Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli

Yummy!!! I also added chicken.

Recipe here.

Recipes

Shredded Potato Casserole Recipe

 

 Cozonac - made with Brioche Recipe "5 Min a Day" Book

Chicken Pot Pie - with potatoes, chicken, peas, carrots, home made condensed soup, and homemade crust.

Little Muffin Legs.

Braided Bread crust with feta and spinach inside.

Baked Teriyaki Chicken (homemade sauce)

Chicken Ceasar Salad on Homemade Pita Bread

Mushroom Chicken and Rice

Never made anything using condensed soup...ever, until a few days ago. I had a can of Amy's Kitchen Organic Cream of Mushroom Semi-Condensed Soup on hand that I wanted to use up... so good! Since it was only semi-condensed, I didn't add anything to it to thin it out. Some sour cream would have been good, but I didn't have any. I cooked a small onion in pan, add soup and fresh curly parley and voila! Pour it over cooked chicken and basmati rice.

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

• 2 cups, frozen vegetable mix, peas, carrots, corn - steamed
  
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 cups cubed boiled chicken
• 1 package puff pastry

Directions

1. In a saute pan heat 1 tablespoon of butter and sweat the onion and celery.

2. In another saucepan, heat the broth and milk.

3. Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the celery mix and cook out the water. Add the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk mixture and cook until thickened. Add the salt and pepper.

4. Toss the steamed vegetables and the chicken. Pour into a oven safe dish and top with one puff pastry sheet. Cut two slits and fold corners over if they are hanging out.

5. Place into the oven and cook until puff pastry has browned and the mixture is hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

This recipe is adapted from Alton Brown. It's supposedly for 6-8 people... my husband and I finished the whole thing alone. I guess it was that good!!!

Chicken Francese

INGREDIENTS:

Sauce:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 small onion, minced (about 1/3 cup)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1/3 cup lemon juice from
2 lemons
2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Table salt and ground black pepper

Chicken:

1 cup all-purpose flour
Table salt and ground black pepper
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 200 degrees. Set wire rack on a foil-lined, trimmed baking sheet and place sheet in oven.

2.FOR THE SAUCE: Heat 1 tablespoon butter in medium nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour and stir until light golden brown, about 1 minute. Whisk in wine, lemon juice, and broth; increase heat to high and bring to boil, whisking constantly. Lower heat to medium-high and cook, whisking occasionally, until mixture is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, 10 to 15 minutes. Strain sauce through mesh strainer, return to saucepan, and set aside.

3. FOR THE CHICKEN: Whisk together flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in pie plate. In second pie plate, whisk eggs and milk until combined. Season both sides of each cutlet with salt and pepper. Using tongs and working with 2 cutlets at a time, coat cutlets in seasoned flour; shake off excess flour. Transfer cutlets to egg mixture; coat evenly and let excess run off. Return cutlets to seasoned flour; coat evenly and shake off excess flour.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon each butter and oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; when foaming subsides, place 4 cutlets in skillet. Cook until well browned, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Carefully flip cutlets and continue to cook until lightly browned on second sides, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer chicken to wire rack in oven. After transferring chicken to oven, wipe out skillet with paper towels.

5. TO FINISH SAUCE AND SERVE: Transfer sauce to now-empty skillet and set over low heat; cook until sauce is heated through, about 1 minute. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove baking sheet with chicken from oven; transfer 4 cutlets to skillet, turn to coat with sauce, then transfer each serving (2 cutlets) to individual plates. Spoon 2 tablespoons additional sauce over each serving and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately, passing extra sauce separately.



This was excellent. The chicken melted in your mouth and the sauce was to die for. What got me, was seeing the picture of the chicken. To me, it almost looked like a giant breaded scallop. I forgot to strain the sauce, but other then that, I kept right on track. I used angel hair pasta. Here is where the recipe came from.

Chicken A La King

For the biscuits:

Ingredients:
2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
dash of salt
2 Tbl. sugar
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. buttermilk (Don’t have buttermilk? No prob, just add 1 or 2 Tbls of vinegar to milk.)

Directions:
Mix dry ingredients. Add butter, milk and form into soft dough. Do not over knead! Pat into a ungreased 6×6 pan. I use a pie pan myself so you can use whatever. Cut into serving size portions before you cook. Bake at 400′ for 15 to 20 minutes or until done and golden brown. This recipe is from here.

For the chicken and Sauce:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons chopped onion

1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 cups diced cooked chicken

Directions:

Melt butter or margarine in a medium saucepan. Cook onion over medium low heat until onion is tender. Add peas and carrots and cook for 30 seconds more. Add flour and salt, stirring until mixture is smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Continue cooking and stirring for about 3 minutes or until mixture is thick and begins to bubble; stir in chicken..Chicken a la king recipe serves 4.
Top biscuit with it.

Creamy Chicken and Rice with Peas and Scallion

Ingredients:
.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium onion, minced

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cups long-grain rice

1/2 cup dry white wine (vermouth)

4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup frozen peas

5 scallions, sliced thin

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

.

Directions:

.

1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in flour to coat and shake off any excess. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the chicken well on one side, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

.

2. Off the heat, add the butter to the skillet, and swirl to melt. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and return to medium-high heat until softened, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the rice thoroughly and let toast for about 30 seconds.

.

3. Stir in the wine and let the rice absorb it completely, about 1 minute. Stir in the broth, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle the chicken into the rice, browned side facing up, including any accumulated juices. Cover and cook over medium heat until the thickest part of the chicken registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes.

.

4. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate. Gently brush off and discard any rice clinging to the chicken, then tent the chicken with foil and set aside. Return the skillet of rice to medium-low heat, cover, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 8 to 12 minutes longer.

.

5. Off the heat, sprinkle the peas over the rice, cover, and let warm through, about 2 minutes. Add the scallions and lemon juice to the rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with the chicken and lemon wedges.

.

So I overcooked this a little, what's new?! We loved this recipe and its turn out. This will be a repeat someday soon. I got the recipe here.

Quesadilla

I made the best Quesadilla's a few days ago. Used the Mission Tortilla Soft Taco's topped with a layer of cheddar cheese chicken, sauteed onions, jalapeno, green and red peppers and another layer of cheese. I would highly recommend trying these!
Jalapenos from my garden

Quick, healthy salsa in the food processor.

Glazed Chicken Legs

Directions:

1. Heat broiler. Rinse chicken wings; pat dry. Place on a baking sheet, wing tips down.

2. Broil until golden brown, rotating sheet occasionally, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer wings to a large bowl. Drain off fat from baking sheet.

3. Toss wings with desired sauce, and return to baking sheet, wing tips down. Reserve sauce in bowl. Broil wings again until glazed, 2 to 3 minutes, rotating sheet once. Toss wings with reserved sauce. Serve hot, with celery and carrot sticks, and Blue-Cheese Dip.

Yet another Martha Stewart recipe. I was surprised. They tasted like they were cooked on the grill. I have a gas oven, so maybe that's why.

Chicken Thighs Braised in A White Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

Serves 4
8 bone-in skinless chicken thighs (about 2 3/4 pounds)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 lemon, cut into 8 thin slices, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

Directions:

1. In a 12-inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid, arrange thighs, bone side up; season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, wine, and thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook, 30 minutes.

2. Turn chicken over. Place a lemon slice on each piece; cover and continue simmering until tender, about 15 minutes. Leaving garlic and liquid in skillet, transfer chicken and lemon slices to a platter. Cover tightly with foil to keep warm.

3. Bring liquid in skillet to a boil; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Add butter, parsley, and lemon juice; stir until butter has softened and sauce is smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken with sauce and, if desired, rice.

.

This recipe is from Martha Stewart. . The chicken was very moist and the wine taste was not over powering. Very nice turnout.

Chicken Pesto with Peas

I found this recipe in one of my cookbooks. Not my favorite pesto pasta, I must say. 9 cloves of garlic is a bit excessive, don't you think?


If you like Ina Garten's stuff, give it a try.

Wanna-be Papa John's Pizza

I found this dough recipe here and the sauce recipes here. The dough is very fluffy. I, of course, forgot to grease the dough and poke holes in... blah blah blah. This is an easy dough recipe and tastes great too. Papa John's?....almost. I topped mine with chicken, mushrooms and tomatoes. I have rewritten the recipe the way I made it:

For the Dough:

2 1/2-3 cups flour
1 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons fast rising yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup very warm water(120 to 130 degrees)
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. In the food processor, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt; blend well.

2. Gradually add water and oil to mixture. Blend at low speed until moistened, then pulse for 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 to 2 cup of flour until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.

3. On a floured surface, knead in 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover loosely with plastic and let rest in a warm place for about 15 minutes.

4. Press out dough onto (2) 12-inch pizza pans (*I would recommend using 1 larger pan, since this dough has no problem rising to the same Papa John's thickness). Prick randomly with a fork. Let rest again in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.

5. Brush crusts lightly with oil then prebake them in a 450 degree oven for 5 minutes.

6. Top as desired, then bake again in 450 degree oven for 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Special Garlic Sauce:

1/2 cup margarine, spread
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix well until completely blended.

2. Place the bowl into the microwave and cook on 1/2 power for 20 seconds. Stir to blend.

I made this with butter and fresh garlic - not the same taste.

Pizza Sauce

1 (14 ounce) can tomato puree
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1 small minced garlic

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir well as bring to a boil.

2. When the sauce begins to bubble, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir often.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Chicken:

2 chicken breasts - cut into chunks
2 tbsp corn starch
1 egg white
salt and pepper

Mix corn stach, egg white, salt and pepper together. Coat the chicken in it and deep fry until golden brown. Drain on a paper towels.

Sauce:

2 tbsp of ketchup
2 tbsp of sweet chili sauce
1 tsp of sugar
1 tbsp of vinegar
1 1/2 tsp of corn starch
3/4 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Whisk all but the cornstarch and 1/4 cups of water together.

2. Over medium-high heat, bring the sauce to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat.

3. In a small cup, mix the cornstarch into the water until dissolved.

4. Stir into the sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, approximately 5 minutes.



Vegetables:

1 half red and 1 half yellow pepper - cut to bite size pieces
1 cup of pineapple
1 small sliced chili-more or less depending your spiciness preference
3-4 slices of ginger
1 small onions - cut into chunks


1. Heat up wok with 1 tbsp of oil. Saute the onions & ginger until lightly browned.

2. Add in all the vegetables and stir fry for 1 min.

3. Add in sauce and toss the fried chicken until it's well coated. Serve with warm rice.

My Perfect Thai Dinner

What a delightful dinner this was! I had to use the rest of my veggies and kind of threw everything I had in the wok. I turned out to be the best dinner this week.

Here is what I used:

Chicken, julienned carrots, green pepper, onion, chilly pepper, sprouts, scallions, garlic, ginger and cilantro. AS for the sauce, I used soy sauces and a spicy ginger teriayki sauce. Served it with Jasmine rice and egg.




Now this might not be considered a Thai meal to some but these are the flavors I remember from dinning out.

Southwestern Pinwheels

Ingredients :

1 packet of store bought puff pastry
1 cup pulled chicken
BBQ sauce to taste
1 cup shredded jalapeno jack cheese
1/2 cup of corn
1/2 small onion - sauteed
1 egg - beaten (for glazing)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 400 F.

2. Lightly flour your work area. Unfold pastry according to package instructions.

3. Spread all ingredients evenly on the roll out pastry. Drizzle with BBQ sauce, leaving about 1/2" gap on the edges.

4. Brush the long ends on the opposite for the pastry with beaten egg and roll up pastry

5. Cut roll with a very sharp knife.

6. Brush with beaten egg.

7. Bake for 15-16 min. Serve with a avocado dipping sauce.

Chicken Cheese Ball

This recipe is my mother-in-law's. I unfortunately don't have a personal picture of it, but instead obtained one form valley fresh. I am not certain on the exact measurements of the mustard and ketchup, but you can play around with it to adjust it to your taste. Do add less mustard then ketchup. I can't say that this is the healthiest snack, but very appropriate for a July 4th party! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 (10 ounce) can VALLEY FRESH® 100% Natural White Chicken, drained and diced
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2-3 small chopped green onions

Salt to taste

1 tsp yellow mustard

1-2 tbs ketchup

1 cup almonds, chopped

.

Directions:

In large bowl, combine all ingredients leaving out the almonds. Form mixture into a ball and then roll in chopped nuts. Refrigerate for one hour. Serve with your favorite crackers (Wheat Thins).

Schnitzel - My Husband's Favorite

Pound meat very thin, salt and pepper. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Place flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Dredge chicken breasts in the flour, shaking off any excess, then egg, and finally breadcrumbs. Fry until golden. I use chicken instead of veal.

This is my husbands favorite dinner and since it's fathers day, of course I made it for him.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!

Chicken Alfredo

INGREDIENTS:
Coarse salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 pound of your favorite pasta
Salt and pepper
.
DIRECTIONS:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add heavy cream and cheese. When cheese is melted, add egg yolk. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.
Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain pasta and transfer to a large serving platter. Pour sauce over pasta, salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

For the Chicken:

I boiled the chicken and it turned out very moist and tender. Grilling for this recipe doesn't work for me, since it becomes too though and dried out.

Chicken Bites with Apricot Mustard Sauce and Parmesan baked Zucchini

INGREDIENTS:
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 " slices
2 egg, mixed with
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the chicken - prep technique only

For the Sauce:

1 cup apricot jam or preserves
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Combine egg, milk and garlic in a shallow dish and set aside for about 15 minutes to let flavors combine.
3. Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley and pepper in another shallow dish.
4. Dip zucchini slices into egg mixture, then into crumbs and place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn over and bake for 5 minutes more or until brown and crispy.

6. In a small bowl, stir the apricot jam, mustard, and thyme together until combined. Allow chicken to cool 10 minutes before serving with apricot mustard mixture.