Soy Garlic Chicken

This is a super easy and tasty chicken slow cooker meal.

Soy Garlic Chicken-adapted from Baked Bree
Total Time: 6 Hours
Serves 6

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon-lime soda
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper

Spray the inside of a 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place all ingredients in the bottom of the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken is cooked through. Serve with rice.

Roasted Red Pepper Balsamic Portobello Burger

Woof. I have just been terrible at posting. I don't know why I've been so lazy. It's not like it takes a long time! I've even started trying to tell myself I should skip all the old stuff, as I don't remember a whole lot, and just post what I'm making new. But I want to share EVERYTHING with you, so I'm going back.

I remember liking these 'burgers' a lot. Using the english muffin as the 'bun' is awesome for portobello burgers as they have a moist texture, so you don't want too much 'soft' bread. Anythin with balsamic is good for me. The original recipe calls for asiago cheese, which I can only imagine is amazing on these. I used cheddar as that's what I had on hand. Still can't complain.

Oh don't you just love the shot of the paper towel in the background. I'm so classy sometimes...

Roasted Red Pepper Balsamic Portobello Burger-adapted from How Sweet It Is

Total Time 25 Minutes

Serves 4

• 2 medium red peppers
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large portobello mushrooms
• 4 slices cheddar cheese, or cheese of your choice
• 4 English muffins

Preheat broiler. Core and seed red peppers, and slice into pieces. Place skin side up on a baking sheet and broil for about 10 minutes or until black and charred. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring balsamic vinegar to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes or until liquid reduces by half and in syrupy. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl to cool and thicken.

In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, onion powder and salt. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle the inside of the portobellos with the remaining olive oil, then brush the olive oil mixture on the tops of the portobellos and cook tops down for about 5 minutes, or until slightly juicy. Flip and add the cheese slices. Cook for about 5 minutes more or until the cheese has melted.

While the mushrooms are cooking, toast the english muffins. Place the portobellos on an english muffin half, top with a slice of red pepper and the balsamic glaze and enjoy. 

Jalapeno Popper Chili

I loved this chili. It had so much flavor and cheesy goodness to it. I'll definitely be making it again-although likely not until the fall.

Jalapeno Popper Chili-adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Total Time: 7 1/2 hours
Serves 8

• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 12 ounces dry great northern beans
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 8 ounces light cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 1 cup frozen corn kernals

Add all the ingredients except cream cheese and corn to a 5-quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 7-9 hours.

Remove the chicken and dice or shred into bite-sized pieces. Return the chicken to the slow cooker. Stir in cream cheese and corn. Cover and cook on low for 10-15 more minutes, or until cheese has melted. Add additional salt and pepper to taste and serve with cheese and sour cream.

Honey Garlic Chicken

A really easy slow cooker meal. I serve this with some white rice and egg rolls as it has a little Asian flair to it!

Honey Garlic Chicken-adapted from Hugs & Cookies XOXO
Total Time: 5 hours
Serves 4

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup blackberry jam
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

Place chicken in a 5-quart slow cooker and top with honey, soy sauce, blackberry jam, olive oil and garlic. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours. Serve with rice and honey-soy sauce glaze.

Antipasto Salad

Happy June! My allergies are absolutely killing me today, so I'm holed up in my dark apartment working on posts. I love pasta salads. This is one of the best ones I've made. I took it on a trip to Wisconsin Dells that we go on every year around St. Patricks Day. It was a great hit, especially during the late hours!

Antipasto Salad-adapted from That's Some Good Cookin'
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4

• 8 ounces spiral (or your choice) pasta
• 16 ounces giardiniera
• 1/4 pound pepperoni, diced
• 1/4 pound mozzarella cheese, diced
• 1/4 pound salami, diced
• 1 cup kalamata olives, sliced
• 1 cup red onion, diced
• 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
• 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup reserved giardiniera brine or white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Cook and drain pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, drain the giardiniera, reserving 1/2 cup of the brine. Chop the larger pieces into bite-size, if needed.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, giardiniera, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, salami, kalamata olives, onion, artichokes, tomatoes and basil. 

In a small bowl, make the dressing by whisking olive oil, reserved brine, salt, sugar, garlic salt and red pepper flakes. Pour over pasta mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.