Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins

Inspired by a recipe at skinnytaste.com, fine-tuned and scaled down for bandsters


2 medium-sized baking potatoes, scrubbed
onion salt & black pepper, to taste (optional)
1 tbl olive oil
¼ cup chopped onions
¼ cup chopped celery (or substitute carrot if celery gives you problems)
3 tbl Frank’s red hot sauce (or your favorite), or more/less to taste
1 oz reduced fat cream cheese
1 oz shredded reduced fat cheese of your choice (cheddar, Monterey jack, etc.)
4 oz cooked chicken breasts or thighs, shredded
Blue cheese dressing (store-bought, or use the recipe below)
Chopped celery & scallions to garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a shallow baking dish with cooking spray.

Pierce the potatoes with a fork, place on a paper towel and microwave for 10 minutes or until tender. Remove from microwave and set aside. When cool enough to handle, cut each potato in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the flesh, leaving a “wall” about 3/8” thick (save the potato flesh for another use – use it to thicken soup or make mashed potatoes). Place the skins in the prepared baking dish cut side up, spray with cooking spray, and sprinkle with onion salt & pepper to taste. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add the hot sauce, cream cheese, and shredded cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Add the chicken and stir to coat it with the cheese mixture. Spoon the chicken mixture into the prepared potato skins. Bake 10 minutes or until bubbly.

Serve with blue cheese dressing and chopped celery & scallions.

4 servings (one filled potato skin = 1 serving)


BLUE CHEESE DRESSING – stir together in a small bowl:
¼ c. reduced fat sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
¼ c. olive oil mayo
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ c. reduced fat blue cheese
1 scallion, minced

Braised Chicken Italiano

The capers and olives in this are already salty, so no added salt should be needed. If you're concerned about your sodium intake, use reduced sodium tomato sauce.

1 tbl olive oil, divided
4 pcs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 tsp ground fennel
1 tsp dried Italian herb blend
1 dash crushed red pepper (or more, to taste)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbl drained capers
2 tbl drained sliced pimento-stuffed green olives
1/4 cup raisins
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tbl red wine vinegar

Heat 1 tbl of oil in a large skillet, add chicken and saute about 3 min. per side or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels while you prepare the sauce.

Heat 1 tbl of oil in a medium saucepan. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic and saute 3-4 min. or until softened. Add the rest of the ingredients, simmer for 5 minutes.

Place the chicken in a crockpot, pouring sauce over each piece until all the sauce is used. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours, until the chicken juices run clear and the meat is tender.

Serve with sauteed spinach, adding a dash of red wine or balsamic vinegar to the spinach and a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts.

4 servings (serving = 1 thigh & 1/2 cup sauce)

Lime Tarragon Chicken with Capers

MARINADE:
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/4 cup white wine
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon capers, drained

CHICKEN:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, trimmed of all fat

Put the chicken in a zip-loc bag.

Combine marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken. Seal the bag and squish the bag so that the marinade evenly coats the chicken. Refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours.

Preheat your broiler or grill. Remove the chicken from the bag and pour the marinade into a small saucepan. Broil or grill the chicken 5-7 minutes per side or until the juices run clear.

While the chicken is cooking, bring the marinade to a boil, boil 1 minute, then remove from heat.

Serve the chicken with the heated marinade drizzled on top.

Chicken with Orange Sweet and Sour Sauce

CHICKEN and MARINADE
1-1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4-5 medium thighs), trimmed of excess fat
1 tablespoon Splenda brown sugar blend
1/4 c. orange juice
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

SAUCE
1/2 c. orange marmalade (reduced sugar or no sugar added are OK)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons reserved marinade
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon cold water

Put chicken, juice, Splenda, soy sauce, hot sauce, pepper and garlic powder in a zip-lock bag, seal, and shake to evenly coat the chicken with the marinade. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the marinade. Measure 2 tablespoons of marinade into a small saucepan and set aside. Grill or broil the chicken thighs for 4-5 minutes per side, until juices run clear. Transfer the chicken to a serving plate and set aside while you prepare the sauce.

Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the orange marmalade and rice vinegar to the marinade in the small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until mixture is boiling. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 minute. Add the cornstarch mixture and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and serve the sauce drizzled over the chicken thighs.

4-5 servings

Greek Chicken & Veggy Ragout

Ragout is a fancy word for stew. It's pronounced "ragoo".

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces (or 3 cups baby carrots)
1 pound potatoes (red or yellow), cut in 1" cubes
1 medium onion, peeled and diced in 1" pieces
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 14-oz can chicken broth
1/3 cup dry white wine
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind (you can skip this, but it really adds to the flavor)
1 15-oz can artichoke hearts, rinsed and cut in quarters (or you can use frozen hearts, but don't use the marinated ones)
1 large egg or 1/4 c. egg beaters
2 large egg yolks
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, or 1 tablespoon dried

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat. Saute the veggies and chicken on both sides until the veggies begin to soften and the chicken is lightly browned. Add the broth, wine, garlic, salt and lemon rind to the Dutch oven and bring it to a boil. Cover, lower the heat, and cook on low 30 minutes. Add the artichokes, cover and cook another 5-10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove the veggies and chicken with a large slotted spoon and put them in a serving dish. Cover and keep warm while you make the sauce.

Whisk the egg yolk, eggs, and lemon together. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid from the pan into the egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Then whisk the egg & cooking liquid mixture back into the liquid in the pan. Cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in the dill and pepper. Serve the chicken drizzled with the sauce.

6 servings

Chicken Sate with Peanut Sauce

CHICKEN:
8-10 eight-inch bamboo skewers
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1/2 tbl Splenda brown sugar blend
3 tbl soy sauce
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp grated lime peel
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced

Soak the skewers in cold water while you work on the chicken.

Cut the chicken into strips about 2" wide and put them in a zip-top plastic bag. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl, pour over the chicken, seal the bag and squish it to evenly distribute the marinade. Refrigerate 10-15 minutes.

Heat a grill or broiler to medium-high heat.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and thread onto the skewers. Use more skewers if necessary - the chicken will not cook evenly if it's crowded on the skewers. Grill or broil the chicken 5 minutes per side or until juices run clear.

4 Servings

Serve with Peanut Dipping Sauce.

PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE
6 tbl PB2 powder (or 3 tbl regular peanut butter)
2 tbl soy sauce
1 tbl lime juice
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tbl Splenda brown sugar blend
Stir (or whiz in a mini food-processor) until thoroughly blended.

Honey Ginger Chicken

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbl minced garlic
1 tbl minced ginger
1 tbl chopped fresh cilantro
3 lbs chicken, cut up
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons water

Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl, then pour into a zip-loc plastic bag. Place the chicken pieces in the bag, seal it, and squish the bag to coat the chicken with the marinade. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Turn the bag over every 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a shallow baking dish with cooking spray. Place the chicken in the dish skin-side down and pour 1 cup of the marinade over it. Bake 20 minutes, turn the chicken over, bake 20-25 minutes more, or until juices run clear. Remove chicken pieces to a serving plate and pour the cooking juices into a saucepan. Heat the juices over medium high heat, add cornstarch mixture, cook and stir until sauce is thickened.

Serve the chicken with the sauce on the side.

4-6 servings

Chicken with Prunes

10 prunes (dried plums)
1 cup red wine (can substitute chicken broth)
1 cup orange juice
1 tsp grated orange zest
1 3-1/2 to 4 lb chicken, cut up
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 14-oz can chicken broth
1/2 tsp dried thyme

Put the prunes in a small bowl with 1/2 cup of the wine and the orange zest. Set aside.

Spray a Dutch oven with cooking spray. Add the chicken pieces, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and saute until browned on all sides (4-5 min/side). Remove the chicken and drain off most of the fat. Put the Dutch oven back on the stove and saute the onion until softened, 4-5 min. Add 1/2 cup wine and the juice and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Boil 2 min. Add the prunes with the wine and zest they were soaking in, the chicken broth, and the chicken pieces. Sprinkle with the thyme.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer with the lid slightly ajar for 45-60 min. or until the chicken juices run clear.

To serve, remove the chicken pieces and prunes to a serving dish. You can discard the cooking liquid, or make sauce with it.

4-6 servings

Sauce:
1 tbl cornstarch
1 tbl cold water

Whisk cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. Bring the cooking liquid to a boil and add the cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir until sauce is thickened.

Coconut Ginger Chicken

2 lbs chicken thighs (6 bone-in thighs)
1 14-oz can light coconut milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chili paste (or more, to taste)
1 tbl minced fresh ginger
2 tbl soy sauce
3/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Remove and discard the chicken skin. Spray crock-pot with cooking spray. Place the chicken in the crock-pot. Combine the coconut milk, garlic, chili paste, ginger and soy sauce and pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours or until chicken is done. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving.

6 servings