Italian Chicken

Ok, the title might be a little misleading. The only reason it's Italian is because the main ingredient is Italian dressing. This is also 1 recipe with 2 ways to prepare. I call them my winter and summer versions. It can also be served hot or cold. I got the idea from a part time job I had at a pizza/sub shop. We would marinate boneless skinless chicken breasts in Italian dressing for a day before it would be used to make grilled chicken. So I put my own twist on it. It's very simple and really yummy! Just like me!!!

This is my summer version. You will need boneless skinless chicken breasts, your favorite Italian dressing, curry powder, lemon juice, seasoning salt, black pepper and a good sized Tupperware container. Add a bit of lemon juice (2-4 tablespoons or more if you like lemon alot like me) put some dressing in. Add chicken breasts. Add more dressing until the chicken is just about covered. Sprinkle a teaspoon or 2 of curry and a few dashes of the salt and pepper. If I have fresh bell peppers from the garden I will add some slices as well. Snap the lid on tight and shake good so that every piece gets coated. Set in fridge for at least 24 hours. I usually let mine sit for 2 days to make sure each breast soaks up the flavor. Throw on the grill (along with the peppers) on some foil and cook to your desired likeness. Occasionally brush with remaining marinade while cooking. Towards the end of cooking you can take them of the foil. Grilled food just seems to taste so much better with the grilled lines in it. Of course you are all smart enough to realize that the peppers should remain on the foil. They fall thru the grates on the grill too easily. Yummy Italian marinated grilled chicken!

This is my winter recipe. For those New England days when it is just too damn cold to go out and grille. This way to prepare requires a crock pot and some chicken broth or stock. All the other ingredients are the same. Set crock pot to low. Put 1 cup of chicken broth, 1 8 oz container of Italian dressing, 1-2 teaspoons of curry powder, a few dashes of seasoned salt and black pepper. I use about an 1/8th of a cup of lemon juice. Cut chicken breasts into slices an inch or so thick and add to crock pot. Cook 4 hours or until chicken is so tender it practically falls apart. The first time I did this I did not use the chicken broth. The flavor was way too intense and the chicken was a bit tough. The chicken broth made it so juicy and tender. The flavor was no longer overwhelming. So you can adjust the intensity of the flavor by how much broth you add.
Both forms of chicken can be served with your favorite rice or on top of a nice tossed salad. If you use an unflavored rice like white or brown rice simply add some of the marinade juices to give it a touch of flavor that compliments the chicken. Also, cook your favorite pasta, coat lightly with olive oil, add diced up chicken and some of the marinade. Toss for a yummy pasta salad.