Hot & Sweet Chicken With Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

As we all know chicken is one of the most versatile, lean proteins that we can eat.  I love the multitude of dishes you can make with it and the endless flavor combinations.  I was actually craving hot and honey wings, so I decided to switch that up to make it work with chicken breasts.  This is a very easy, delicious meal that will definitely satisfy your wing craving and it is healthier than deep fried wings at your local pub or restaurant, a win- win for everyone.  My taste buds love how the hot and sweet flavors dance around my tongue--an absolutely amazing dish!  

I made Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes to go along with the chicken.  This is a great way to use any leftover roasted garlic from my Simple Roasted Garlic recipe.  It's convenient to make more and have it on hand in the fridge for a dish like this.  If you don't have any prepared it's very easy and can be roasted along with the dinner.  Please see the note at the bottom of this recipe for the details on the timing.

Simple Roasted Garlic

I love garlic.  Anyone that knows me knows I put onions and garlic in almost everything.  Garlic is a plant which is so flavorful and aromatic and it gives food that extra kick I think, plus it's so beneficial for your health.  It can be eaten raw, cooked, ground into a powder or roasted as in todays recipe for SIMPLE ROASTED GARLIC.   It can be minced and added to dishes or if you don't want to bite down on bits of garlic, you can grate it on a hand grater which turns it into a paste.  Some dishes you can even just throw in the whole clove or crush it to release the flavors more and then add to your recipes.  If you or someone in your family isn't a huge fan of garlic, you can roast it and it gives it a milder taste that may be better.  I will be posting a recipe soon for HOT & SWEET CHICKEN WITH ROASTED GARLIC MASHED POTATOES that you can use your roasted garlic in and it is so delicious.  Roasted garlic can be added to just about anything like soups, sauces, casseroles, meatloaves, meatballs, or used in sandwiches.  I love how easy roasting garlic is as well.  It takes under five minutes to prepare and then it just gets tossed into the oven and you can walk away and do other things.

Rainbow Rolls

 

I was wanting something similar to cabbage rolls for dinner so I switched them up to make these awesome Rainbow Rolls.  I actually think they are better than regular cabbage rolls.  They were so fantastically wonderful that I need to make them again probably within the week.  I used rainbow chard leaves but you could also use swiss chard.  

Chard has an abundance of health benefits including being an excellent source of fiber, vitamin K, A and C, iron, potassium, manganese and magnesium.  It is a very good source of vitamin E and copper, and a good source of riboflavin, calcium and choline.  Chard is full of phytonutrients and low in calories and fat.  It is also excellent at keeping your blood glucose levels normal which is definitely a positive attribute for diabetics.

Rainbow chard has bright colorful stems that look gorgeous in dishes.  It can be cooked just as spinach or swiss chard so it can be boiled, steamed, baked or sauteed.  It can be added to casseroles, soups, salads or used to wrap ingredients in little packages.  I love eating it raw or cooked, both are delicious.  I love how pretty rainbow chard is.  It is very guest friendly as well as family friendly.

Tangy Halibut Burger

If you enjoy eating fish then I have the most excellent TANGY HALIBUT BURGER for you.  Even if you don't like fish I hope you'll give this a try because it is just so fantastic.  You won't even miss the meat.  I used a halibut fillet but you could also use cod or another white fish like basa or tilapia or salmon.  The only thing to note is halibut, cod and salmon are firmer, sturdier fish whereas basa or tilapia are more likely to fall apart more easily.  Just get whatever looks good at the store that day and has a good price.  Also, if you like more of an ingredient like dijon or hot sauce, feel free to add it according to your taste.

Creamy Mushroom & Peas Risotto With Spiced Pork Tenderloin

There is just something about the creamy, deliciousness of risotto.  It is fantastic.  However, many people may envision a dish that is complicated and overly involved.  It's not though.  They may feel that it can only be made in restaurants.  This is definitely not the case.  It can be made in your own home and is easy enough for a weeknight meal or fancy enough for guests.   If you can stir something, you can make this dish.  

In order to make this dish you need to use a risotto rice like Arborio rice.  It is readily available at most supermarkets in the rice section.  Arborio rice is originally from Italy.  It's a short grained rice that is slightly oval and fat shaped.  It contains a higher starch content than regular rice, causing it to become creamier than others when cooked.  There is also short grained brown rice which would be just as good in this and healthier.  The Arborio rice I get is 99% fat free, cholesterol free, gluten free, low sodium and is perfect for making risotto.