Chicken Pineapple Stir-Fry

Getting a new Pampered Chef pineapple corer gadget sent me on the search with a recipe to use some pineapple! I found a quick, easy dinner. And better yet, a serving is only 4 weight watchers points.

Chicken Pineapple Stir-Fry
Source: Recipezaar.com
Servings: 6

Ingredients
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP cider vinegar
1 TBSP ketchup
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2 inch strips
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 (16 oz.) package stir fry vegetables
1 (8 oz.) can pineapple chucks, drained, reserve 1/4 cup juice (I used the fresh pineapple & white wine instead of wine juice)
hot cooked rice

Directions
1. Mix first ingredients with reserved 1/4 cup pineapple juice in small bowl.
2. In large skilet, stir fry chicken in hot oil 5 minutes.
3. Add vegetables, stir-fry 4 more minutes.
4. Stir in pineapple and sauce, heat through.
5. Serve over rice.

Oven Baked French Fries

Who doesn't love french fries?? Especially a delicious baked version?! These would be great with any sandwich type meal!

Oven Baked French Fries
Source: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients
1 large baking potato - I used 2
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Cut potato into wedges. Mix olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder and onion powder together. Coat potatoes with oil/spice mixture and place on a baking sheet.
Bake for 45 minutes in preheated oven.

Rootbeer Pulled Pork

I don't know if I've seen an easier slower cooker recipe. The hardest part was I had to go buy rootbeer! Turned out great! And another version of one of our favorites - pulled pork.

Rootbeer Pulled Pork
Source: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients
Average size pork shoulder or pork butt
Root Beer
Your favorite barbecue sauce

Directions
Place pork into crockpot.
Pour in root beer until it just covers the pork.
Cook on low - 7 hours or so - until it shreds easily.
Take pork out of crock pot, pour out the rootbeer - reserving a cup or so if needed to thin sauce out a little bit.
Shred pork and return to the crock pot.
Add in your favorite barbecue sauce, if necessary, thin out with the root beer.

Serve with your favorite buns.

We also served oven baked fries & coleslaw. Got a big thumbs up as a meal from the husband!

Chicken Satay Skewers

In my haste to prepare for guests ~ I forgot to take pics ~ but, throughout an evening, they were all gone. I figured that was testimony enough to blog this recipe. Works great for an appetizer but would also work well for a dinner with some accompaniments.

Chicken Satay Skewers
Source: Everyday Food Martha Stewart

Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - 6-8oz. each, thinly sliced lenthwise
(I used way more chicken - maybe 1 1/2 pounds or so & doubled both sauces)
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Course salt & ground pepper
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 TBSP rice vinegar
Vegetable oil, for pan

Directions
1. In a bowl, toss chicken with sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic and 1/4 tsp. of red pepper flakes. Season with salt & pepper. (I let sit for a hour or so - only because I had the time). Thread each chicken strip lengthwise onto a skewer.

2. Make dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, vinegar, 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes and 2 to 3 tsp. water.

3. Heat grill pan over high. Work in batches, brush pan with oil, and cook chicken until opaque throughout. It took about 8 minutes or so all together - flipping the skewers.

4. Serve skewers with dipping sauce.

Beautiful Blogger Award

My friend & mama to be JQ nominated my blog for this award. I hope to keep improving and working on the blog. Many thanks JQ~!

Here are the rules for the award:
Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog.
Copy the award and paste it to your blog.
Tell us 7 interesting facts about yourself.
Nominate 7 bloggers that you love and link to their blog.

Here are my 7 "interesting" facts:

1. I have been a Super Bowl Champ in a fantasy football league.
2. I love making my own bread for Stromboli's.
3. Hines Ward gave me a football during a game.
4. I still talk to my best friend from college almost every day!
5. My husband and I say Hi! to each other at least 25 times (or more a day)!
6. I've never driven a stick shift.
7. My Grandma's was good friends with the family of Jim from 'The Office'.

My cousin, Laura - Along for the Ride
Candice - Magic Everything
Nuelsi - Newlywed Adventures in Pittsburgh
Erica - Simply Satisfying
Molly - That's Life
Dori - The Drive
Jennifer - The Grays in Doha

Hungry Girl Buffalo Chicken Dip

There are 2 recipes. My friend, D, shared this one. Good! Makes you wonder if you ever want to make the full calorie version again?! Easy to make & a perfect appetizer for the Super Bowl!

Hungry Girl Buffalo Chicken Dip
Source: Hungry Girl

Ingredients
- 16 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 8-oz. fat-free cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup fat free sour cream
- 1/2 cup Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
- 2 tbsp low calorie butter ( I used Brummel & Brown)
- 1/2 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Dry Mix

NOTE: If you are feeling lazy, you can use two 9.75oz cans of white chicken meat in water (drained), instead of the grilled chicken, but the taste isn’t nearly as good as using actual grilled chicken breasts.

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rub chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Spray a skillet with non-fat cooking spray, and set on med/high heat. Put in chicken breasts, and cook until brown on both sides and meat is cooked through. Once meat is cooked, cut it up into bite sized shredded chunks. Set aside. In a large, oven safe bowl, stir cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in chicken and other remaining ingredients, and mix until thoroughly combined. Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until dip has heated all the way through.

Entire recipe makes 12 servings
Serving size is approx 1/2 cup
Each serving = 2 Point Total

I served with celery. Can use the regular dip implements as well!

PIzza Dough

mmmmmm ~~ on a snowy night.... fresh, hot, homemade pizza coming out of the oven. What could be better?! Ben prides himself in his pizza making skills. This is an example. He likes making his own dough - he wanted me to blog this recipe because it's his favorite so far. We are on the search for a good homemade sauce recipe - if anyone has one, let us know!!

Pizza Dough

Ingredients
6 1/2 cups bread flour (we used all-purpose)
2 cups warm water
2 1/2 tsp. salt
100 milliliters olive oil
2 tsp. active dry yeast (1 packet)
1 pinch sugar

Direction
Begin by activating yeast by mixing together the water, yeast and sugar and letting sit for about 10 minutes.

Combine flour, salt, olive oil and yeast mixture and stir until a dough begins to form.

Knead dough on a lightly floured board for about 10 - 15 minutes ~ we used our kitchenaide mixer with the dough hook. For about 10 minutes. It will form a dough ball.

Put dough ball into an oiled bowl and let rise for about 2-3 hours or until double in size.

Cut in half (we cut in thirds), form desired shape & top with your favorite pizza toppings! Bake! Enjoy!