It's starting to get chilly out, but hopefully you can still squeeze in once last outside grill before the cold weather really hits.  If it's going to be your grill season finale, you best make it your best.  And that's exactly what this recipe will provide.  It's a unique blend of fantastic flavors that will leave your wanting to fire up the grill again tomorrow night.  Enjoy!

Asian Glazed Chicken with Boy Choy
Total Time: 25 minutes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes

What you'll need
2 chicken legs 2 chicken thighs
salt and pepper
2 scallions2 heads of baby bok choy
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic
For the glaze1 cup of water1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce1 tablespoon honey1 tablespoon brown sugar1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger2 grated garlic cloves2 teaspoons fresh chili paste

Directions
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper; grill until chicken is cooked through.
2. Combine all of the ingredients for the glaze.
3. Simmer glaze in a saucepan over medium heat until reduced in half.
4. Meanwhile, saute the bok choy in a little bit of olive oil and garlic until the leaves are bright green and the stalks are tender, but not too soft. __5. Place bok choy at the bottom of your dish.  Add chicken and coat with glaze.  Garnish with scallions.6. Serve with a side of rice -- I used Ginger and Garlic Infused Brown Rice -- and enjoy!

*Note, you may have leftover glaze.  If so, you can freeze it for next time.

This easy and flavorful recipe has quickly become a family favorite.  I'm always pleasantly surprised by how much yummyness so few ingredients are able to produce.  It's the perfect weeknight meal solution, and it's also great for dinner parties.  Not only did my guests rave about the food, but I loved that there was little for me to do when they arrived and little cleanup afterward.

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos
Total: 4-5 hours
Cook: 4-5 hours
Prep: 15 minutes

What you'll need
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
12 ounces salsa
1/2 taco seasoning packet, about 20 grams
1 can (4 ounces) diced green chiles
1/4  cup light sour cream
tortilla shells
1 tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced
shredded cheese

Directions
1. Add chicken, salsa, taco seasoning and diced green chiles to your crock pot; cook on low for 4 hours.
2. Remove chicken and shred.  Add chicken back to crock pot; mix well.  Add sour cream and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Spoon chicken mixture into warmed tortilla shells.
4. Top with tomato, avocado and shredded cheese. Serve and enjoy!

After taking a short break from blogging for personal reasons,  I'm officially back with new recipes to share.
 
I'm kicking off my comeback week with a recipe that puts a lighter twist on two delectable favorites -- fried chicken and mashed potatoes.  These comfort classics can be lightened up quickly and easily without sacrificing taste.  So toss your fryer aside and get cookin' the light way. 

Not So Fried Chicken
Total Time: 50 minutes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes

What you'll need
2 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. In a medium mixing bowl, toss chicken in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 
3. Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet; bake for 45 minutes or until chicken is browned, crispy and cooked through. 

Recipe adapted from ABC's The Chew

Skinny Garlic Mashed Potatoes 
Total Time: 35 minutes
Prep: 5 minutes 
Cook: 30 minutes

What you'll need
2 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
2 tablespoons light sour cream
2 tablespoons chicken broth
1 tablespoon skim milk
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons optional herb (parsley, thyme, tarragon)

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, add potatoes, garlic, a pinch of salt and enough water to cover potatoes; bring to a boil. 
2. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain.  Return potatoes are garlic to pan.
3. Add sour cream, chicken broth, milk and butter.  
4. Using a potato masher, mash until smooth.  You may need to add more chicken broth if potatoes seem dry. 
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Mix in desired herb.  Serve and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from SkinnnyTaste.com

Happy Saturday everyone! Instead of ordering take-out tonight, try this quick and easy Chicken Teriyaki recipe for two.  It's a great way to spend a night in without a lot of fuss. 

Chicken Teriyaki
Total Time: 17 minutes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 7 minutes

What you'll need
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each), diced into 1-inch pieces
1-2 cups fresh vegetables (I used sugar snap peas, onion and sweet peppers)
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Directions
1. Combine chicken broth, teriyaki sauce, brown sugar and garlic in a medium bowl; mix well. 
2. Add chicken and vegetables.  Toss to combine.  If you have time, let the chicken and vegetable mixture marinate for about 1 hour. 
3. Add sesame oil to a large skillet or wok; heat over medium-high heat.  
4. Slowly and carefully add the chicken and vegetable mixture to the wok; cook stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes. 
5. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Tonight, I'm serving up a chicken dish that is not only easy to create, but more importantly, it's easy to clean up.  This no dishes required dish is the perfect meal to get you from the kitchen to the dinner table quickly, while leaving no flavor behind.

Easy Mediterranean Chicken
Total Time: 30-32 minutes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20-22 minutes

What you'll need
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 ounces each)
salt 
ground pepper
1/2 can (about 7 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
artichoke hearts (about 10 ounces), drained
6 Kalamata olives, halved and pitted
2 teaspoons capers
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
olive oil 

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
2. Place two 12-inch squares of heavy-duty foil on a work surface. Place a chicken breast on each foil square, leaving a 2-inch border; generously season chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Top chicken with tomatoes, artichokes, olives, capers, and feta. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and oil. 
4. Fold foil over chicken, and crimp edges to seal.
5. Place foil packets on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 22 minutes.
6. Serve with a side salad and enjoy!

This week I'll be featuring a series of chicken dishes infused with flavors from India, Greece and Japan.  Today's recipe is the first dish in the series.  This Skillet Chicken Curry is a great meal for people who are slightly timid about trying new ethnic flavors, as it possess many familiar ingredients that are merely accented with Indian seasonings.  You can also make it using many common pantry items, making it a lot less intimidating. 

Skillet Chicken Curry 
Total Time: 50 minutes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes

What you'll need
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 ounces each)
1 tablespoon olive oil plus 2 teaspoons
1/4 medium onion, finely chopped 
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon medium to hot curry powder
salt
1/4 pound small red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup water
1/2 can (about 7 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juice 
** note, I'll be using the leftover tomatoes in tomorrow's Mediterranean chicken dish
1 cup frozen peas

Directions
1. Dredge chicken in flour until it is evenly coated.
2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat; add chicken.  Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a bowl; set aside.
2. Add remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to skillet; cook onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in curry powder and about 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute more.
3. Add potatoes and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cover, and cook until potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and peas.
4. Return chicken to skillet; simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. 
5. Serve over rice.  Enjoy!

Today, I'm featuring a flavor packed pasta dish for two that you can throw together quickly using common pantry items.  It's the perfect weekday meal solution, especially on a Monday night when -- if you are like me -- you are feeling less motivated in the kitchen.  

Since the pasta leans slightly more toward the indulgent side, I served it with a light side salad.

Pepperoni Pasta
Total Time: 15 minutes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes

What you'll need
1 1/2 cups uncooked large pasta shells 
1 cup garlic croutons
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese 
1/4 cup olive oil
about 2 ounces of pepperoni, sliced into thin strips
pasta water
pepper

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, add croutons and parmesan cheese to a food processor.  Pulse until well blended. 
3. Once pasta is cooked, strain the noodles and reserve the pasta water. 
4. Add olive oil to a medium saucepan; cook over medium heat.  Carefully add the noodles; mix well until noodles are well coated in the oil. 
5. Stir in crouton mixture and pepperoni slices.  
6. If pasta appears dry, add a couple of spoonfuls of pasta water until moist. Season with pepper to taste.
7. Serve with a side salad and enjoy!

Now that I'm a new Mom, finding quick and easy recipes is no longer just a convenience it's a necessity.  With little time to spare these days, I love that this dish requires minimal hands on time yet it is still packed with a great combination of strong flavors.

I served my chicken with an easy side salad.  Overall, it made for a deliciously light dinner for two. 

Maple Dijon Chicken 
Total Time: 35 minutes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes

What you'll need
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
4 tablespoons maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
rosemary (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 
2. Add chicken breasts to a small greased baking dish; season generously with salt and pepper. 
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine mustard, maple syrup and red wine vinegar; mix well. 
4. Pour mustard mixture over the chicken. 
5. Bake chicken for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 
6. Sprinkle with rosemary before serving.  Enjoy!

We proudly welcomed Scarlet Elizabeth O'Dempsey to our family on January 19th.  Her entrance into the world was a quick one -- I was only in labor for four hours -- and things haven't slowed down since.

As many moms out there know, after having a child, your life is certainly never the same, but it's hard to imagine it any other way.  

Here are just a few of the hundreds of photos we have already taken of our little peanut. 

I love everything about this recipe!  From the minimal preparation -- a few chops here and then you pour and go-- to the final spoonful of delicious enchilada flavor.  It's the perfect dinner solution for a cold, lazy winter's night.  

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
Total Time: 4-6 hours 
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 4-6 hours 

What you'll need
Soup Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped and divided
1 can (10 ounces) enchilada sauce (be careful not to get Green Chile Enchilada Sauce)
2 cups chicken broth
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, washed and drained
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chiles
1 cup frozen corn
1 teaspoon cumin
dash of dried oregano
1-2 uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I only used one chicken breast, and I thought it was plenty of meat. However, if you like a really meaty soup I'd do two)


Soup Toppings
3 scallions, chopped
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream 

Directions
1. Add all of the soup ingredients to your crock pot; stir and cover. 
2. Cook on low heat for 4-6 hours or on high for 3 hours. 
3. Remove chicken from crock pot, and shred with two forks. 
4. Add chicken back to the soup; adjust salt and cumin seasoning to taste.
5. Serve in bowls and top with sour cream, cheese, scallions and cilantro.  Enjoy!

On a side note, I thought you guys might like to see how Baby O'Dempsey's nursery is coming along.  Creating a gender neutral nursery has certainly been a challenge.  I didn't want to do the traditional green and yellow nursery, so I opted for grey, aqua blue and yellow instead.  And here is the end result -- minus the rocking chair that has yet to be delivered and accessories.