Baked Lemon Chicken with New Potatoes and Vegetables

This recipe is one of our family’s newest Sunday favorites:  Baked Lemon Chicken with New Potatoes and Vegetables.  For me, it is a perfect Sunday dinner.  It’s easy, it is flexible AND it’s delicious (the kids love it!)  Good combo. 


Even if you’re not a big fan of lemon, there’s a good chance you’ll like this one.  It’s not overly-lemony.  In fact, you are in control of just how lemony this meal will be.  I prefer to include every.  last.  bit.  of the lemon/olive oil mixture  - once everything is in the pan I pour the remaining sauce over the top.  This last time I also added some fresh thyme right as it came out of the oven.  Delightful!





The recipe calls for new potatoes, carrots and green beans.  Don’t have new potatoes?  You can substitute whatever you have.  The red skins on the new potatoes are lovely in the finished dish, but don’t make a special trip to the grocery store just for cute little red-skinned potatoes.  I also don’t usually have baby carrots on hand.  No biggie – cut up regular carrots.  This last week I also didn’t have green beans, so instead we opted for a spinach salad and roasted asparagus on the side. 









The asparagus was a quick add-on….  rinse and trim the asparagus.  put a square of foil on a baking sheet.  Add asparagus, add 2 tsp or so of olive oil, a pinch of kosher salt and pepper and toss to coat.  Put the asparagus in the oven right along with the Lemon Chicken – just for the last 8-10 minutes or so.  Set the table, make the spinach salad, pull everything from the oven and voila!  Dinner is served.

In my opinion…

Isn’t there a Seinfeld quote to go with pretty much every situation? 

Kramer: “A hot bowl of mulligatawny would hit the spot.”
Elaine: “Mulligatawny?”
Kramer: “Yes, it’s a delightful Hindu concoction simmered to perfection by one of the great soup artisans in the modern era.”


That has to be one of my all-time favorite episodes.  Ever.

Last year on a visit to one of our favorite local eateries I decided to try a bowl of Mulligatawny.  It immediately became one of my favorite soups.  It’s thick and hearty, filled with chunks of vegetables, and has just enough kick to warm you up.





I’m currently on the hunt for a perfect mulligatawny.  This recipe comes close – it has a lot of nice qualities.  First of all, I love the flavor – all of those amazing spices- oh so yummy.  I also love the creaminess of the soup.  That comes from the cream of course, but also the rice and the potato.  As the soup simmers some of the potato chunks dissolve a little and the rice continues to soften until it all blends together into creamy goodness.  In fact, I think next time I’ll try omitting the cream and adding another potato (diced small) to see if that will do the trick.  A dairy-free soup is a good thing around here.

One more thing I love about this recipe is the fact that it uses cooked chicken.  I tossed some boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the crockpot last night and left them alone for about 2 1/2 hours.  I pulled them out, cut them into chunks and then put all of that in the fridge – ready for today’s soup.  Another option is to use up the leftovers from that roast chicken you had on Sunday.  The amount of chicken in this soup can be flexible – it calls for 3 lbs, but you could do less.  I really wouldn’t add more than 3 lbs or you’ll just end up with more of a casserole consistency.





This mulligatawny recipe was originally found here, but I’ve made some tweaks so I’ll type it up below.


Mulligatawny Soup
(12 servings)

2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garam masala
pinch of cayenne pepper (add up to 1/4 tsp if you like the heat)
3 lbs cooked chicken, chopped
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 large onions, chopped
3-4 carrots, diced
2 leeks, thinly sliced (white part only)
11 cups chicken stock (stock is best, but I used canned broth and it was great)
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup long grain rice (uncooked)
1 large (or 2 medium) potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup heavy cream
chopped cilantro (for garnish)

Combine minced garlic with all of the spices (cumin, cloves, curry powder, ginger, cayenne pepper, garam masala) and set aside.  In a large pot (and I mean LARGE) heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil over medium high heat.  Add celery, onions, carrots and leeks and saute until veggies are crisp-tender (about 5-8 minutes).  Add garlic and spices and stir to coat the vegetables.  Continue to saute for another 2 or 3 minutes – the garlic and spices will become fragrant.

Add in all 11 cups of chicken stock and rice.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add potato chunks.  Simmer for another 10 minutes or until potatoes and rice are softened.  Add lemon juice and cream and heat through over medium-low heat.  Taste soup and add salt and pepper and additional curry powder and cayenne pepper if you would like. 
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.

Turkey Pot Pies

A few weeks ago I had a hankerin’ (I don’t use that word often enough) for a turkey dinner. I bought one of those smaller bone-in turkey breasts and made a scaled down version of Thanksgiving: turkey, potatoes, gravy, green beans & a cranberry salad. It totally hit the spot and the leftovers were delicious – they provided several dinners for us. By mid week, we had eaten all of the side dishes and were left with plenty of turkey. What to do….what to do…..

I found this recipe for turkey pot pies and tried it. What appealed to me at first was the use of frozen puff pastry as a crust. It was so simple and the end result is a lovely, flaky brown crust. I also loved that this recipe didn’t call for cream-of-anything soup, unlike some of my other pot pie recipes. That’s great news for us lactose intolerant folk. (Did you know that dairy products are my krypotonite?)

Another thing I loved about the recipe is that we each got our own little pie. I happen to own a set of 12-oz ramekins, but if I didn’t I would probably try this recipe out in one large casserole dish and just lay the full sheet of puff pastry over the turkey/sauce/vegetables mixture. If anyone tries that, comment here and let us know how it worked out.

This (for me anyway) is a great recipe for using up those roast chicken and turkey leftovers. I loved that I had nearly everything for this recipe already in my pantry. The only thing I was lacking was the fresh thyme, and I was able to substitute a little dried thyme just fine. I think we’ll be having another bone-in turkey breast for our Easter dinner. Guess what I’ll be making the following Wednesday?

Stir-Fry

Stir fry is one of my go-to meals.  I usually have the ingredients on hand, and I can throw it together quickly.  There is no real “recipe” and my stir fry is a bit different every time depending on what’s in my fridge.  Here is the one thing that is always in my stir fry:

 

 

Let’s face it, a delicious sauce made with love from fresh ingredients is the best.  But there are days when I have approximately 16.5 minutes to throw dinner together so we can get on with our busy evening.  When that is the case, a store-bought sauce will have to do.  I’ve tried other bottled sauces and we either don’t like the flavor, or they’re too runny.  This one is our favorite, and it works great as a dip for tempura vegetables as well.  (side note:  while this does contain sugar, don’t get caught up on that.  If some yummy sauce helps your kids eat a plate full of vegetables, then go for it!)

 

I also keep some of these noodles in my pantry.  They’re thin, so they boil up quickly and I can toss them in with the stir fry at the last minute.  It can help stretch a 3-serving stir fry into a 4 or 5-serving stir fry.  I also use these noodles in my Sesame Ginger Noodles. 

 

 

The vegetables (and fruits) that have made an appearance in this dish at one time or another are (in no particular order):  mushrooms, carrots, yellow onions, green onions, green/yellow/red peppers, sliced water chestnuts, zucchini, cilantro, pineapple, diced tomatoes, broccoli, and celery.  Usually I only have 3 or 4 of those on hand, and I think if you were to use too many veggies it would be kind of a mess. 

 

 

To finish off the stir fry, I have some toasted sesame seeds on the table as well as this stuff:  Chili Garlic Sauce.  I can take about 3 drops of this stuff, while Mr. Dinner’s on Me can ladle it on by the spoonful. 

 

There is not really a recipe for stir fry, so instead I’ll type up the process that I use to create my stir fry.  First I prep all my meats and vegetables.  Usually I’m using chicken, and I chop it into bite sized pieces so it’s easy for the kids to manage.  Vegetables get the same treatment.

 

I heat a large fry pan (mine’s non-stick) to medium-high heat and add a Tablespoon or so of oil.  Add the chicken pieces and cook until about half way done.  Push chicken to the side, add a little more oil if necessary and toss in your vegetables.  If you pan is not big enough, you may need to remove your chicken for this step.  I let the veggies cook for 4-5 minutes and then I add some teriyaki sauce and stir everything together.  The chicken and vegetables finish cooking in the sauce.  Depending on the vegetables you use, you may need to add a little bit of water.  At this point, I toss in my cooked noodles so they can absorb some of the flavor of the sauce.  You could also serve the stir fry over plain noodles, or leave the noodles out and serve over rice. 

 

We love this dish as leftovers too! 

An Easy Dinner on a Summer Evening

We're starting to get some tomatoes ready to eat from our garden, and of course we have plenty of basil. I had all of these great things in my fridge, leftover from other meals (well, except the pasta). So I tossed them together for an easy summer meal. We ate it warm that night, but I thought it was also delicious as a cold salad the next day at lunch.




It's not really a recipe, but here's what I did -

1 batch of basil pesto (link here)
1 bag whole wheat rotini pasta (spiral shaped pasta)
1 batch oven dried tomatoes (link here)
2 grilled chicken breasts
parmesan cheese for topping

Toss together and serve!

Cilantro Lime Chicken Wraps

This recipe was originally created from a bunch of leftovers. We had eaten Southwest Chicken Salads a couple of nights before, and I needed to throw together a quick dinner for a busy night. I pulled out all of the salad makings from the fridge, and rolled them up into large tortillas. It was a big hit, and a lot easier for little people to eat.










Cilantro Lime Chicken Wraps

ingredients:

diced, cooked chicken
bag of romaine salad mix
Cilantro Lime Dressing (recipe below)
large flour tortillas (I prefer Lynn Wilson thin style)

optional add ins:

cilantro
black beans
corn
shredded carrots
grated Monterrey Jack cheese

Lay tortilla out flat. Spread evenly with 1-2 Tablespoons of Cilantro Lime Dressing.

Add diced chicken, romaine (and any other add ins) in an even layer across entire tortilla. Top with another Tablespoon of dressing if desired.

Starting at one side, begin to roll tortilla using your fingers to keep ingredients tucked inside. Wrap as tightly as you can without ripping tortilla.

Slice diagonally in half and lay on serving plate.

Cilantro Lime Dressing

1 c. cilantro (packed)
1/3 c. Salsa Verde (I use La Victoria Salsa Verde, Medium)
1 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. mayonnaise
2-3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 Packet of Ranch Dressing Mix (about 2 T.)
salt and pepper to taste

Toss it all in a blender and blend on low until combined. (Or put ingredients in a bowl and use immersion blender.) Store in fridge for up to 1 week.

Chicken Fajitas

Nothing authentic here people, but this is one of my go-to meals for the summer. It's quick and easy to prepare, and it's great as leftovers for lunch.



Here's the big secret to making my fajitas:



Ok. Not such a great secret. I know this little packet is nothing fancy, and that the fajitas would probably taste better if I mixed my own seasonings, but hey it's only $.33 (sometimes even $.25!) and I always have it in my pantry. Plus I like the convenience of just ripping this puppy open and dumping it in.

I also use this fajita seasoning to make the chicken for my Fajita Chicken Quesadillas.



(I'm toying with the idea of creating printable versions of all of my recipes. Here's the link for this one:)

Chicken Fajitas printable recipe



Chicken Fajitas
makes about 8 fajitas


1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced
1 fajita seasoning packet
your favorite tortillas

topping options:
shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
cilantro
Sour Cream
Pico de Gallo or your favorite salsa
guacamole
olives


In a large skillet, heat oil over med-high heat. Add sliced chicken and cook just until barely done. Toss in vegetables and saute, stirring frequently for 5-10 minutes. I like my vegetables on the softer side, but if you like yours crispier, then just don't cook them as long.

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup water with fajita seasoning packet. Pour over chicken and vegetable mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes to let sauce thicken. Remove from heat and serve using your favorite tortillas and any topping options you want.

Easy Does It

After a week like last week (oh and let me tell you, my kitchen woes continued on through the weekend!) I decided to fill my menu this week with some of our old favorites. Hopefully I'll have better luck.

I did try a new recipe Monday night with some success. The original is simply called "Chicken Noodle Soup" but in this week's menu I renamed it "Tortellini Soup with Chicken Meatballs" -- a more descriptive title for a lovely little soup. If you're tired of your same ol' chicken noodle soup, give this one a try. I made mine a bit different for the following reasons: 1) I didn't need 8 servings of soup 2) I didn't have fresh thyme or fresh parsley on hand, and 3) I couldn't find chicken sausage links so I just used regular chicken sausage, country style.


Our verdict: Mr. DoM and DoM Jr. loved this soup. I loved the flavor, but next time I'll make the meatballs smaller. This time I made them with a 1tsp scoop, but I think I would prefer a 1/2 tsp size meatball.


Here's what I made:


Tortellini Soup with Chicken Meatballs
4 servings

meatballs:
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 lb chicken sausage (do not get the maple kind - apple sausage, or country style ok)
2 Tbls grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 of a whisked egg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

soup:
olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large or 2 medium carrots, chopped
1/2 cup diced onion
1 rib celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme
6-7 cups chicken broth (FYI: 1 can of broth = not quite 2 c.)
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/2 of a package of cheese tortellini (I used Buitoni)
salt & pepper to taste
grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

For meatballs: In a large skillet, saute onions in olive oil over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine sausage, egg, onion, thyme, parsley and Parmesan. Mix gently with your hands (if you smoosh the meat too much, you'll have tough, compact meatballs). Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat the same skillet to medium-high heat and add a little more oil. Use a small ice cream scoop to make meatballs and drop them into the skillet. Cook meatballs until browned on all side. Remove from heat and set aside.

For soup: In a medium pot (mine is a 5.5 qt), heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot, celery, bay leaf and thyme. Saute 5-7 minutes until fragrant. Add chicken broth and parsley. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Add meatballs and tortellini. Simmer until meatballs are cooked through and tortellini is done, about 5-7 minutes.

Serve. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

One year ago I searched out and printed two different Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipes. I stuck them in my "to test" binder and there they have sat. I considered them a few times for a meal in the past year, but they never made the cut. What a shame! I merged the two recipes together for dinner tonight and the result was amazing. It was the perfect soup for tonight's meal - we've had snow all day and just before dinnertime we were outside shoveling and building a snow fort. How wonderful to come inside to a warm pot of soup and fresh rolls. I'm afraid I have no photos - my camera is MIA. Has anyone seen a camera lying around somewhere?


**update** I found my camera! Well, actually some friends of ours found our camera in their driveway, under 8 inches of snow. It still works though, and here's proof:




Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
serves 6-8

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrots
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cooked & shredded
1 (4.3 oz) box Rice-a-Roni Long Grain & Wild Rice (original flavor)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup milk

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery and carrots and saute for 7-8 minutes. Add chicken broth, water and shredded chicken. Bring to a boil and add rice (save seasoning packet!). Cover pot and remove from heat.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the seasoning packet and stir to combine. Slowly add the flour (in 1/4 cup increments) to form a roux and continue to stir. Add salt and pepper. Whisk in heavy cream and milk, a little at a time, until fully incorporated. Cook and continue to stir until thickened - about 5 minutes.

Return broth/rice mixture to the heat and add cream mixture. Cook over medium heat until rice is softened and soup is thickened and heated through, about 10-15 minutes.

Hungarian Chicken

Tired of your same ol' chicken recipes? We tried this new recipe and loved it. It's from my sister-in-law's-sister-in-law's-cousin (hm - or maybe just my sister-in-law's cousin by marriage? How does that work?) Anyway - I'm glad she shared it with me, and it's now in my "favorite recipes" folder.

In her recipe she gives two cooking options. I used the stove top method (for 1 1/2 hrs), but next time I'll try the crock pot. If anyone tries the crockpot option, email me (or leave a comment) and let us know how long and on what temp.



Click here for printable version


Hungarian Chicken
Heidi Davies

1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp ground pepper
4 Tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 Tbsp butter
1 cup diced white onion
4 drops garlic juice, or 1 tsp garlic powder
1 can tomato soup
4 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp prepared mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
chicken pieces

Mix everything together (can be in a crockpot or in a pot on the stove) then add the chicken. Cook on medium heat until the chicken is tender (at least an hour). We serve it with rice and any vegetable.

Teriyaki Chicken

My friend Christa shared her ever-so-simple Teriyaki Chicken recipe with me and I can't believe how easy AND delicious it is. (Again, thank you Christa!)

Teriyaki Marinade

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup Sprite
1/2 tsp minced garlic

(She said the longer you marinate the chicken the better is, although she has marinated chicken for just one hour and it was great.)

I placed the chicken in a large ziplock bag, added the marinade ingredients, sealed it and stuck it in the fridge. A few hours later I had wonderfully marinated chicken, no leaks, no garlic smell in my fridge, and no dish to wash.




This Teriyaki Chicken is perfect in the Oriental Chicken Wraps that I wrote about last week. Next week I'm going to use this same recipe in some Teriyaki Rice Bowls. Oooo - I can't wait!

(side note: I know this will reveal just how ridiculously particular I am, but I wanted to share what I learned today from Dictionary.com. Apparently "marinate" is a verb and "marinade" is a noun. I never knew that before today. And there you have it - a recipe and a spelling lesson all in one!)

Oriental Chicken Wraps

I've been remiss in writing about this next meal. A few weeks ago a very generous friend of mine brought over a yummy dinner for our family. (Thank you Christa!!!) It was a wonderfully fresh fruit salad and oriental chicken wraps. I must say it was the perfect meal for a warm summer evening.




Who wouldn't like a bowl of beautiful fruit brought to their door?


These oriental chicken wraps rocked! I loved the fresh taste of the ingredients, and the Creamy Sesame Dressing is good enough to drink as a beverage (although it wouldn't quench thirst very well.)

Oriental Chicken Wraps

terriyaki chicken, shredded
mandarin oranges
bag of mixed salad greens
crispy chow mein noodles
sliced green onions
Creamy Sesame Dressing (recipe below)



Creamy Sesame Dressing

1 c. Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1/3 c. Sugar
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
5 Tbsp. Milk

Combine all ingredients & enjoy!

Creamy Rosemary Penne with Chicken

This is a wonderfully creamy pasta casserole with a buttery bread crumb topping. I will give recipes for a small family (4 servings in an 8-in square dish) and a large family (6-8 servings in a 9x13 dish). I find this recipe to be very forgiving, meaning that you can adjust the amount of chicken, cheese, and onion according to your taste - or according to what you have available in your kitchen!


To cook the chicken required, I tossed it in my crockpot with a few tablespoons of Italian salad dressing. 3 hours later (on high) it was done - I chopped it up and assembled the casserole.



Creamy Rosemary Penne with Chicken (small family)
(Andy Knowlton)
serves 4

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cooked and diced**
1/2 lb penne pasta
1/2 cup Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 of a medium onion, diced (about 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

** To cook my chicken, I tossed it in my crockpot with a few tablespoons of Italian salad dressing. 3 hours later it was done - I chopped it up and assembled the casserole.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook penne for about 5-7 minutes. Don't cook it completely - the pasta will continue to soften as it bakes in the oven. Drain pasta and return pasta to large pot.

To the pasta add: shredded cheese, diced onion, rosemary, salt, pepper, milk & soup. Stir to thoroughly combine. Spray an 8-in square dish, and pour in pasta mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine melted butter and dry bread crumbs. Sprinkle on top of casserole.

Bake 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. If bread crumbs start to brown, cover with foil.




Creamy Rosemary Penne with Chicken (large family)
(Andy Knowlton)
serves 6-8

5 or 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cooked and diced**
1 lb penne pasta
1 cup Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 medium onion, diced
1 Tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups milk
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup dry bread crumbs

** To cook my chicken, I tossed it in my crockpot with a few tablespoons of Italian salad dressing. 3 hours later it was done - I chopped it up and assembled the casserole.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook penne for about 5-7 minutes. Don't cook it completely - the pasta will continue to soften as it bakes in the oven. Drain pasta and return pasta to large pot.

To the pasta add: shredded cheese, diced onion, rosemary, salt, pepper, milk & soup. Stir to thoroughly combine. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish, and pour in pasta mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine melted butter and dry bread crumbs. Sprinkle on top of casserole.

Bake 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until heated through. If bread crumbs start to brown, cover with foil.

Chicken Caesar Club Sandwiches

This last week I made some sandwiches based on this recipe. With temperatures nearing 100 outside, I figured some easy sandwiches with flavorful chicken and cool crisp greens would be perfect. The original recipe was more work than I had time for, so I made some changes but kept the basics of the sandwich the same. Here's my version!




Chicken Caesar Club Sandwiches
(3-4 servings, depending on the size of ciabatta)

3/4 to 1 lb chicken tenders**
1/2 cup Italian Salad Dressing (any brand)
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 Ciabatta bread**
3-4 Tbsp Caesar Salad Dressing (any brand, the thicker the better)
8 slices bacon, cooked**
10 to 12 sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
1 bag pre-washed salad greens (I used romaine)
3 oz Parmesan cheese shavings

Earlier in the day, marinate chicken tenders in 1/2 cup Italian Salad Dressing. Refrigerate.

To prepare chicken: remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Place large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to skillet and cook chicken until done. Remove from heat and set aside. Cook bacon according to package directions. (You could remove the chicken and use the same skillet.)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice the ciabatta loaf in half horizontally. Place the two halves in the oven for about 5 minutes to toast. Remove from oven.

Spread a few tablespoons of Caesar Salad Dressing on each half of bread. On the bottom half, layer cooked chicken, cooked bacon, sun-dried tomatoes. Top with Parmesan cheese shavings (I just took a block of Parmesan cheese and cut off long slices with my vegetable peeler) and then prepared salad greens. Add the top half of ciabatta and slice into individual sandwich portions.

NOTES

**If you are even more pressed for time, you can purchase pre-cooked & chopped chicken. There are several brands available; in our grocery store they are located near the sandwich meat & cheese aisle. I have used it before in a salad and I would say that it's a great option for any salad or sandwich if you are short on time.

If you are not a ciabatta bread fan, I think most other breads would work fine. I'm sure you could even substitute a regular loaf of $1 french bread from your local grocery store. To me, the toasting is what's important - it adds a great crunch.

One more time saver...if you don't want to smoke your house up and stand over a hot stove cooking bacon, there are packages of pre-cooked bacon also located near the sandwich meat & cheese aisle. I love this stuff - 30 seconds or so in the microwave and ta-da!

Chicken Piccata

This recipe for Chicken Piccata is inspired by a recipe from a friend of mine. I really wanted to use the McCormick Crusting Blends again, so I modified the original recipe a bit. If you don't want to use the Crusting Blends, then I recommend following Cynthia's recipe - found here, on her blog.

I served this wonderful chicken with some simple couscous. If you have never tried couscous, give it a shot! It's so quick and easy to prepare, you really have no excuse. Don't believe me? Here are the directions:
1. boil water (I used chicken broth instead)
2. stir in couscous; cover
3. remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes
4. fluff with fork & serve

See, I told you! My 6 year old even loved it. We called it "tiny rice" and he gobbled it up.



Chicken Piccata
serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup (or so) McCormick Crusting Blends (Garlic, Lemon & Rosemary flavor)
3-4 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
2 lemons (slice one, juice the other to make 2 Tbsp juice)
1/2 tsp granulated sugar (optional)
2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp drained capers (optional)
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place a chicken breast in a ziplock bag, or between two layers of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet (or other heavy object like a rolling pin) pound the chicken breast to thin it and flatten it. [click here to link to instructional video on pounding chicken] Repeat for each chicken breast.

Following the instructions on the McCormick Crusting Blends, brush each chicken breast with a bit of oil, coat with seasonings and bake in a 425 oven for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through and juices run clear. (The cooking time will vary depending on how thin you pound your chicken breasts.)

While chicken is baking, prepare the sauce:

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, saute minced garlic in 1/4 tsp olive oil for 15 seconds or so. Add 1 cup chicken broth and let simmer for 3-4 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with 1 Tbsp water. Add to skillet, along with the lemon slices, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, and capers. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes, until sauce thickens a bit. Add butter and remove pan from heat. Stir until butter melts.

Remove chicken from oven, arrange on a serving dish and top with yummy lemon sauce (including pretty lemon slices!) Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve.

Chicken Noodle Soup

The first time I made this soup, I followed the recipe exactly. Since then I've kind of just done my own thing and we ended up liking it more. It still is a soup that I just toss things into, but for the most part this is the "recipe" that I follow:



Chicken Noodle Soup
(makes about 4 servings)

2 cans (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced**
2-3 carrots, diced
1/2 cup of canned green beans**
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup to 1 cup egg noodles **
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium sized pot, bring chicken broth to a simmer. Toss in chicken, carrots and egg noodles. Simmer for 10 minutes or so until chicken and noodles are cooked. Toss in green beans and green onion. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes to heat beans and then serve.

**If you have more chicken on hand or you prefer a meatier soup, then by all means use more! We have also substituted canned corn and frozen peas for the green beans. All good. The noodles I prefer to use are found in the freezer section of our grocery store. (I use a 1/2 bag for this recipe.) Thanks to Robyn for finding these! They keep for awhile in the freezer, are easy and quick to use, and taste just like homemade.

Orange Chicken - Success at Last!

After a long quest for a great orange chicken recipe, I have finally found success! Here is my solution:


Take a trip to Costco and buy a box of Orange Chicken from the freezer section. Now wait! Don't laugh yet - I'm not done. I used just the chicken from this box and I made my own sauce from scratch. This chicken is wonderful - crispy, easy to cook, and no "questionables." The sauce recipe is a supposed "clone" from Panda Express. We loved it!

Here is the recipe, including the directions for cooking the frozen chicken.


Orange Chicken

Sauce:*

1 1/2 cups water
2 Tablespoons orange juice
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup plus 1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp minced water chestnuts
1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 rounded tsp chopped green onion
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
7 1/2 tsp cornstarch
3 tsp arrowroot**
4 1/2 Tablespoons water


In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine all of the sauce ingredients, except the cornstarch, arrowroot and 4 1/2 Tbsp water. Stir often while bringing mixture to a boil. When sauce reaches a boil, remove it from heat.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with arrowroot. Add 4 1/2 Tablespoons of cool water. Stir until cornstarch and arrowroot have dissolved. Pour this mixture into the sauce and set the pan over high heat. When sauce begins to bubble and thicken, cover and remove it from heat.

Cook chicken according to directions on package:
Heat 1/4 cup oil in a non-stick skillet on med-high heat.

Remove chicken from bag. Place frozen chicken in a skillet and cook for 15-20 minutes. Turn chicken continuously to heat evenly until crispy and golden in color.

Pour sauce over chicken and bring to a simmer. Serve over rice.

*This makes a lot of sauce! If you like a lot of sauce for your rice (like us) then make the whole sauce recipe and cook with 1 bag of chicken (from box). If you are serving to more people, you can use two bags of chicken with this one sauce recipe.

**Arrowroot is similar to cornstarch, but better for you and thickens at a lower temperature than cornstarch. Here's a link with some interesting information about arrowroot. I found mine in the spice section of my regular grocery store. If are unable to find any arrowroot, I'm sure you could substitute cornstarch.

The Best Tasting Ugly Soup

I have a soup recipe that I make about once a year, maybe twice. It is uuuuuugly, but it is so delicious. Every time I make it, my husband comes home, looks in the pot, wrinkles his nose and says, "what IS that?" Then he tastes it and says, "wow this is great! Why don't you make it more often?"

It's really unlike anything I've tasted before, soup-wise. It's called "Sweet & Sour Cabbage Soup" and it's fairly simple. If you're brave enough to try making it, I recommend you serve it with a loaf of warm crusty bread.


Sweet & Sour Cabbage Soup

1 Qt chicken broth (or 2 cans)
1 can chicken breast chunks
1/2 head of green cabbage, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1-2 carrots, diced
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup ketchup
1/8 cup brown sugar, packed
a little less than 1/4 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed is preferable)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat chicken broth in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add tomato paste, ketchup, brown sugar and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Add all remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour. Taste and add salt and pepper. (makes 4-5 servings)

Week 31 Recipes

Chicken Taco Pie
from Lion House Classics

1 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp cooking oil
2 Tbsp taco seasoning (or to taste)
1 3/4 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 cans (10.5-oz each) cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 cups cubed cooked chicken
6-8 tortillas
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

In skillet, cook onion in oil until tender but not brown. Add seasonings, cream of mushroom soup, and sour cream; heat and stir until smooth and warm. Add chicken. Grease a 2- to 3- quart flat casserole and cover bottom with torn up, oiled tortillas. Spread half the chicken mixture on tortillas. Top with additional oiled tortillas, then cover with remaining filling. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly. Makes 6-8 servings.

Week 28 Recipes

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
from Kraft Foods Food & Family Magazine, Fall 2007

8 small boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1 lb)
3 Tbsp flour
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1/3 cup Kraft original bbq sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp grated fresh gingerroot

Toss chicken with flour in slow cooker. Stir in all remaining ingredients, cover with lid. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours.

Makes 4 servings



Nilla Apple Crisp
from Kraft Foods Food & Family Magazine, Winter 2007

8 cups thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apples (about 4 lg)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, divided
2 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
1/3 cup oats (old fashioned, or quick)
1/4 cup cold margarine
25 Nilla wafers, crushed (about 1 cup crumbs)
1 1/2 cups Cool Whip (or vanilla ice cream)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss apples with 1/4 cup of the brown sugar and 1 tsp of the cinnamon. Spoon into 8 or 9 inch square dish.

Combine oats, the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon in medium bowl. Cut in margarine with pastry blender, or two knives, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add wafer crumbs; mix well. Spread crumb mixture evenly over apples.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until apples are tender. Serve warm or cooled. Top with whipped topping (or vanilla ice cream).

Makes 12 servings