Chicken Pot Pie

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken

breast halves - cubed

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup frozen green peas

1/2 cup sliced celery

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.


(I found this recipe on allrecipes.com)

Layered Summer Vegetables

3 medium zucchini, sliced
coarse salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
oregano, to taste
3 medium tomatoes, sliced
2 sweet onions, sliced
3 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350F.
In an oiled baking dish cover bottom with layer of zucchini. Sprinkle with spices. Arrange tomato slices on top, covering completely. Lightly sprinkle with spices. Next add the onions and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake 45-60minutes.

Tuscan Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta

from Heidi V.

3 cups of packed basil leaves (washed and stems removed)

2/3 cup pine nuts

2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

3-4 cloves garlic, peeled

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

olive oil - enough to allow it to blend freely, but not be soupy

Place all of these ingredients in a food processor and drizzle a generous amount of oil on top. Pulse several times until it is coarsely chopped, adding more oil as necessary. Pulse a few more times until it is finely chopped. Scoop into containers to freeze or refrigerate, covering with a very thin layer of oil to preserve the fresh green color, or use immediately.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Slice 1 dozen roma tomatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the seedy pulp, leaving the core intact. Drizzle lightly in olive oil and toss to coat, then face them cut side up on a baking sheet. Sprinkle kosher salt, a few grinds of pepper and 1 T. raw sugar evenly over the top.

Bake for 2 1/2 - 3 hours, or until the bottoms are beginning to brown, the tops are soft and shriveled.

1/2 pound penne pasta, cooked to al dente

2 chicken breasts

kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, garlic powder

3 T. apple cider vinegar

2 T. honey

3 strips bacon, fried until crisp and crumbled (optional)

12 roasted roma tomatoes (24 halves), sliced into wide strips

1/2 cup fresh pesto (store bought or homemade)

1/4 parmesan cheese

fresh basil leaves for garnish

Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water. Butterfly the chicken breasts and sprinkle the salt, pepper and garlic on the cut sides. Grill on each side for about 8 minutes until cooked through, basting with a mixture of vinegar and honey. Set aside to let the juices rest for a few minutes, then slice into thin strips.

Once the pasta is done cooking, drain and pour into a large serving bowl. Add the pesto and toss until the pasta is evenly coated. Add the tomatoes, crumbled bacon and chicken, and carefully toss again until evenly distributed. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top, add basil leaves for garnish and serve immediately.

Artichoke & Mushroom Frittatas

1-15 oz. can artichoke Hearts (quartered)
1 - 8 oz. can sliced Mushrooms
1 Large onion, diced
1 T minced garlic
3 T butter
1 c zucchini, minced
12 eggs
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 c grated Romano cheese
1 c spaghetti sauce

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Saute the onion and the garlic in the butter until the onion is clear, but be careful not to brown.
Add the artichoke hearts, mushrooms, then the zucchini, and saute for another 5 minutes. Spoon this mixture into oiled muffin tins, about half way up.
Beat the eggs with the salt and pepper until frothy. Mix in the grated cheese, then pour evenly over the top of the vegetables. Top each one with a tablespoon of the spaghetti sauce and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Use a knife to loosen the edges of each frittata and serve.

Sausage and Bean Soup

1 t. oil (I use olive)
1/2 lb. turkey kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/3-1/2 c chopped onion
2 small carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 c. chicken broth
15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Heat the oil in your soup pot. Add sausage and saute until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
Add all remaining ingredients except spinach; bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat and simmer until veggies are tender, about 10 minutes.
Add spinach and continue to cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
7 corn tortillas
vegetable oil

Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
Heat oil in a heavy pan on the stove. Cut tortillas into strips, then fry until crisp. Let drain on a paper towel.To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

Cheesy Chicken & Salsa Skillet

2 c penne pasta, uncooked
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1-1/4 c chunky salsa
1 c frozen corn
1 large green pepper, cut into short thin strips
1 cup Shredded Four Cheese Mexican Style Cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package.
Meanwhile, heat large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 2 min. Stir in salsa, corn and peppers. Bring to boil. Simmer on medium-low heat 10 min. or until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally.
Drainpasta. Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. Sprinkle with cheese. Remove from heat; cover. Let stand 1 min. or until cheese is melted.

Creamy Fusilli with Yellow Squash

Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 ounces fusilli
4 slices bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
4 medium yellow squash (8 ounces each), quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 c heavy cream
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot.
While pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium. Add bacon, and cook until browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain (leave bacon fat in skillet).
Place skillet over medium-high heat. Add squash and garlic to fat in skillet; season with salt and pepper, and toss well. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until squash begins to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover, and continue to cook until liquid is evaporated and squash is tender, 2 to 3 minutes more.
Add cream and cooked pasta to skillet; toss well, and cook until cream begins to thicken. Remove from heat; stir in parmesan, and add enough reserved pasta water to create a sauce that coats pasta. Serve topped with reserved bacon and more cheese.

Shredded Beef Burritos

3 lb beef chuck roast
1/4 c water
1 1/2 c beef broth
3 T red wine vinegar
2 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin

Place roast in a large saucepan that has a tight fitting lid. Pour in water, cover & simmer on low for 30 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. and brown roast on all sides. Once the water has boiled away, pour in the remaining ingredients. Cover tightly and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the beef falls apart when you try to pick it up. (This step can also be done in a crockpot on high.)
Shred the beef with a fork or your fingers. Place shredded beef back into the saucepan with all the juices and let cool to room temperature.
Serve rolled in tortillas with lettuce, sour cream & tomatoes or salsa.

Beef Noodle Casserole

1 lb ground beef
1 can cream mushroom soup
1/2 - 3/4 bag of egg noodles
1 small onion finely chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

Brown ground beef and onion in skillet. Drain. Meanwhile cook egg noodles to al dente or a little firmer. Drain noodles. Mix noodles, ground beef & onion mixture together with the can of Cream of Mushroom soup and salt & papper and pour into a lightly greased covered casserole dish about a 2 quart size. Place in oven with out a cover at 350F for 20 -30 minutes.

Zucchini con Queso

Vegetables:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds (about 5 c) zucchini, cut in fat matchsticks
1 small onion, cut into thin strips
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large bell pepper (any color), cut into thin strips
2 small Roma tomatoes, cut into strips
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt

Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
10 oz evaporated milk
1/4 cup sour cream
4 oz Pepper Jack cheese, grated

In a large skillet, melt the butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Add the zucchini, onion, and bell pepper. Saute for 5-7 minutes, until wilted. Add the garlic, tomato, and seasonings and cook for about 15 minutes, until vegetables are very tender.
While vegetables cook, make the cheese sauce. Melt butter and olive oil together in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute briefly. Add the milk and crema and heat through. Stir in the grated cheese, cover the pot, and remove pot from heat. Stir again in intervals. Keep the sauce warm.
When vegetables are done, add cheese sauce to them and combine well. Serve immediately.

Zucchini Parmesan Casserole

4 cups peeled zucchini, diced or chopped
1 c Bisquick
1/2 t oregano
1/2 c oil
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 t garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
4 eggs, beaten
2 t dried parsley
2 T basil

Mix all together and bake in ungreased 2 quart casserole at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove cover for last 15 minutes.

Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas

4 boneless/skinless chicken breast or tenders
1 can Rotel Mexican style tomatoes
2 T taco seasoning
1 - 8 oz brick cream (cubed)
Flour tortillas
1 cup sour cream
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 cup hot water
1 T taco seasoning
2 c shredded cheese (Mexican or cheddar)

Put in crockpot with the can of Rotel and 2 T taco seasoning. Cook on high 4 hours, until tender. Drain about 1/2 cup of juice off. Add cream cheese. Cook on low for thirty minutes until melted and stir together. Cool a bit and shred the chicken mixture with two forks.
Fill the tortillas with equal amounts of mixture, roll up and place in baking dish. For the topping mix together the sour cream, soup, 1 T taco seasoning and hot water with a whisk. Pour over the top of the enchiladas and top with grated cheese. Cook for 30 minutes on 350F.

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

1 c pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
2 T olive oil
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
1/2 c diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 c shredded mozzarella
1/4 c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 t kosher salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c bread crumbs
1/4 c grated Parmesan
1 T butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.
Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar and Garlic

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 T all-purpose flour
2 T olive oil
6 cloves garlic
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
3/4 c chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 t dried thyme
1 T butter

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Rinse the mushrooms and pat dry. Season the flour with salt and pepper and dredge the chicken breasts in the flour mixture. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat and saute the chicken until it is nicely browned on one side (about 3 minutes).
Add the garlic. Turn the chicken breasts and scatter the mushrooms over them. Continue frying, shaking the skillet and stirring the mushrooms. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the vinegar, broth, bay leaf and thyme. Cover tightly and simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.
Transfer the chicken to a warm serving platter and cover with foil. Set aside. Continue simmering the sauce, uncovered, over medium high heat for about 7 minutes. Swirl in the butter or margarine and discard the bay leaf. Pour this mushroom sauce mixture over the chicken and serve.

Chili's Shanghai Wings & Wasabi Ranch Dressing

2 chicken breast fillets
1 c all-purpose flour
2 t salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t paprika
1 egg
1 c milk
4 to 8 c vegetable oil (as required by fryer)

GINGER-CITRUS SAUCE:
1 1/4 c water
1 T corn starch
3/4 c dark brown sugar
1/4 c soy sauce
2 T minced fresh ginger
1 t minced garlic
2 T lime juice
1 T lemon juice
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes

WASABI-RANCH DRESSING:
1/2 c Hidden Valley Ranch bottled salad dressing
2 T buttermilk (or whole milk)
1 t prepared horseradish
1/2 t powdered wasabi
1 drop green food coloring

Slice each chicken breast into 6 pieces. Combine flour, salt, peppers and paprika in a medium bowl. In another small bowl, whisk together egg and milk.

One or two at a time, dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then into the breading blend; then repeat the process so that each piece of chicken is double-coated. When all chicken pieces have been breaded, arrange them on a plate and chill for 15 minutes.

Preheat 4 to 8 cups of oil (use the amount required by your fryer) in a deep fryer to 375 degrees.

GINGER-CITRUS SAUCE:
As the chicken is resting, make the ginger-citrus sauce by dissolving the corn starch in the water. Pour the water into a medium saucepan along with the rest of the sauce ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. When the sauce begins to bubble, reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until thick. Remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool a bit.

WASABI-RANCH DRESSING:
Make the wasabi-ranch dressing while your ginger-citrus sauce is simmering. Simply whisk together the ranch dressing, buttermilk, prepared horseradish, powdered wasabi, and green food coloring in a small bowl. Cover and chill this until the wings are done.

When the chicken has rested and you're ready to cook, lower the boneless wings into the oil and fry for 5 to 6 minutes or until each piece is browned. Depending on the size of your fryer, you may want to fry the chicken in batches so that the chicken isn't too crowded in there. When chicken pieces are done frying, remove them to a draining rack or a plate lined with a couple paper towels.

When all the chicken is fried, place the pieces into a covered container such as a large jar with a lid. Pour the Ginger-citrus Sauce over the chicken in the container, cover it up, and then gently shake everything around until each piece of chicken is coated with sauce.

Pour the chicken onto a plate and serve the dish with Wasabi-ranch Dressing on the side.

Lemon Crumb Tilapia

4-6 tilapia fillets, thawed
1/4 c Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 T grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3 T butter (divided)
1 T vegetable oil
1-2 T lemon juice

Rinse fish and pat dry. Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and lemon peel on waxed paper. Melt 2 tablespoons butter. Dip fillets in melted butter. Coat fillet with crumb mixture. In nonstick skillet, melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter with oil over medium heat. Cook fillets for 2 to 4 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily. Sprinkle with lemon juice. When removing fish from skillet, use a spatula or the fish will fall apart.

Harvest Chicken & Vegetable Bake

1 c chopped celery
1 c chopped onions
1 c chopped carrots
1 c coarsely chopped sweet potatoes
1/2 c Zesty Italian Dressing
4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pkt. SHAKE 'N BAKE Seasoned Coating Mix
1/4 c Grated Parmesan Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 400ºF. Toss vegetables with dressing; spoon into half of 13x9-inch baking dish.
BAKE 30 min., stirring after 15 min. Coat chicken with coating mix as directed on package. Arrange chicken in single layer next to vegetables. Bake 20 min.
SPRINKLE with cheese; bake an additional 5 min. or until chicken is cooked through (170ºF) and vegetables are tender.

Baja Fish Tacos

filets of white fish (cod, halibut, tilapia, orange roughy), cut in half lengthwise
lemon pepper seasoning, to taste
8 warm corn tortillas (wrap in towel and microwave)
shredded cabbage
Fresh salsa or pico de gallo
sour cream sauce

Heat a non-stick skillet with a small amount of oil. Dry the fish fillets then sprinkle with lemon pepper and pan fry about 3 minutes per side. Set aside and keep warm.

To serve, fold tortilla in half and layer with fish, cheese, sour cream sauce, salsa and cabbage.


Sour Cream Sauce
1 cup sour cream
hot pepper sauce to taste

Garlic Lime Chicken

1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t cayenne
1/4 t paprika
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t thyme
1/2 parsley flakes
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T butter
1 T olive oil
4 T lime juice
1/2 c chicken broth

In a small bowl, mix together spices. Sprinkle mixture on both sides of chicken breasts.
Heat butter & oil together in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan. Add lime juice & chicken broth to the pan, whisking up the brown bits from off the bottom of the pan. Keep cooking until sauce has reduced slightly. Add chicken back to the pan, spoon sauce over chicken, turning to coat thoroughly. Keep warm in pan until ready to serve.