Hoisin Chicken Udon Noodles

From

Www.jocooks.com/main-courses/poultry-main-courses/hoisin-chicken-udon-noodles/

Was not a big fan of this one. I made it when I was the only one home. I'm a big hoisin fan and love udon noodles. I just found this to be way way too salty.

I would not make this again.

Tasty Lettuce Wraps

As posted on Food Network:

Www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/almost-famous-chicken-lettuce-wraps-recipe.html

This was in a magazine I read earlier this spring and have saved it for when I was all by myself!

I added peanuts because they just taste good. I adored the spicy dipping sauce (4T hoisen mixed with 1/2 tsp hot chili sauce). The chicken mix was good but just a little bland. I will make this again but would add....something to give it more zip. For the leftovers I just mixed the spicy dipping sauce into the chicken mix and it was excellent!

Chicken Pot Pie

As adapted from The Pioneer Woman as seen here.

Cut and pasted for your lazy pleasure


Leftover Turkey Pot Pie (we used chicken!)
1 pie crust (1/2 of Perfect Pie Crust recipe)
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced carrot
1/2 cup finely diced celery
2 cups leftover turkey, light and dark, diced or shredded (or both!)
1/4 cup flour
2 to 3 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth (more if needed!)
splash of white wine (optional)
3/4 cup heavy cream
Frozen peas (optional)
Fresh thyme, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Melt butter in a skillet or dutch oven. Add onion, carrots, and celery, and cook until translucent (a couple of minutes.)
Add turkey and stir. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir. Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour in chicken or turkey broth, stirring constantly. Splash in wine (you can leave this out if you’d like.) Pour in cream. (May add frozen peas at this point if you’d like.)
Bring to a slow boil and allow mixture to cook and thicken for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not underseason), and fresh or dried thyme to taste. Do one final taste at the end and add what it needs.
Pour mixture into a casserole dish or deep pie pan.
Roll out crust so that it’s about 1 inch larger than the pan you’re using.
Place the crust on top of the pot pie mixture, and press crust into the sides of the dish. Cut vents in the top of the crust.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until very golden and bubbly and the crust is done.
Allow to cool for a little bit before serving.
Serve with a large spoon.

I even made her recipe for pie crust and it just about drove me around the bend...just because I did not roll it out on a good surface and it stuck - hard!  We were too hungry to wait for the pie to cool for a bit so the pie was quite runny.  When we went for seconds - it had thickened up nicely but is still a pretty goo-ey meal.  Husband - of- Cheerios is very against pie for a meal so he was not looking forward to this at all.  As it turned out he was the biggest fan of all!  This meal is something you wouldn't want to have more than a couple of times a year but it is really really good!  The kids liked it too.

Chicken Divan

Once upon a time, Cheerios Addict worked as a cashier in a drug store.  On break she would grab a cookbook from the magazine aisle and flip through it - writing down interesting recipes and putting them into her recipe box.  Then - a mere 20 years later - she decided to clean out her recipe box and finally try it for the first time.  :)

Chicken Divan - as adapted from Company's Coming Slow Cooker

Broccoli florets (3 cups)
Skinless Chicken breast halves (4)
Flour 1/4 cup
Chicken bouillon powder 1 T
Salt 1/2 tsp
Pepper 1/4 tsp
Milk 2 cups
Grated Parm Cheese 1/4 cup (I used Parm Reggiano and added another 1/4 cup of Cheddar)

Place broccoli in slow cooker.  Lay chicken over top.  Sauce:  Stir together flour, bouillon powder, salt and pepper in a saucepan.  Gradually whisk in milk until no lumps remain.  Heat and stir until boiling and thickened.  Remove from heat.  Stir in cheese.  Pour over chicken.  Cover.  Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Serves 4.

Husband-of-Cheerios started off by saying how delicious it was and that he would have it again.  I took a bite and while it was ok - it didn't knock my socks off and I made a mental note to note this in the recipe.  Meanwhile Mr Picky gagged on every bite and heartily declared it to be two thumbs down.  Miss Almost Vegetarian chewed noisily and put one thumb up.  After a few more bites I decided to pretend that I was going to make this recipe again but really throw it away.  Just after having that thought, Husband-of-Cheerios changed his mind and said that it wasn't as good as he originally thought.  Hee Hee.  We will NOT make this again.  The chicken was dry and the sauce pretty bland.  The broccoli was quite overcooked.

Parmesan Chicken

From Barefoot Contessa...
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/parmesan-chicken-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
• Unsalted butter
• Good olive oil
• Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry
• 1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Directions

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.
Lemon Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Yield: 6 servings

We all loved this one and the kids even asked for seconds.  That is pretty important praise coming from Mr Picky and Miss Almost Vegetarian.  We will make this one again.

Pollo alla Diavola

sounds fancy, but everything sounds fancier in Italian. In English this is simply a bbq'd chicken dish. (I hope you keep reading anyway because it's delicious.)

After Everyday Food magazine my next favorite magazines are the Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications (I have been collecting them since 1998!). I picked up the newest issue last week and it is all about Italian!!! This dish is my first attempt at a recipe from there and it happened by chance, chicken legs were on sale at Save-On Foods for $1.50 / lb. There are many more recipes I am eager to try though, so stay posted for all those.

Pollo alla Diavola

1 3lb whole broiler-fryer chicken (I cheated and used just chicken legs)

1 bunch fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley (Picked fresh from my sister's garden, yum)

1 bunch fresh thyme (Picked fresh from my garden, yum)

1 bunch fresh rosemary (Picked fresh from my garden, yum)

1/2 cup olive oil

6 tablespoons lemon juice

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I used less because I am a wimp)

Step 1

Described how to butterfly a chicken. Since I didn't do that (I am lazy), I am not going to type it out (I am lazy). It says to put it in a 9x13 pan, I used a large ziplock bag, my go to for marinating (I am lazy, why clean that mess when you can just toss it?)

Step 2

I cheated again, you are supposed to make a brush out of some of the fresh herbs, but I didn't (I am lazy). And really, why would I do that when I have a fantastic long handled brush made just for reaching the back of the bbq so you don't burn yourself?

Step 3

For the marinade (ok, I am finally getting somewhere), combine 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon of chopped thyme, 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, 1/4 cup oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, the lemon slices, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Pour over chicken and then massage it until coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. (I let it marinate for 10 hours and flipped it a couple of times.)

Step 4

For brush on mixture, combine the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, 4 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Cover and chill until ready to use.

Step 5

Drain chick, discarding marinade and lemon slices (easy peasy thanks to that ziplock). Preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Adjust for indirect grilling. Place chicken skin side down on grill rack over burner that is off. Cover and grill for about 1 hour (until the chicken is done). Brush with mixture during the last 10 minutes of grilling time.

 

 

 

 

 

RATINGS:

Heather - 10 - "Really great flavour"

Brad - 10 - "Definite WINNER"

NOTES:

This recipe is amazing, I plan on making it again next week for company.

 

I think that my chicken looks almost as good as the one in the magazine.

 

My only disappointment, and I may have mentioned this before, I hate recipes that don't tell you when an ingredient is divided.

Asian-Style Chicken Soup

The January/February 2012 Issue of Everyday Food had a feature called "Chicken Soup 5 Ways" and even shows how to make your own broth (if you have the time for that). We have already tried the Mexican Tortilla Soup and loved that so we thought we would give this one a try as well.

ASIAN-STYLE CHICKEN SOUP

http://www.marthastewart.com/872967/asian-style-chicken-soup

I must admit that I took a short cut and used bought broth and a roasted chicken.

RATINGS:

Heather - 9.5 - "Yum"

Brad - 9 - "I was skeptical, but this is good"

NOTES:

While we were making this, Brad said to me, "This is so easy I could make this by myself!" We shall see if that ever happens.

Chicken Barley Soup

The newest issue of Everyday Food Magazine is loaded with great recipes. This recipe is featured in the Dinner 1-2-3 section, a meal in three easy steps (I like easy). I was able to use celery, carrots (I added some purple ones for color), onion and thyme from garden.

CHICKEN BARLEY SOUP

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

4 carrots, diced small

4 celery stalks, diced small

1 medium yellow onion, diced small

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" pieces

coarse salt and ground pepper

6 cups low sodium chicken broth

5 spring thyme

1 cup quick cooking barley*

5 ounces baby spinach (5 cups)

Easy Step #1

In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add carrots, celery and onion. Cook until just tender, about 8 minutes. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring until chicken is opaque at edges, about 2 minutes.

Easy Step #2

Add broth and thyme and bring to a boil. Stir in barley. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until barley is tender and chicken is cooked through, 10-12 minutes**.

Easy Step #3

Add spinach and cook until wilted, 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

RATINGS:
Heather - 10 - "A definite keeper, I loved the spinach"
Brad - 9.5 - "The best soup you have ever made"

NOTES:
* I didn't have quick cooking barley so I used regular pot barley and cut it down to 1/2 cup
** I had to cook the soup longer since I was using the regular barley, it took about 30 minutes

FUNNY:
The purple carrots held their color nice for the initial cooking but when I put it in the fridge the carrots transferred their color to the barley and I ended up with purple barley!

Rachael Ray Glazed Chicken & Peaches with cheese & bacon biscuits

As adapted from Rachael Ray's Look & Cook

Similar to this recipe on the web here
for the Chicken & Peaches and here for the bacon cheese biscuits

Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 peaches, pitted and thickly sliced or halved
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger root, grated or minced
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 2/3 cup peach preserves
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot brand
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Serves 4

Preparation

Heat a medium size skillet with the butter over medium heat. Add the peaches and the juice of 1/2 lemon and cook until tender and lightly golden, 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.
While the peaches cook, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO, a turn of the pan, in a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. Cut the chicken breasts in half across the center of each breast to make four equal portions. Add the chicken breasts and thighs to the pan and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes, then remove to a plate and cover with foil.
Drizzle the pan with the remaining EVOO, half a turn of the pan. Add the chopped shallot and the ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the stock, preserves, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce and season with black pepper, to taste. Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes to thicken. Arrange the chicken and peaches on a platter and douse with peach sauce. Serve one piece of light meat and one thigh per person.


Biscuits

Ingredients

• A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 2 slices smoky bacon, finely chopped
• 1 small box biscuit mix, such as Jiffy brand, or measured mix for 8 drop biscuits
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup shredded sharp yellow cheddar cheese

Serves 4

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven according to the package directions for the drop biscuits.
Heat a small skillet with a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 2-3 minutes.
Put the biscuit mix in a bowl and add the bacon, 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings and the nutmeg. Add any additional ingredients according to the package directions to form a drop biscuit. Fold in half of the cheese and arrange the drop biscuits on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops of the biscuits with the remaining cheese and bake until golden, about 10-12 minutes.
Remove the biscuits from the oven to a serving dish or bread basket and serve hot.

The biscuits were good but very very heavy.  The kids loved them.  Although me and Husband of Cheerios liked the biscuits we prefer a lighter biscuit.

The chicken was excellent!  Mr Picky did not agree with peaches being in his supper and Miss Almost Vegetarian declared that there was pepper on it and would not eat it.  After much threatening and bribery she did eat a bite of peaches but still wouldn't admit that they tasted fine.  We will make this again, but only when the kids aren't home.  :)

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Green Beans

From Everyday Food magazine as seen here

1 cup long grain white rice

1 T cornstarch

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup white vinegar

1T vegetable Oil

1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces

2 Bell Peppers (any color) seeded and diced large

1/2 pound green beans trimmed and halved

5 scallions, thinly sliced

2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2T chopped roasted peanuts

Directions

1. Cook rice according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar. Set aside.
   
2. In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over high. Add chicken, bell peppers, and green beans and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add scallions, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes.
   
3. Whisk soy sauce mixture, add to skillet, and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Fluff rice with a fork. To serve, spoon chicken mixture over rice and top with peanuts if desired.
   
   
   
   I did add way more peanuts than listed but there is just something about nuts in a stir fry that seems so right.  :)   Even though we made this only 2 weeks ago I can't remember what we thought of it. LOL   I do remember that Mr Picky thought the sauce was good.  Well the picture looks tasty and stir fries are always good so...umm...sure - we'd make this again.  :)
   

Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken

I know this recipe is from Everyday Food magazine but I can't find a link to it online at the moment. I will update with all pertinent information as soon as I find it!

This is an impressive main dish item and it is super easy to make. Win. Win. The only downside was that the oil splattered all over my (non self cleaning) oven while roasting.

RATINGS:

Heather & Brad, Herb & Donna, Erin & Ryan - 10 - "Fantastic"

Simple Chicken Quinoa Supper

From Kraft Kitchen's here http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/simple-chicken-quinoa-supper-124092.aspx

or from the summer 2011 issue of What's Cooking

What You Need

1/2 cup Kraft Signature Mango Chipotle Dressing, divided

4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb./450 g)

1-1/2 cups 25%-less-sodium chicken broth

1 cup quinoa, uncooked, rinsed

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 orange pepper, chopped

1 yellow pepper, chopped

1 green onion, sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Make It

POUR 1/4 cup dressing over chicken in shallow dish; turn to coat both sides of each breast. Refrigerate until ready to use. Bring broth to boil in medium saucepan on medium-high heat. Stir in quinoa. Return to boil; cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 10 to 15 min. or until quinoa is tender and liquid is absorbed. Cool.
MEANWHILE, heat barbecue to medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Grill chicken 12 to 15 min. or until done (170ºF), turning after 7 min.
MIX remaining dressing and lime juice in large bowl. Add quinoa, peppers, onions and cilantro; mix lightly. Serve with chicken.

 This was really good.  I think next time I would marinate the chicken longer because not much of the flavor was left behind. The pepper/lime/onion/cilantro mix was a HUGE hit with Mr Cheerios and I.  This would be fine on it's own as a side salad or top of the chicken too.  Although Mr Picky and Miss Almost-Vegetarian would not touch the pepper medley - we WILL make this again.  Yummy!

Chicken Sandwiches with Roasted Potatoes

Another meal courtesy of Everyday Food Issue 82. The recipe called for mozzarella but I had aged white cheddar on hand so I substituted that. This was a great quick and easy recipe.

1 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 lbs small potatoes

1 small red onion, cut into 1/2" rounds

salt and pepper

4 chicken cutlets

4 slices cheese

4 ciabatta rolls

baby arugula

4 tsp miracle whip

Preheat over to 400. Brush rimmed baking sheet with oil. Place potatoes at one end and onion rings at the other. Brush vegetables with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until potatoes are tender (about 30 minutes, flipping 1/2 way through).

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Cook chicken through. Top with cheese. Cover skillet to help melt the cheese. Layer cutlets on the bottom halves of rolls along with onion and arugula. Spread miracle whip on top half. Sandwich and serve with roasted potatoes.

RATINGS:

Heather - 10 - "Absolutely delicious"

Brad - 9.5 - "Great chicken sandwich"

Chinese Orange-Barbeque Cashew Chicken

as adapted from Rachel Ray's Look + Cook (soooo many great looking recipes here - can't wait to try more)

3T canola oil
1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs chopped into bite sized pieces
salt and pepper
1 red bell pepper diced
1 onion diced
2-3 garlic cloves - finely chopped or grated
1 inch of fresh gingerroot, peeled and grated or finely chopped
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1T hot sauce
2 T tamari
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup honey-roasted cashews
4 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias

Place a large skillet over high heat with 2T oil.  When the pan is hot add the meat, salt/pepper and stir fry until golden brown, 4-5 min. Remove from pan and reserve on plate. Add remaining 1T oil, then add bell pepper, onion, garlic and ginger to the skillet and stir fry for 3 min or until crisp-tender. In a small bowl, combine hoisin, marmalade, hot sauce, tamari and stock. Return the chicken to the pan and pour in the sauce.  Add the cashews, toss to coat and continue cooking until the sauce thickens up, about 1 min more.  Serve with brown rice and garnish with the scallions.

Mr Picky and Little Miss Almost Vegetarian were at their Grandma's house so it was just my husband and I for this one.  THIS WAS DELICIOUS!!!  Both of us just LOVED this and we will make it again and again!!

Sliced Chicken with apples, pears and camembert mashed potatoes

As adapted from the cookbook "Rachael Ray's Look+Cook"

2 pounds baby potatoes
salt
1T EVOO
4 pieces boneless skinless chicken breast
black pepper
2T butter
1 Gala, Honeycrisp or Golden Delicious Apple peeled, cored and diced
freshly grated nutmeg, 1/4 tsp
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2T honey
150g ripe camembert cheese, diced into bite sized pieces

1/4 to 1/3 cup milk, half and half or cream
10-12 blades of chives, chopped
2T fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

Halve or quarter the potatoes, cover with water in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Season with salt. Cook 12-15 min until fork tender.  Heat the EVOO in a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and cook the chicken until golden and firm about 12 min, turning once.  Place the chicken on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.  In the same skillet melt the butter over medium heat, add the apples & pears and season with salt and nutmeg. Stir in the lemon juice and cook for 5 min or until tender crisp and thir in the honey and cook for a minute more. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.  Mash them with the cheese and milk, season with salt/pepper to taste.  Divide the potatoes among 4 plates.  Slice the chicken breasts on an angle.  Arrange the sliced chicken alongside the potatoes and top with the apples and pears. Combine the chives with the thyme and lemon zest and scatter over each plate.

I was a little skepical about this one - fruit and chicken?  Weird!!  As it turned out Miss Almost Vegetarian wasn't a big fan but did eat all the fruit off the top while avoiding the mashed potatoes and chicken as much as possible.  Mr Picky thought the chicken was good but thought the fruit was just "ok".  He adored the mashed potatoes though and asked for seconds.  Both DH and I LOVED the chicken with the fruit on top but thought the potatoes were just so-so.  

We definitely will make the chicken again but would either add less cheese to the potatoes or add a different kind of cheese.

Chicken Pasta Primavera

From the Kraft Kitchens website:
http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/chicken-pasta-primavera-86379.aspx

What You Need

3 cups whole wheat penne pasta, uncooked

2 Tbsp. oil

1 lb. (450 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (19 oz/540 mL) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained

1-1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets

1 red pepper, cut into thin strips

1 each carrot and celery stalk, sliced

1 tsp. dried basil leaves, crushed

1/4 tsp. each crushed red pepper, black pepper, salt

1/4 cup Kraft 100% Parmesan Light Grated Cheese

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Make It

COOK pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.
MEANWHILE, heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken, onions and garlic; cook 4 to 5 min. or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring frequently. Stir in tomatoes, vegetables and seasonings. Bring to boil; simmer on medium-low heat 10 min. or until vegetables are tender.
DRAIN pasta; place in large bowl. Add chicken mixture and cheese; toss to coat. Sprinkle with parsley.

Mr Picky was so not impressed by this.  Miss Almost Vegetarian thought it was delicious except for the carrots.  Both DH and I thought this one was pretty good and had a great flavor.  This recipe was picked at random using their cool "what ingredients do you have" feature.  I entered broccoli, chicken and cheese.  The website returned this recipe!  I would eat this again.

serving size = 2-1/2 cups (625 mL)

per serving

Calories

 510

Total fat

 11 g

Saturated fat

 2 g

Cholesterol

 70 mg

Sodium

 380 mg

Carbohydrate

 60 g

Dietary fibre

 9 g

Sugars

 10 g

Protein

 40 g

Vitamin A

 60 %DV

Vitamin C

 130 %DV

Calcium

 20 %DV

Iron

 45 %DV

Diabetes Food Choices

3 Carbohydrates + 3-1/2 Meat & Alternatives

Nutrition Bonus

This colourful dish provides an excellent source of both vitamins A and C. The broccoli provides vitamin A, while the red pepper provides vitamin C.

Pears & Chicken...

Since Heather gave us a bunch of zucchini - I had to find a recipe to use some of it up.

Chicken Vegetable Marinara - from Krafts Kitchen

2 slices bacon - chopped
450g/1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 T italian seasoning
3 large carrots - diagonally sliced
1 onion - chopped
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups  waters
1 1/2 cups pasta sauce
3 cups whole wheat rotini pasta uncooked
2 zucchini, cut into 1/2" thick slices/chunks
1/2 cup Kraft 4 Cheese Italiano light shredded cheese

Cook and stir bacon in large saucepan on medium heat 4 min or until crisp. Use slotted spoon to transfer bacon to medium bowl, reserving drippings in pan.  Add chicken and seasoning to drippings; cook and stir 4 min or until chicken is no longer pink.  Add to bacon, set aside.

Add carrots and onions to saucepan; cook and stir 2 min.  Add broth, water, pasta sauce and pasta; stir. Bring to boil on high heat; simmer on medium low heat 12 min. Stir in zucchini and chicken mixture; simmer 8-10 min or until pasta and vegetables are tender and chicken is done.

Creamy Balsamic Pear Salad - Krafts Kitchens

6 cups torn mixed salad greens
2 red pears - thinly sliced
1/2 cup Kraft 4 cheese italiano shredded cheese
1/3 cup slivered red onions
4 slices low - sodium bacon, cooked, crumbled
1/3 cup pure Kraft Refrigerated Creamy Balsamic Dressing

I made the chicken/pasta exactly the way the recipe states but we made a few modifications to the salad recipe.  I used "real" bacon bits instead of making bacon, I couldn't find red pears at Save-On so I used green, Save-On also didn't have the salad dressing so my husband improvised by combining a raspberry vinaigrette and some creamy cucumber.  Weird but strangely good. 

Overall - the salad was good.  We would make it again.  Both Mr Picky and Miss Almost Vegetarian picked away at it and weren't overall fans.  Both my husband and I liked it.  It would be fun to try again with their recommended dressing and I don't know - I wanted some raisins put in.  :)   I don't know if red pears taste any different than green pears but that might change things up too.

The pasta...was a HUGE hit!!  Everyone loved it.  Even Mr.Picky scarfed his down in record time and Miss Almost Vegetarian wanted another helping.  The next day I brought some to work and a friend of mine - let's call her Mrs Flowers - tried some and thought it was great too!  This recipe will be becoming a regular entry into our meal plans. 

Friday Afternoon by Heather and Kandice

Kandice and I have been cooking side by side since we lived together about 3 years ago. We are completely comfortable in each others kitchens and make a very effective team. Yesterday afternoon we hung out and I made supper while Kandy baked some cookies for dessert.

Warm Thai Chicken Salad

My sister was the one who originally found this recipe in a magazine while sitting in a waiting room (how ironic) and scribbled it down.

For dressing mix together

Juice of 2 large limes (or use bottled about 6 tbsp)

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger (I keep PC frozen ginger just in case)

2 tsp fish sauce

1/2-1 tsp chili flakes (I use less, I am a wimp)

2 cloves garlic, minced

The veggies

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 cucumber, halved & thinly sliced

1/4 green cabbage, sliced

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

4 cups baby spinach

The meat

3 chicken breasts, sliced into bite sized pieces

Cook over medium-high heat until just cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour in dressing and cook 3 minutes more.

Pour over vegetables and toss.

As an option you can top with chopped peanuts and mango. I highly recommend using both.

Rating

Brad - 10 - "We have to eat this often during the summer"

Heather - 10 - "I love how fresh this salad is"

Kandice - 10 - "I don't like cilantro but I like this salad"

Home Made Oreo Cookies

This is a recipe from my childhood. I have no idea where mom got it from. I found it in a box of stuff the other day and thought that I would try it again. Kandy said that it is super easy to make.

1 box Swiss Chocolate cake mix

1 box Devil's Food cake mix

4 eggs

2/3 cup oil

Mix and make into walnut size balls
(the Pampered Chef small scoop was perfect for this).

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Cool and fill.

2 tbsp margarine

4 oz cream cheese

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups icing sugar

Rating

Everyone - 10 - "MMMMMMM"

Wings 3 Ways

So, my name is Brandy.  I am an honorary "cousin" appointed my Melanie.  Hopefully I can get some posts and pictures here.  Since I have been added to this blog, I have finished supper every night and then I remembered, I should have photographed it...ooops!

So, here we go.  Since I have bought a stoneware pan from pampered chef, I love making wings.  It somehow makes them crispy and yummy without having to start the bbq.  I start with plain wings, i take a few and just sprinkle them with sea salt for the kids.  They are not fans of sauce... so theirs are super easy.  Then I put some in a bowl and sprinkle them with Epicures Cajun spice.  It has onion and garlic and cayenne pepper.  My hubby doesn't like wings very saucy, so i basically do a dry rub.  I lay them out on the stoneware and sprinkle them with smokey chipotle pepper for some added kick.   Then i take mine and roll them around in wing sauce.  This time i tried sweet bbq heat by Franks Red Hot.  I wasn't crazy about this wing sauce, but it wasn't bad.

Then I bake all the wings in the over at about 375 for 40 minutes.  To make them extra crispy, I turn on my convection oven for the last 10 minutes.  The kids are ready to serve as well as the dry rubbed wings.  I take the "sauced" wings and roll them again in sauce and serve with lots of napkins.

I usually try to serve this with raw veggies or a salad, but its would also be yummy with a pasta salad or coleslaw.

The kids always love these and I can guarantee my hubby won't work late on wing night!

Barley Casserole and Rosemary Oven Fried Chicken

Barley Casserole
As adapted from Company's Coming "Vegetables"

1/4 cup butter
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup barley

1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup sliced green onions
salt
pepper

Chicken bouillon powder
Boiling water 3 cups

Melt butter in fry pan.  Add onion, mushrooms and barley.  Saute until lightly browned.  Put into 1.5 quart (1.5 L) casserole.

Add almonds, green onion and salt/pepper.

Dissolve boulllon cubes (they suggest 3 but I just had powder and eyeballed some) in boiling water. Add to casserole.  Stir to mix. Cover. Bake at 350F for about 90 min until barley is tender.

Rosemary Oven Fried Chicken as adapted from Cook Once, Eat for a week

2/3 cup bread crumbs

1/3 cup nonfat parm cheese - grated

3/4 tsp dried rosemary

3/4 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion power

pepper to taste

1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 1/4 cups plain non fat yogurt

cooking spray

line baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, spices in plastic bag.  Shake until well mixed.  Dip chicken in yogurt; place in plastic  bag and shake until well coated.  Arrange chicken in single layer on baking sheet.  Sprinkle with remaining crumbs and spray lightly with cooking spray.  Bake in preheated 400F oven for 25-35 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.

Reviews?  Everyone really liked the barley casserole.  No one liked the chicken.  It was overcooked and dry.  We all added BBQ sauce on it to make it edible.  It would likely have been better NOT overcooked.  LOL.