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Maple Leaf Prime Naturally

Here’s a “Tip”: Try this Recipe for Bourbon Street Chicken!

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Tell me. Tell me you’re guilty of spending too much time on Facebook watching 60-second “Buzzfeed Food”, “Tasty” and “Tip Hero” videos.

Tell me that your tummy rumbles as you witness the ooey gooey delicious snack foods, main courses and desserts be created with astonishing clarity before your very eyes. Tell me that you gaze at the calorie-laden, mostly-overloaded-with-cheese dishes and think, OMG that looks soo good.

Me too, friends… me too.

However, I wasn’t necessarily inspired to try to recreate one of the dishes until recently. It was Family Day, dinner was up in the air, and I really didn’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. So, like a sign from heaven, I happened to scroll across Maple Leaf Prime’s Facebook post:

“At home with the family today? FYI there’s still time to make this Slow Cooker Bourbon Street Chicken from Tip Hero for dinner tonight. ‪#‎delish”

I couldn’t believe it. I actually had all the ingredients on hand! And since it was 2:00PM, I had just enough time to pop them into the slow cooker for four hours. I rushed downstairs, followed the ridiculously simple recipe, and that night, we had the most delicious Family Day meal!
DSC_0132a(Confession: I don’t know how to make this meal photograph well. But I promise, it was scrumptious. That was just one of three Bourbon Street Chicken sliders that I had. And I want another right now!)

This easy chicken recipe is sweet, saucy and packed with flavor. Plus – it’s a slow cooker dish! So, you can spend your precious minutes with your family, not slaving over the stove. Here’s how. …

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Simple Spring Ideas: Orange-Ginger Chicken Salad

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The sun is shining; the birds are singing – and the only thing on my mind is a light, tasty salad that is a tribute to the season… and maybe a remedy for the extra pounds I put on over the cold winter months. My Orange-Ginger Chicken Salad is bursting with citrus flavour and features tender, juicy Maple Leaf Prime Naturally Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts.

The salad is actually a great way to #loveyourleftovers; I serve baked orange-ginger glazed chicken breasts with rice the night before, and always remember to reserve two for our favourite salad the next day. The orange segments brighten the flavour and are perfectly balanced against the acidic, aromatic dressing. Enjoy!

(Day 1)
4  Maple Leaf Prime Naturally Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1-1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
salt and coarsely cracked black pepper, to taste

(Day 2)
1 package baby romaine lettuce mix
1 orange, peeled and segmented

Day 1: Whisk juice concentrate, vinegar, oil, soy sauce and ginger in a small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Set aside two tablespoons and refrigerate.

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Generously brush chicken breasts with remaining dressing and marinate for 30 minutes. Bake in a shallow baking dish at 400°F for 30 minutes, or until juices run clear. Serve with with your favourite side dish, reserving two breasts for the next day’s salad.

Day 2: Toss baby romaine lettuce mix with 2 tablespoons dressing; divide into two portions. Slice chicken breasts and layer over salad greens, finishing with orange segments. Serves 2.

For more delicious simple spring ideas, visit Maple Leaf Prime on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. 

Warming Winter Meals: Italian Chicken Meatloaf

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As a young girl, and the daughter of immigrant parents, I didn’t grow up with the “traditional” Canadian comfort foods like macaroni and cheese, chicken noodle soup, or – everyone’s favourite – meatloaf. Instead, I stared at my plate of curried chicken and rice with dismay, dreaming about the wonderful taste sensations that were advertised as electric orange pasta in a box.

Years later, as an adult, I learned how to buy chicken noodle soup in a can and make the said electric orange pasta. And then, I craved my mom’s spicy, homemade curried chicken with unmatched longing and nostalgia. Who knew – I grew up with comfort foods after all.

However, there’s one comfort food I missed out on – warm, dense, perfectly moist meatloaf. How I love meatloaf! One of the easiest made-from-scratch meals you can serve your family, it’s my favourite go-to dish when I want minimal fuss and maximum comfort factor. And for a meal my whole family gobbles up (especially the boys!) I always make my Italian Chicken Meatloaf, featuring Maple Leaf Prime Naturally Extra Lean Ground Chicken.

This recipe yields a moist, delicious meatloaf without all the fat and calories of a traditional ground beef loaf. I like to serve it with additional warmed tomato sauce, however, it’s great on its own or thinly sliced for sandwiches too. Best of all, it freezes beautifully.

INGREDIENTS

2 lb Maple Leaf Prime Naturally Extra Lean Ground Chicken
2 eggs
1/2 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp each salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of your favorite tomato or pasta sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
parsley, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a loaf pan with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, eggs, breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Place the combined mixture into your prepared loaf pan. Evenly spread pasta sauce on top of the loaf and bake in pre-heated oven for 45 minutes.

Remove meatloaf from oven and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Serves 6-8.

For more delicious winter warming meals, visit Maple Leaf Prime on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. 

You’d Be Loco Not to Try This Pollo

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Ever since he watched a Food Network challenge months ago, my husband has been after me to try out a recipe for Arroz con Pollo – literally badgering me with constant hints, suggestions and outright demands.

“Why don’t we try out that chicken recipe tonight?”
“Tonight’s a good day for some of that Pollo stuff…”

And finally, “I’m making Arroz con Pollo tonight. You don’t have to do a thing. Just relax and I’ll take care of everything.”

The extremely unsettling thing is, every time hubby offers to try something new, my territorial instincts set in and I basically shoo him out – unable to accept or tolerate anyone’s presence in my kitchen. It’s not that he’s not allowed to cook; it’s just that when there’s a new recipe to try, I want to be the one to uncover its deliciousness, its flavour, and have bragging rights for introducing a new a dish to our repertoire.

(Of course, if it’s a flop, I sigh and say, “I KNEW this one wouldn’t turn out well. But since you wanted to try it so badly, you can take it for lunch for the next few days…”).

Thankfully, last night’s Arroz con Pollo wasn’t a flop – it was positively fabulous.

Arroz con Pollo, or “rice with chicken”, originated in the Andalusia region of Spain, but is also considered a traditional (and very popular) dish that can be found throughout Latin America. It is distinguished by its comprehensive list of ingredients ranging from vegetables to chicken to its basic carbohydrate, rice. Bonus: Arroz con Pollo is a one-dish meal!

This dish is downright yummy – spicy, flavourful rice combined with tangy, moist chicken, and topped off with bursts of fresh green peas. The prep + baking time was a little longer than expected (about half an hour for getting everything together, plus about an hour and the half in the oven – total 2 hours) but well worth it indeed. I’d say skip this on a weeknight and enjoy over the weekend with a glass of Sangre de Toro wine.

10-12 Maple Leaf Prime Naturally boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups long-grain white rice
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads (or 1 teaspoon cumin)
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup fresh peas
1/4 cup pimentos, drained
1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, drained and sliced
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 325° F (165° C).

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Sear the chicken until golden, then set aside. Stir in the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes; cook until the onions have softened, about 4 minutes. Add the rice, and season with salt, pepper, and saffron (or cumin). Cook rice until golden, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, green chilies and chicken broth. Place chicken thighs on top, then bring to a boil, cover, and place in the preheated oven.

Bake for 1 hour, then sprinkle the peas, pimentos, and olives on top. Pour in the water, but do not stir. Recover and continue baking until the chicken is fully cooked, about 20 minutes. Serves 4-6.

This is PRIME Grilling Season. Naturally.

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If you think you can’t cook, you’re not alone.

For hundreds of years, men (especially) and women across the world have used the “I can’t cook!” excuse to get out of the kitchen. In fact, food prep avoidance is the number one reason that takeout menus exist at all.

But today, I’m here to let you in on a little secret: You CAN cook. You’re just lazy/ scared/ demotivated/ filthy rich.

Thank goodness Maple Leaf Prime offers new ways to keep it simple. With Maple Leaf Prime Naturally fresh Chicken Breast Fillets, Butterflied or Thin Sliced chicken breasts, the cuts are specially selected and perfectly sliced to cut down on prep and  cook time.

Translation: Zero tolerance for slackers! 

Plus, the chicken is always raised on their own vegetable grain feed, and packaged in their Fresh Sure package (its airtight seal makes sure your chicken stays fresher, longer). And if you change your mind, it freezes beautifully and can be enjoyed another time.

Yes, the cuts do cost a little more than buying chicken by the pound from a poultry farm. But, they still cost a heck of a lot less than takeout, especially if you find yourself dialing for dinner more than twice per week. Imagine how easy prepping dinner is when all the cleaning, trimming and slicing is done for you! Plus, with all the hidden sodium, fat and sugar in fast food meals, you’ll be doing your wallet – and your heart – a favour by sticking to Maple Leaf Prime Naturally.

Want to try them out? Watch Maple Leaf Prime’s latest recipe video on Facebook, featuring Chef John Placko and Maple Leaf Prime Naturally Chicken Breast Fillets. Then, save $2.00 off your next purchase of Maple Leaf Prime Naturally perfectly sliced fresh chicken breast pieces….

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