Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast

When I'm busy or not in the mood to cook dinner, I try to think of what I have on hand that is quick and easy.  Chicken breasts always come to mind.   This is a quick photo I snapped of dinner earlier this week when I needed to get something into the oven, but I had better things to do.

It was a cold, rainy day so I paired it with a crock pot full of cheesy hashbrown potatoes.  It was a perfect, hot, filling, comforting meal on a cold night and since it took little work on my part, I was able to continue to do other things until it was ready to be served on my plate!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts

4 - 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pound package bacon
Salt & Pepper

Rinse and pat dry thawed or fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  Using 2 or 3 slices of raw bacon (depending on the size and thickness of each breast), wrap each piece of chicken with bacon, securing the ends under each breast and laying seam side down on a greased baking sheet.

Continue with all chicken breasts and obviously you can make 1 breast or up to 100 this way - just figure 1 pound of sliced bacon for every 4-6 chicken breasts accordingly.  You can also make the bacon go farther by stretching it tightly around the chicken, thereby using 1 or 2 slices per chicken breast.  Our family loves bacon so I like it nice and thick.

Season the top with salt and pepper.  Bake in a preheated oven around 350 for 45 minutes or until the bacon is golden brown and the chicken is done.  At this point, flip the chicken breast over, as many times the underside is not crisp.  Place it under the broiler and broil for about 4 minutes until the bacon is done.  Now flip it back over again and broil the top for just a minute or two until the bacon is completely done and crisp.

This goes well with almost any side dish.  I often use a sour cream mushroom sauce on them but it's a healthier alternative to leave the sauce off completely and yes, you can use turkey bacon too!  And for those of you doing Atkins or other low carb diets?  This is an acceptable dish.

Cake in a Cup

Recipes... I have.
Photos... I have.
Files... I have.

Time?

Not so much. Wow. I don't know how long it will take for the dust settle around here since our relocation to the new state but I am frustrated in that I have so many wonderful recipes and photos to share but no time to do so! They are trapped on my camera or I have the photo uploaded into my files but no time to sit and pound out a post and recipe with it.

With no time in mind, I thought this would be a great quick recipe for today. A true "cup cake" - a cake in a cup! For when you want that special treat but you either don't have time to bake or it's just you and you have no need for a whole pan. Now, I'm off. Out the door yet again for another errand to the hardware store. Ahhh, moving. Fun, no?


Cake in a Cup

1 T butter, soft
2 T sugar
1/2 of a beaten egg (if you have to add the whole thing, go ahead)
2 T sour cream
3 drops of vanilla (pour into the cap and then into the cup)
1/4 c flour
1/8 t baking powder.

Mix into a coffee mug in the order listed, using a fork.

Now mix together;

1 T butter
2 T flour
1 T brown sugar
1/2 t ground cinnamon

I like to mix these in a ziploc baggy and smash it together with my fingers or you can put it in a small bowl and mash with a fork. Pour on top of the cake batter in the mug and microwave regular power for about 3 minutes.

Let it cool for at least 5 minutes before you enjoy it or you'll burn your tongue!

Spinach Salad with Craisins and Feta

Needing a quick and simple side dish for dinner a couple nights ago, I opened the refrigerator and saw an inviting bag of baby spinach. Knowing we had feta in the cheese drawer and craisins in the cupboard, it was only a quick glance to the door of refrigerator to see we still had a bottle of Balsamic dressing and I knew what our side dish would be.  The only thing left to do was top it off with some sugared almonds.


Spinach Salad with Craisins and Feta

1 package or desired amount of fresh baby spinach leaves
Feta Cheese, crumbled
1/2 c Craisins (**or consider other flavored of dried berries!  I've used pomegranates and fresh strawberries in the past) 
Balsamic dressing of your choice (original, creamy, raspberry, pomegranate, etc.)
Pecans or toasted, sugared almonds, chopped

*other dried fruits - consider blueberry, pomegranate (or use original cranberry)

Start with a bowl or serving plate of desired amount of spinach leaves.  Sprinkle on feta and dried fruit and nuts according to how it looks and how much you desire.   See my photo above for the amounts that I like to add.   Just before serving drizzle with the dressing. 

Start with with fresh spinach

   

Stir the almonds continuously while cooking until the sugar melts and caramelizes

Place the almonds on buttered foil and break apart and let cool

Italian Dressing

There is a package mix I like to keep on hand at all times; Good Seasonings Italian Dressing. Sometimes zesty style, sometimes regular. Doesn't matter. They are similar. I use it not only to whip up yummy Italian dressing for salads, but this is what I drizzle on our Italian Ciabatta bread sandwiches, I use it with cream cheese for delicious dips with Wheat Thin crackers and I use it mixed in with mayonnaise and sour cream for our favorite Bread Bowl Sandwich.





This Italian Dressing starts with a package mix and dresses it up a bit. Try it! Some people think it tastes just like Olive Garden's house dressing.


1/2 c olive oil
1/4 c  rice wine vinegar (or use white vinegar if it's all you have on hand)
1 t  dried Italian spices
1 t salt
couple dashes of black pepper
1 t sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 T mayonnaise
3 T water
2 envelopes Good Seasonings Italian Dressing, prepared according to directions on package

Whip or blend all ingredients until mixed. Shake the container before each use.

Capellini al Gamberetti

Photo by the Los Angeles Times

It's that time of day... time to ask myself the age-old question;  What's for dinner?  I came to my computer, glanced quickly through some files and saw the word "artichokes" jump out at me.  I have an open can of artichokes in my refrigerator right now and coupled with the shrimp in the freezer and the angel hair pasta in the cupboard?  I knew this would be a great fit.







PS:  This recipe is from the LA Times and reminded me that two of top 10 favorite cookbooks are:

Dear S.O.S.:30 Years of Recipe Requests to the Los Angeles Times

Dear SOS : Favorite Restaurant Recipes

Dear SOS is a feature they run where readers request the LA Times to get the recipe for their favorite dishes around the greater LA area - some of which are from days long gone, but their wonderful dishes can live on in the kitchens of their fans.

Napoli's capellini al gamberetti
Adapted from Napoli Italian Restaurant in Loma Linda

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound large (16 to 20 count) shrimp, peeled and cleaned
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup drained jarred artichokes
Salt and pepper
1/2 pound capellini (angel hair) pasta, cooked al dente in salted water
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Heat a 12- to 14-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the olive oil, shrimp and garlic and cook, tossing or stirring frequently until the shrimp is just cooked, about 2 minutes.

Add the mushrooms, tomatoes and artichokes and continue to cook until the mushrooms are softened, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir in the pasta and parsley, and toss to combine and warm the pasta. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Each serving: 519 calories; 29 grams protein; 50 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 22 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 168 mg cholesterol; 4 grams sugar; 328 mg sodium.

      Two of my favorite cookbooks from the Dear SOS series.