Slow-Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata

A few months ago, I posted my recipe for one-pan lemon chicken piccata. Since then, I have discovered an even faster and easier way to cook this classic dish--in the Crockpot! Here is my recipe for delicious, creamy lemon chicken piccata  made in a slow-cooker.
P.S.-The side dishes are Parmesan  zucchini chips and herb and butter rice.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 pint sliced portabella mushrooms
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Juice of one lemon
• One lemon sliced into quarters
• 2 teaspoons lemon and pepper seasoning
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Then place chicken at the bottom of the slow-cooker.
   
2. Place lemon quarters on top of chicken. Sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning over both.
3. Add garlic, onion, capers and mushrooms to the slow-cooker. 
   
4. Add cream of chicken on top. Season with salt and pepper.
   
5. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Southwestern Sweet Potato Salad

Yield: 6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 medium/large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small chunks
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn, drained and rinsed
• 2 medium/large avocados, skinned and pitted, chopped into small pieces
• 1 red pepper. diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 white onions, chopped
• 1-2 jalapeno peppers (depending on desired spiciness), seeded and sliced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 teaspoons Mexican chili powder
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 lime, sliced into quarters for garnishing
• 1 tablespoon dried cilantro

Instructions:

1. Add olive oil to a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add sweet potato chunks to skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for approximately 8-10 minutes and then flip the sweet potato chunks. Cook the other sided for another 8-10 minutes. During the last 3-4 minutes, add the black beans and corn to skillet. Then remove from heat and let the corn, black beans and sweet potato chunks cool to room temperature. Add all three to a large bowl.
2. Add red pepper, green pepper, onions, jalapeno pepper slices, avocado, Mexican chili powder and cilantro to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
3. Squeeze the lime juice over the salad and stir until combined. Add lime quarters to top of salad as a garnish. Sprinkle more dried cilantro on top of the salad if desired.
4. Serve immediately or store salad in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Enjoy!

Southwestern Baked Sweet Potatoes

Yields: 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Ingredients:

• 4 medium/large sweet potatoes,washed and dried
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 1 can corn, drained and rinsed
• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced and seeded
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 teaspoons dried cilantro
• Sliced lime quarters for garnishing

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 415 degrees F.
2. Using a sharp knife, pierce each sweet potato several times. 
3. Place prepared sweet potatoes on baking dish and bake for one hour.
4. Approximately 15 minutes before the potatoes are done baking, begin preparing the filling. Add olive oil to a large skillet. Then add the diced jalapeno peppers, red peppers, green peppers, diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Saute on medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
5. Continue sauteing until onions and peppers are tender and garlic is flagrant. Then turn heat to low. 
6. Add black beans, garbanzo beans and corn to the skillet. Sprinkle cayenne pepper, cumin,paprika, salt and pepper on top. Mix to combine. Continue cooking on low for another 5 minutes while you prepare the potatoes.
7. Once potatoes are finished, remove them from the oven. Let them cool for 5-10 minutes. 
8. Trim the top off of each potato to create a boatlike shape.
9. Using a spoon, scoop out most of the potato into a bowl. Be sure to leave enough potato in the skins so the shells do not rip apart.
10. Mash the potato filling using the back of  a spoon and then add it into your skillet, along with the lime juice.
11. Stir once more to thoroughly combine all ingredients.
12. Using a spoon,refill the shells with the potato mixture. Mash it down slightly using the back of the spoon 
13. Top potatoes with dried cilantro. Garnish with lime quarters. 
14. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Chicken and Mushroom Pasta with Brown Butter Sage Sauce

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

• 1 pound bow-tie pasta, cooked
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms
• 1 medium-sized onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons sage
• 1 tablespoon rosemary
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 and 1/2 sticks of butter
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup chicken broth or stock
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons parsley

Instructions:

1. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a medium skillet over medium-high heat. 
2. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper. paprika and Italian seasoning. Then add chicken breasts to skillet. Cook for approximately 5 to 6 minutes and then flip to cook other side. Remove chicken from skillet once fully cooked and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, add 3 more tablespoons of butter. Add garlic and onion. Cook for approximately 4 minutes or until garlic is flagrant and onions are translucent.
4. Stirring constantly, add remaining butter to skillet. Cook for another minute and then add sage, rosemary, thyme and mushrooms. Cook for another two minutes.
5. While continuing to stir constantly, add chicken broth and heavy cream to skillet. Simmer until sauce begins to thicken. 
6. In a small mixing bowl, mix cornstarch and water. Then add mixture to skillet to thicken sauce even more. 
7. Once sauce has reached desired thickness, add Parmesan cheese to skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add pasta and chicken to skillet and mix well. Cover and simmer for about five minutes.
9. Remove skillet from heat . Top with parsley before serving.
10. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Zucchini Balls

Yield: approx 15 balls
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 30 mins
Difficulty level: easy

Ingredients:

• 1 large zucchini or 2 medium-sized zucchinis
• 3 eggs
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 4 tablespoons mint, chopped
• 3/4 cup grated Gouda cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 and 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Remove ends from zucchini (s). Do not skin the zucchini.
3. Chop zucchini into very small cubes.
4. In a large mixing bowl, add zucchini cubes, eggs, garlic, cheese, salt, pepper, mint and bread crumbs. Using a spoon,combine ingredients to form a moist batter. Feel free to add a bit more bread crumbs if the matter seems too moist.
5. Form golf-sized balls using your hands.
6. Place each balls onto a greased cookie sheet.
7. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until balls are golden and crispy.
8. Serve immediately with dip of your choice. Enjoy! 

Chickpea-Spinach Wrap

This delicious wrap is super easy-to-make and takes under 15 minutes. It's the perfect quickie after-work snack or healthy lunch on a busy day.Yield: 3 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 cups fresh spinach, shredded
• 1 can chickpeas
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 spinach tortilla wraps
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Add olive oil and garlic to a large pan. Cook on medium-high heat for about two minutes or until flagrant. 
2. Add chickpeas and spinach to pan.
3. Sprinkle cumin and curry powder onto chickpeas and spinach.
4. Stir constantly until the spinach is fully wilted and the chickpeas are cooked thoroughly.  This should only take about 5 minutes.
5. Add salt and pepper to mixture and then remove from heat.
6. In a separate medium-sized pan, place one spinach wrap. Cook for about 15 seconds on medium-high heat and then flip and cook other side for another 15 seconds. Then remove from heat and set aside. Repeat for each wrap.
7. Add spinach-chickpea mixture onto each wrap and then roll it up tightly. Serve immediately and enjoy!

One-Pan Chicken Zucchini Pasta

Yield: 4 servings

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time:10 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

• 3 large zucchinis, spiralized
• one tablespoon light olive oil
• 2 thin boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into long slices
• 1 pint heirloom tomatoes, sliced
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup fresh white mushroom slices
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Instructions:

1. Start by pan-frying the chicken: add one table spoon of the light olive oil to a large pan on medium-high heat.  Add chicken to pan. Sprinkle cayenne pepper and paprika on chicken. Cook chicken for about 4-5 minutes on each side until thoroughly cooked and then set aside.
   

   
2. Then warm the extra virgin olive oil in the same pan over low to medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and then cook for 3 minutes, until fragrant.
   

   
3. Next,  add the zucchini noodles and mushrooms to the pan and season them with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
4.  Cover the pan with a lid and allow to cook for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through.
5. Add the tomatoes and mushrooms to the pan and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   

   
6. Add the cooked chicken to the pan. Also add the fresh basil, crushed red pepper, and mozzarella cheese to the pan then stir together, cooking for only about another minute.
   

   
7. Divide the pasta onto separate plates and garnish with fresh basil. Serve immediately. Enjoy!