Chicken Paprika

I love Greek yogurt. There is always plain Chobani in our fridge. I think poor Dave misses sour cream, but Greek yogurt has completely taken over in all recipes we make. I was a little worried about making the switch in this sour cream based dish, but it was a success! This recipe is from Eat, Live, Run and is featured over dumplings. I decided to serve our chicken over egg noodles. This is another dish that comes together easily which makes it perfect for a busy weeknight.

You will need:
*1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
*2 tablespoons olive oil
*2 garlic cloves, minced
*1 yellow onion, diced
*1 cup chicken broth
*1 tablespoon paprika
*1 teaspoon sea salt
*1/2 teaspoon pepper
*1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
*3/4 cup Greek yogurt
*1 tablespoon flour

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender. Add the garlic, chicken, paprika, salt and pepper and saute until the chicken has browned. (about 8 minutes)

2. Add the broth to the pan with the chicken and increase heat to high. Bring mixture to a simmer and continue cooking for another five minutes or so until the chicken is done. Remove chicken and set aside.

3. Reduce heat to low; add the yogurt and flour to the simmering broth (I added another splash of chicken broth too). Whisk well until there are no clumps and the mixture is very thick. Add chicken back into the pan and stir well.

4. Serve over egg noodles or checkout the original recipe for steps to a quick dumpling base.

Chicken and Goat Cheese Strudel

I love getting recipes and ideas from Clean Eating Magazine. I signed up for a subscription through an online deal site not sure what to expect. There are so many cooking magazines that come to our mailbox and Clean Eating is often the one I read first because it's easy to flip through. This recipe is from the Nov/Dec 2011 issue, and it was a perfect dish during the busier holiday months. We've had this for lunch and dinner. I've even sliced it into smaller portions to serve as an appetizer too. We'll be enjoying this again one night this week.

You will need:
*2 garlic cloves, minced
*1 pound ground chicken
*2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
*5 ounces baby spinach
*4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
*4 sheets phyllo dough (whole wheat is recommended, but I couldn't find any)
*sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Cook chicken in a skillet over medium-high heat; season with garlic and Italian seasoning. Once the chicken is cooked through, place into a mixing bowl.

2. Reuse the skillet to sautee the spinach. (This should only take a couple of minutes) Strain the spinach to remove all moisture by squeezing out the liquid with a spatula in a fine mesh strainer. (If you do not have a fine mesh strainer, you could also push the spinach to the sides of a colander to help remove the moisture) Add the spinach to the seasoned chicken and stir in the goat cheese. Add salt and pepper for flavor.

3. On a flat surface, mist one phyllo sheet with cooking spray or olive oil. Top with another phyllo sheet and spray again. Repeat with all sheets misting before each addition. Mist only the edges of the top sheet. Spoon the chicken and spinach mixture onto the bottom third of the phyllo stack. Be sure to leave about a 2 inch border at the bottom. Roll the phyllo dough over the top of the filling and keep rolling tucking in the edges as you go. Mist the top of the strudel. Using a knife, make small slits in the top about 1 inch apart. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and cook for 25 minutes, until the cheese bubbles a bit from the top. Let cool 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

I've made this recipe for friends and family and everyone has enjoyed it. It easily doubles to 8 servings. The one thing about this meal is that it doesn't make for great leftovers and is best eaten the day it is prepared. It wasn't terrible to reheat, but not nearly as good as when fresh because of the way it is baked into the squash. I found this recipe on Prevention RD.

You will need:
*2 large acorn squash, halved and seeded)

*2 tablespoons butter, melted
*1 clove of garlic, minced
*1/2 tsp ground sage, divided
*3/4 lb Italian sausage links, casings removed (I use ground sausage from my local grocer)
*
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
*1 celery rib, finely chopped
*4 oz mushrooms, chopped
*1 apple, cored and chopped
*1 cup panko crumbs
*
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
*salt and pepper
*
1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine the melted butter, garlic, and 1/4 tsp sage. Brush the inside and outside of each squash with the butter mix. Place the squash on a cookie sheet, open side up, and roast until fork tender (about an hour).

3. Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Once browned, remove sausage from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate, set aside. Add the onions, celery, and mushrooms to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes. Next, add the apples and cook for another 2 minutes. Return the sausage to the skillet then remove from heat.

4. Season with 1/4 tsp sage, salt, and pepper. Stir in the panko and Parmesan, add the egg, and stir to combine.

5. Divide the stuffing evenly among the four squash halves. Return to the heated oven and bake for another 20 minutes.