Lemon Chicken

Hello everyone! I feel like I have been so bad about posting on my blog lately! It seems like every time I say I'm going to do it that night I end up doing something else! Well I have this lovely hour break between class and work so I might start working on my blog from campus haha!

Well speaking of campus it is my last semester of graduate classes! After this semester all I will have left is my internship! eek! I can't believe I am almost done. It is kind of overwhelming the thought of having to look for a job in a matter of months. Right now I am trying to focus on the three major tests I have to pass and then I will worry a little bit more about looking for a job. I don't know about any of you but I seriously HATE applying for jobs. So much anxiety. Even working on my resume makes me nervous because there are so many ways to do a resume! Ugh! At least this semester isn't looking like it will be too terrible class wise. I am talking research methods, gestalt therapy and my practicum class. Not to mention I will be in an elementary school one day a week observing and actually teaching/counseling students. Ok now I'm more nervous about the semester... Maybe I should just think about the delicious Lemon Chicken I made the other night for dinner.

I made this one night last week when my friend Elizabeth came over for dinner. I found the recipe of course on Pinterest. The website it actually came from is DisneyFamily.com. I have started looking at Pinterest to see what I want to make before I make my grocery list. Keeps me trying new recipes and helps me save money by not buying things I don't actually need. One of the reasons I loved this recipe so much is because of how light it is. When I saw that in called for frying the chicken I was a little nervous... but you don't really deep fry it so it is ok. It also reheats really well!

Lemon Chicken
Ingredients: 
- 2 large chicken breast fillets cut into bite size pieces
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2-3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 4 thinly sliced scallions, to serve
- 1 large lemon, zest and juice (1/4 cup)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions 
1. Put the chicken in a bowl with the soy sauce. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
2. To make the sauce, whisk together the lemon zest and juice with the sugar, water and cornstarch in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly until thickened, then keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan. Whisk together the egg yolk and cornstarch in a small bowl to make a batter. Toss the chicken in the batter and fry for three to four minutes on each side until golden and cooking through.
     * I had issues at this step. When I mixed the egg yolk and the cornstarch it just made a gooey mess not really a batter. After talking to some people they suggested having them separate. Like dipping the chicken in the egg yolk and then the cornstarch. If you try it this way let me know which works best.
4. Transfer to a plate and spoon the warm lemon sauce over the chicken. Scatter the scallions over the dish before serving.

* I chose to serve the chicken over some angle hair pasta. The lemon from the chicken added a nice light lemon sauce also to the pasta. I also did not add the scallions because being on a tight budget I don't worry to much about garnish.

PS- I am running in my first 5K on Saturday!!! eeekkk I'm so excited and also very nervous. I am sure that I will be able to finish the race I just hope I don't trip.

Pesto and Sun-dried Tomato Chicken

Hello all! So I am super excited to say that I am going to run my first 5k race on the 25th! My brother in law is the head track coach at the high school he works at in Cary. He is hosting a 5K as a fundraiser for his track team. If you are interested in running let me know and I will tell you how to sign up! I am super excited because a week after I finish my training for the couch to 5K. It is so awesome that I have stuck with it and using the program really helped! There were times I wanted to give up but I kept on pushing forward and I'm glad I did because it really has paid off. I have also been running with a friend who has helped to keep me motivated. I am going to try and keep running so that I don't loose the ability to run haha. I don't want to go backwards!

Ok so onward to what this post is really about. Pesto and Sun-dried Tomato Chicken!!! This is a recipe that I got from my Mom. It sounds hard to make or really fancy from the sound of it but it is really simple! I have made this one a few times before. One of the things I like about this is that you can make just as much as you need. I usually make two or three servings worth to have leftovers. But you could just make one or you could make eight it is really just based on what you need or want. I usually serve the chicken with saffron rice and broccoli.

Pesto and Sun-dried Tomato Chicken
Ingredients:
- Chicken
- Pesto
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Panko bread crumbs (seasoned)
- Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
- Pound Chicken in between wax or clear wrap
- Layer pesto and chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- Fold in half
- Dip chicken in Panko bread crumbs and parmesan mixture. I just eye ball it. I would say its like 2 part bread crumbs to 1 part cheese.
- Put on sprayed baking dish
- Bake at 350 for 45min to an 1 hour

Easy and Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas

Well I have finally gotten moved and summer school is finally over! I also have finally gotten a chance to buy real groceries again. I know that is a lot of finales but that is how these past few weeks have been. I feel like I have been busy but there isn't much to show for it. Hopefully I will get to do some crafting before classes start back.

Running is still going good. I can run for 25 minutes without stopping or walking. I am running my first 5K on August 25th. My brother-in-law is putting on a 5K to raise money for the high school track team he is coaching. If you are interested in running there is still time to sign up just let me know!

The first thing I have made now that I have more than ramen noodles was Chicken Enchiladas. I found the recipe of course from Pinterest. The website it came from is actually Food, Family and Finds 

Easy and Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients:

Got a little burnt on top but still tasted good :)

- 6-8 Corn Tortillas (Enchilada size)
- 1 pre-cooked plain rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 1 cup sweet corn
- 4 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided in half
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
- 1 10oz can cream of chicken soup
- 1  cup sour cream
- 1 4oz can chopped green chilies
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Fill the center of each tortilla with a handful of shredded chicken, a tablespoon or so of the corn, and a pinch of the shredded cheese.
3. Roll and place in the bottom of a baking dish with the seam side down.
4. In a pot over medium heat melt the butter. Add flour and whisk into a thick paste.
5. Add chicken broth, cream of chicken, sour cream, chiles, salt and pepper.
6. Whisk gently for about 5 minutes until warm and smooth.
7. Pour sauce over the enchiladas and top with remaining shredded cheese.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes and serve warm.

*So when I made this I ended up only using about half of the whole chicken I shredded so I was able to freeze some. And my enchiladas were still very full.