Grilled Chicken Pitas

I thought I might change things up a bit and share one of my favorite recipes by Paula Deen. I’ve been a fan of hers before I started this blog. A food blogger would not be a food blogger if they did not love food and good cooking , Would they?  Do you have a favorite recipe by Paula Deen?

Ingredients
* 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
* 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
* 2 small tomatoes, finely chopped
* 1 cup crumbled feta cheese (1/4 pound)
* 1/4 cup olive oil

For the yogurt sauce:
* 8 ounces (1 cup) unflavored yogurt
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
* 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
Olive oil cooking spray
1 large Vidalia or purple onion, cut into thin rings

6 pita breads

1/2 head romaine lettuce, finely chopped
1 (10.6-ounce) jar kalamata olives, drained, halved, and pitted, or other black olives
12 slices bacon, fried crisp
* Alfalfa sprouts
* Salt
* Freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the chicken breast and pat dry. Combine 3 tablespoons lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic and 1 teaspoon of the oregano in a glass dish. Add the chicken, turn to coat, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the chicken breast to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
Combine the tomatoes and feta cheese in a small glass dish. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice, the olive oil, and the remaining 1 teaspoon oregano, and stir to combine. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

For the yogurt sauce:

In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, garlic, walnuts, and olive oil. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat a grill to medium heat.
Spray a grill basket with olive oil. Grill the chicken breasts over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until no longer pink in the thickest portion of each breast. Spread the onion rings over the surface of the basket and grill while the chicken is cooking. Turn the basket frequently. The onion rings will blacken as they cook; this will also take 8 to 10 minutes. When the chicken and onion rings are cooked, place the pita breads on the grill for about 2 minutes per side, until grill marks show. Slice the chicken into very thin pieces.
At serving time, put out all of the ingredients and allow each person to assemble sandwiches: Split each pita. Place several slices of grilled chicken, 3 or 4 slivers of onion, a tablespoon of tomato-feta mixture, lettuce, olives, and 1 or 2 slices of bacon into each pita. Top with yogurt sauce and a wad of alfalfa sprouts. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Fold up the sides of the pita and enjoy!

Source: Paula Deen and Food Network

Image Source: Food Network (Paula Deen)

Weekend Away From Life

I have loved preparing food since I have been a little girl. I started out cooking for my siblings while my parents were busy working. It gave me the chance to experiment in the kitchen. I have learned to make meals for my siblings out little to nothing. I was the big sister so I felt the pressure to prepare delicious food for my siblings. I spent a lot of time creating casseroles for my siblings and me. There is nothing better than enjoying a weekend away from life. I have always had a weakness for an Italian Culinary Weekend especially spaghetti and lasagna. A weekend away in Branson would offer me a chance to try something new. The music and food brings music to my stomach.The shopping sounds so relaxing too.  I have my own way of preparing both dishes, but every cook needs a break from life. And every cook has their own way of cooking. I enjoy trying out different restaurants all over town. It’s nice to find inspiration from other people’s cooking. It gives me that extra push to keep on cooking in my own kitchen. I have learned a lot of my cooking skills from my Mother and both of my Grandmothers. One of them made a delicious pot of chicken and noodles and the other made savory cabbage roll. Both recipes I have created my own twist to the recipes.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

Looking for a Healthier You

Finding the best way to eat healthy is not easy. Most people struggle just to get food on the table let alone eat healthy. It is so much easier to pick up snickers candy bar, hoho sweet treat or a can of soda pop. Some people who have attempted to eat healthy do not know where to start so they just give up. Finding a plan like jenny craig could be a way to attempt to change your diet habits which involves a lifestyle change too. Changing your diet involves a lot of discipline and strength. But if you have the will to persevere you will make it. Even if you fall behind does not mean you have failed at your goal of eating healthier. You do not have to wait until 2011 to start a healthier diet, you can do it today. If you are not ready to do a total change today you could change the diet habits of one meal then gradually move on to other meals. Actually, doing things gradually might work better for a lot people as most of us do not like change. It might be that we are afraid of change or it might be that we really do not want to change, but if it is important we need to follow through. A change of diet might be eating more fruits and vegetables or it might be leaving the cans of soda pop in the dust. However, you decide to try things all that matters is you try and it is okay if you do not try today. It might not be the day to make those changes for you.

Have You Finished Your Holiday Shopping?

Finding the perfect gift for everyone on your list does not have to be difficult. Knock one of the names off your list, by purchasing the cook in your life something for the kitchen. Last year, my Mother purchased me a new cookware set. The set is a red nonstick with glass lids that you can see through. The glass lids make it easier for me to watch the food when it is cooking. I do not have to take the glass lids off the pots or pans, so I do not have to interrupt the cooking. Because the cookware is nonstick the clean up time is greatly reduced. If you are looking to finish off some of your Holiday shopping Stud Box has an extensive line of Dining/Kitchen products and the site is easy to navigate. They have a nice set of cookware similar to the one I received for Christmas last year. The set has 10 pieces including 2 saucepans, 1 stockpot, 2 skillets, 1 sauté pan and 4 glass lids. The cookware sets come in multiple colors and stainless steel. The sets come with a lifetime warranty which gives you piece of mind for your purchase. Studbox has a excellent deal on Paula Deen Signature 11 piece cookware set for the low price of 119.00 dollars as of today.  The set includes 2 covered saucepans, 1 stockpot, 3 open skillets, glass lids, one slotted spoon and one spatula. If you are looking for something else for the kitchen they have an assortment of kitchen/dining products for your holiday shopping. For the coffee and tea lover in your life they have tea kettles, espresso machines and a bean press coffee maker. They have kitchen utensils such as cutlery, baking utensils, baking pans, and numerous other kitchen products. This year I’m hoping to get a stainless steel microwave because my microwave is not warming up the first time. I usually have to warm my food up twice in my microwave. If I do not get a microwave I’ll be happy with anything for the kitchen.

Chicken Ramen Stroganoff Casserole

If you’re looking for that ordinary beef stroganoff you will not find it here. What you will find here is a perfect blend of noodles and spices to cook up that perfect meal for any night of the week.

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cans (4 ounces) mushrooms, undrained
3 tablespoons margarine/butter
1 large onion, diced
1/8 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 packages ramen noodles
1/2 cup frozen or can peas (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine chicken, pepper, flour and salt in a large ziploc bag or medium bowl. In a large skillet, brown chicken in melted margarine. Cut into bite size pieces and set aside on plate.

2. Saute  mushrooms (do not drain), chicken broth, lemon juice, garlic,peas (optional) and onion on low-medium heat for five minutes. Add chicken; stir frequently.

3. Pour chicken mixture into 4-5 quarts baking pan; cover bake 25 minutes; mix in uncooked Ramen noddles; bake for an additional ten minutes. Before serving, stir in sour cream and sprinkle with paprika.

Tip: Serve with salad or fruit salad.