt.  Mix just until blended in.

6)  Add chocolate chips and mix in with a spoon or spatula.

7)  Make 12 large balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.

8)  Bake until puffy and dry looking, but barely brown.

NOTES:

~I always use King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour for all of my gluten free baking.

~Try to make all of your cookies about the same size so they cook evenly.

~You can make them smaller if you want more cookies from one batch, or just double the recipe for more giant cookies!

~Make sure you let them sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a cooling rack!  When you do move them, be careful, they will be super crumbly until they cool completely!

~They don't spread hardly at all, so you can place them close together on the cookie sheet if need be.

~Do not over bake them, they should just have a tinge of brown, or be barely brown on the edges or top!

Salsa Chicken

I happened to be making this super simple and delicious recipe tonight and when I looked up the recipe on my blog, I realized that it wasn't here!  I've been making it for years!  I can't believe I never posted it!  It's super duper easy, with only 4 ingredients and it's yummy too!

I hope you and your family love it as much as I do!

Enjoy!

Kirsten

SALSA CHICKEN

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 teaspoons taco seasoning mix

1 cup salsa

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

 

1) Preheat oven to 375F

2) Place chicken breasts in a lightly-greased 9x13 baking dish

3) Sprinkle chicken on both sides with taco seasoning mix

4) Top each breast with salsa

5) Bake for 25-35 minutes until cooked through

6) Sprinkle evenly with cheese and continue baking for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted

NOTES:

~I like to use a Mexican shredded cheese blend, instead of cheddar

~This is delicious served with my Mexican Rice recipe!

Baked Orange Chicken

I made this the other night for the first time and it was SO yummy!!!  My pickiest eater LOVED it!!  It's absolutely delicious, with a tangy, fresh flavor!  It was great leftover too!!

Enjoy!

Kirsten

BAKED ORANGE CHICKEN

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups cornstarch

4 large eggs

1 cup canola oil

Orange Sauce:

2/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup orange juice

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Zest of 1 orange

1)    Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

2)    Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle the salt and pepper over the chicken pieces.

3)    Add chicken pieces to a gallon sized Ziploc bag (or you can use a bowl) and add the cornstarch.  Close the bag and shake to mix it together and coat the chicken pieces.

4)    Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat with a fork.

5)    Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

6)    Take a handful of cornstarch coated chicken pieces and place in the egg.  Coat both sides of each piece and place in the hot oil.  Let cook for 2-3 minutes per side.

7)    After frying, place chicken on a plate lined with a paper towel, then transfer to 9 x 13 dish.

8)    Repeat steps 6 and 7 until all chicken pieces have been browned in the oil.

9)    Combine all the ingredients for the orange sauce into a small bowl and stir with a whisk until mixed.  Pour over the chicken and stir to coat all of the chicken pieces.

10)  Bake uncovered for 1 hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes to make sure it stays coated in the sauce.

11)   Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

NOTES:

~Since many soy sauces aren't gluten free (they contain wheat), I used Liquid Aminos.

~When you fry the chicken pieces in the oil, you aren't cooking them through, you are just getting the outside brown and crispy.

~To test the oil for readiness, take a pinch of cornstarch and toss it in the oil.  If it sizzles, it's ready.

~One recipe of the sauce makes enough to coat the chicken, but it's not super saucy and there is barely enough to put on the rice.  I didn't mind it this way, but if you want extra sauce for the rice, I would double the sauce recipe.

~The recipe says to cook for an hour.  I check the chicken by cutting a piece open after 30 minutes, and it was cooked through, so I took mine out at that point.

~I used a large naval orange for the zest.  Whatever you use, just make sure you wash it before zesting!

Crispy Baked Chicken Legs

These are so easy and so delicious!!  Flavorful, crispy skin outside and tender, juicy meat inside!  Best part, kids just love eating them!!

Enjoy!

Kirsten

CRISPY BAKED CHICKEN LEGS

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds chicken legs with skin on

1)  Preheat oven to 425F.  Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2)  Mix spices in a small dish and set aside.

3)  Lay chicken legs on greased foil and brush each leg with olive oil.

4)  Sprinkle the seasoning mix over each leg.

5)  Bake 40-45 minutes or until browned and meat thermometer registers 165 degrees or higher.

6)  Cool for at least 10 minutes and serve with your favorite sides.

NOTES:

~I always use Kosher salt when I'm cooking.

~Sometimes I throw a little garlic powder in with the spices too.  You can change it up if you like!