chicken thighs

Lemon Chicken Stew

A one-pot dinner is a must-make meal for any new mom and dad. And with a lemony twist on the classic chicken and rice soup—this time with orzo pasta that helps thicken this flavor-filled cooking bonanza—my Lemon Chicken Stew, is a spunked up contribution to a virtual baby shower for my fellow food blogger Liz at The Lemon Bowl.

Every mom needs to catch a break, especially in the kitchen. While I’m a lover of the cookin’, I’m not much of a fan of the washin’.

That’s why this lemon chicken stew is the perfect one-pot dinner—with leftovers for the next day—for any new mom and dad ready to pucker up and kiss those newborn baby toes.

One pot, that’s all. Dinner is served.

I met Liz of The Lemon Bowl when we were visiting the farmers who put Dole Salads onto dinner tables across America, and I was immediately drawn to her wit and punchy personality. This girl has charisma to spare.

So when a group of food bloggers invited me to join in her virtual baby shower party I was more than happy to join the party.

In my opinion, baby butt wipe warmers and all of the other needless baby junk can easily be bypassed at the typical baby registry. What really counts as a present is keeping mom and dad out of the kitchen so they can grab some zzz’s and spend their time where they should and shouldn’t be: away from the dish soap, and instead, snuggling with their baby love.

Liz already has a toddler to keep her busy, so with a new babe on the way, I had a feeling a dish that is a minimizer in the kitchen but is full of comfort is a sure winner in these new parentals’ cookbook.

Did I mention it’s her birthday this week too? This is a serious double header.continue to the recipe… about Lemon Chicken Stew

20 Chicken Dinner Ideas You Can Make On the Sheet Pan

When deciding what to make for dinner, you can never go wrong with chicken, especially when it’s a whole meal cooked on just one sheet pan. These 20 fast and healthy chicken sheet pan dinners are great for easy meal prep, and are exactly what we need to usher us through the busy week.

One pot wonders and sheet pan dinners are the saving grace of the workweek. I mean, how can you possibly resist an entire meal that effortlessly comes together on just one sheet pan?

You can’t. And a chicken sheet pan dinner? Forget it!

Chicken is this country’s go-to, and something we seem to rarely tire of eating. It’s healthy, tasty, easy, reliable, and affordable. Plus, we pretty much always have some in our fridge or freezer.

These sheet pan dinners not only save you time in the kitchen, but they also save you clean up, and fewer dishes means more time to relax on the couch with some Netflix and a glass of wine (cue the singing angels).

continue to the recipe… about 20 Chicken Dinner Ideas You Can Make On the Sheet Pan

Crispy Smoked Paprika Chicken Recipe with Barefeet In the Kitchen

Juicy baked chicken thighs get a crispy skin thanks to a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkling of paprika spiced salt that takes just 5 minutes to prepare.

Some cooks seem like they were born with a wooden spoon in hand. But food blogger Mary Younkin’s cooking skills didn’t bloom until after marriage.

“When I was a newlywed, I couldn’t cook,” she admits. “I don’t say that lightly either, I really and truly was clueless in the kitchen beyond things that could be cooked from boxes and bags and sauces in jars. The only cookbooks I had at the time used a lot of ready made ingredients and I swear that everything wound up tasting the same,” she explains.

At that time, Mary wasn’t the only cook in the kitchen. “If we wanted a nice made from scratch dinner at home, my husband Sean was sure to be the one cooking it. I could bake and create pretty amazing desserts, but main dishes, side dishes, anything creative at all? That just wasn’t happening,” she concedes.

Until she began dreaming up recipes and started a food blog.continue to the recipe… about Crispy Smoked Paprika Chicken Recipe with Barefeet In the Kitchen

Sautéed Chicken with Olives, Capers and Lemons

Just like how I like my desserts both salty and sweet, I really dig a dinner that combines bright and briny flavors with each and every savory, Mediterranean flavored bite.

My taste buds have a mind of their own. And lemon is usually part of their brainwash. And olives, and capers and anything pickle-ish. We can save the “get pickled” jokes for the weekend.

Making another appearance here on the blog, skinless and boneless chicken thighs are the centerpiece of this dish.

Honey mustard flavored, kicked up Tabasco braised and slow cooker balsamic thighs of the fowl have all found their way to my dinner table. And I’m pretty sure this dish of Sautéed Chicken with Olives, Capers and Lemons won’t be the last thigh I’ll be sharing with you anytime soon.

Let’s save the Angelina Jolie thigh jokes for the next awards show red carpet, okay?

continue to the recipe… about Sautéed Chicken with Olives, Capers and Lemons

Tabasco Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Kale

This post is sponsored by Tabasco as part of its 10-Ingredient Challenge. Thanks for supporting companies I believe in, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you.

When most of us think of chicken stewy soup-ish meal, what usually comes to mind is a chicken broth version with chunks of carrots and celery maybe with rice, maybe with potatoes. But in my opinion, It’s time to broaden our horizons, and this Tabasco Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Kale is the reason why.

Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of requests for quicker, easier weeknight dinners. Yes, that was me you heard pleading for divine intervention under my breath, or maybe I was screaming it out loud.

Regardless, it’s what’s needed now, with high fives and knuckle bumps when you can make it all in one pot.

My Tabasco Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Kale is my fourth recipe for the Tabasco 10-Ingredient Challenge that started with Tabasco Brined Spicy Drumsticks and Tabasco Chicken Meatballs in a Spicy Tomato and Apricot Sauce. This time around we’re gathering at the table for a little comfort eating.

So what is it that makes this recipe so special that I made it twice in one week? Yep, twice in one week. Not even for recipe testing but just because it was so dang good.

continue to the recipe… about Tabasco Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Kale

Crushing On Kristen Doyle of Dine and Dish and Baked Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

There are some food bloggers in the webisphere who seem to have it all pulled together, with so many good things going right, making what they cook, photograph and share all seem so effortless.

Kristen with Dine and Dish is exactly one of those bloggers. She has a loyal following, creates family friendly recipes and shoots the most amazing Instagram photos—yep, that’s me, just one more of her Instagram stalkers.

Kristen is shares dutifully her #shotoftheday images on Instagram. Her coffee is never far from reach.

Kristen and her food blogging buddies at the CIA with Cooking Channel’s Jeffrey Saad

But Kristen’s blogging success isn’t due to the type of camera she shoots with, or the blogging buddies she pals around with. Kristen’s success is because she does it all from the heart. Her photos, her posts and her recipes are all a result of her authentic voice and passion for food and family.

My favorite Instagram photo of Kristen’s. See a selection here.

I’m so inspired after having had the chance to spend a Saturday morning coffee clutch with Kristen via the www.

Full disclosure: this was my first web chat and I didn’t have the HD setting revved to the max, so the quality is a little jiggity jaggity and while Kristen looks and sounds great, I seem to have been Tammy Faye Bakerized and developed a heavy eyelid (oh why didn’t I at least wear some fake eyelashes to blame it on?) so don’t let my non-stop blinking distract you from Kristen’s far more interesting words.

Kristen’s interview Part 1: Kristen dishes on how she got started in food blogging, cooking for her family—that includes 4 kids—her career as a successful writer despite a teacher’s discouragement and her favorite apps for taking great Instagram photos.

Kristen’s interview Part 2: Kristen talks about her Project 365, tells us where she finds her cooking inspiration, and shares her favorite photo editing software and the best way to back up your digital photos—yes, she lost over 2,000 photos last year.

I asked Kristen what her favorite dishes on her blog were so I could try one out. She gave me quite the list including Vanilla Butter Cookies, Bread Machine Challah, and Grasshopper Cocktails for St. Patrick’s Day.

But I was drawn to her recipe for Baked Teriyaki Chicken Thighs because I needed an easy dinner to get on the table that night and I’m pretty much always happy to swap out a few extra calories for some tender, juicy chicken.

It’s a must-try. And believe me, if you’re a white-breast-only chicken eater, step out of your comfort zone and don’t be afeared! Chicken thighs are NOT SCARY!

Get Kristen’s recipe for Baked Chicken Teriyaki Chicken Thighs here.

And now for a few words—in type—from Kristen about a few of her favorite things. Thanks again Kristen for being our foodie crush!

1. Describe your blog in 3 words:
Food, Family, Photography

2. If you could be one food blogger other than yourself, who would you be?
Oh that is so hard… I think Penny De Los Santos has some pretty incredible experiences. I wouldn’t mind being in her shoes for a day!

3. Which 3 blogs do you follow/are obsessed with/can’t live a day without?
I change up my blog reading habits so often (and am really bad about keeping up with anyone!) I have always loved the Shutter Sisters, I am currently obsessed with VK Rees and recently discovered Happy Yolks.

4. What is the one kitchen tool you could never give up?
I really love my bread machine. I can make bread without it, but having it do all the heavy work up front really makes it so much easier to make bread often.

5. What dish are you obsessed with mastering that you just can’t get quite right?
Pie crust! Ugh… I don’t know what my problem is but I can’t make a good pie crust to save my life. In fact, one day I was determined as heck to get pie crust right and made 6 in one day, with none turning out. I have followed every twitter suggestion, every tutorial, my mom’s advice, etc. and it just never turns out right.

6. What did you have for dinner last night?
Chocolate, margaritas, guacamole and pizza :) We had a girls night in with two of my best friends / neighbors. We ate what we were craving :)

7. What’s one secret talent outside of the kitchen nobody knows about you:
A secret talent…hmmmm. I really like getting to know people better. I can talk to anyone and often find that people are more than willing to open up to me in conversation (even about some things I’d rather not know about!)

8. You’re happiest when cooking/eating…
really good homemade bread and butter! I’m a carbs girl and bread is my weakness.

9. As a magazine writer, editor and successful blogger, you seem to have the whole work/family balance flow figured out. Can you share your tips with us on how we might be able to achieve that same level of even keel?
I wish I could say I have it figured out. I don’t… there are times when I feel like a horrible mom, blogger, wife, daughter, sister, friend, freelancer. I think the thing that helps me is a supportive husband who does all the laundry (which is a lot when you have 4 kids!). I also have learned since having my 4th kiddo to say no a lot more. I can’t be at every class party, every sporting event, etc. and can’t do every assignment pitched to me. Learning to say no and allowing myself to prioritize my life based on what brings me the most joy has become my central way of living lately. Does it sound bad to say I put myself first more often now? Obviously I have my families best interest in mind, but putting myself as a priority makes everything in my life run a lot more smoothly.

10. The one secret ingredient to your success is:
Staying true to who I am. I think when you aren’t true to who you are, people see right through that and know. I have tried on my blog and in my life to live authentically. I may not be the biggest or best blogger or photographer, but I have really tried to stick to who I am and to do things my way… even if it isn’t the most popular way. I will also say I don’t get caught up in the numbers and don’t consider blogging to be competitive. Paying too close of attention to “stats” can be crippling to your blog and your soul.

Thank you so much Kristen for sharing so much with us. There’s a reason you have such an ardent following, and if we didn’t know why before, I think we certainly do now.

XO!

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Craving > 5 Twists on Comforting Chicken Stew

Goodbye grill. Oh well helllllooolo braise.

It’s the first day of fall and we’re all about comforting, stew-ey goodness and going back to the basics with chicken, carrots and mushrooms. Over rice? No way. Noodles. That’s right, egg noodles, just like mom used to make, slithering in butter with a touch of salt and pepper.

photo > foodiecrush

Whoa, but wait! What’s that pungent smell perfuming the entire house with an almost wrinkle-your-nose-I’ve-been-cleaning-the-house-from-top-to-bottom smell?

Vinegar. Cider vinegar. It reminds me of most Saturday mornings when mom would clean the wood floors with her secret combination of “just a tablespoon or so to a gallon of water” that made the whole house smell clean and fresh.

Except tonight its for dinner. And it tastes nothing like wood floors.

photo > foodiecrush

Get the recipe from one of my favorite food mags, and you SERIOUSLY have to try it. It’s a keeper. One for the archives, to hand down from generation to generation. You’ll thank us later. And your house will smell clean and fresh, whether it is or not.

Do you have a favorite home cooked meal that reminds you of mom’s cookin’ (not neccesarily her cleaning like this post). Join a bunch of us foodie bloggers on Wednesday, October 5, when we’ll each be posting our own Family Food Flashback recipes. Join us with your story, your recipe and your memories.

Send me a link to your recipe by Monday, October 3 and we’ll add your link to our list of recipes for post on Wednesday, October 5 and we’ll share memories of dinner time before Ipods and microwaves. Well, some of us will anyway.

And of course, here are some hold-the-phone, home-cookin’ chicken recipes to add to your “Welcome Fall” repertoire.

photo > Mirch Masala

One thing that brings me to my cooking knees is the combo of chicken and coconut milk. Manju creates a coco stew-ey goodness with Mirch Masala’s Kerala Chicken Stew with potatoes, ginger and garlic deliciousness. And a beauty shot bonus too.

photo > La Fuji Mama

Quote from Rachael: her Chicken Gohan Stew is “ It’s what might happen if chicken noodle soup took a little trip to Japan and had a layover in Mexico on the way home.” La Fuji Mama also suggests using a shorter grain rice for max chew after thickening the comforting tang of the ginger-flavored, slow-cooker stew.

photo > Bev Cooks

Putting on her craz-ee hat and asking the rest of us to join her, Bev of Bev Cooks pulls together swiss chard, potatoes and chicken chunks in her Crazy Chicken with Skillet Potatoes and Swiss Chard. Choose your amount of your fav spice blend and cook at your own risk.

photo > My Cooking Hut

Two little love birds sittin’ in a tree, c-h-i-c-k-e-n k-o-r-m-a I love thee. Curry, coriander and creamy yogurt lovingly envelop tender chicken nuggets in My Cooking Hut’s Chicken Korma where Leemei serves this stew-ey comfort dish with a hint of spice from green chiles, cumin and chili powder.

photo > Food and the Fabulous

A pestle and peppercorns walk into a bar and…oh wait, wrong blog. There’s no punchline because this recipe isn’t funny, it’s lux. Isahy takes the de riguer simple ingredients of carrots, chicken and stock to create Food and the Fabulous’s Pink Pepper Chicken Stew, to create a spicy and bold one pot meal.

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Lemon Chicken Stew

20 Chicken Dinner Ideas You Can Make On the Sheet Pan

Crispy Smoked Paprika Chicken Recipe with Barefeet In the Kitchen

Sautéed Chicken with Olives, Capers and Lemons

Tabasco Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Kale

Crushing On Kristen Doyle of Dine and Dish and Baked Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

Get Kristen’s recipe for Baked Chicken Teriyaki Chicken Thighs here.

Craving > 5 Twists on Comforting Chicken Stew

How to Make the Best Potato Salad

How to Make Classic Macaroni Salad

How to Make the Best Grilled Salmon

The Best Greek Chicken Marinade

chicken thighs

Get Kristen’s recipe for Baked Chicken Teriyaki Chicken Thighs here.

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