Chicken Pot Pie -- From Margie

Chicken Pot Pie - The Best!

Step 1: 1 pkg Pillsbury Pie Crust - refrigerated
Unroll both crusts. Place 1 in bottom of 8 x 8 casserole dish.
Use 2nd crust for top after you fill this one.
Put oven to 425.

Step 2: 1/3 c. butter or margarine
1/4 c. chopped onion (sweet)
1/3 c. flour
salt, pepper to taste
Heat in saucepan on low - saute onions, then mix in flour to form a "paste"

Step 3: 2/3 c. milk
1 c. chicken broth
Heat through - just to boiling

Step 4: 2 c. chopped chicken
2 c. frozen mixed vegs - your choice
Heat all vegs through

Step 5: Pour ingredients into pie crust in casserole.
Place 2nd crust on top. Poke holes to 'vent'.
Bake 25-30 min. until golden brown and heated.

Step 6: ENJOY!

Yaki Yam and Tofu Bowl -- From Becky

(image taken from http://eatingchalk.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/hpim31401.jpg)

Yaki Yam and Tofu Bowl

1 package of lite firm tofu
1 large onion
1 large yam/sweet potato
bag o spinach
dried red pepper
dried ginger

Take lite firm tofu container drain liquid and dry. Cube tofu throw in bowl and cover with teriaki sauce. (If you like spicy food also sprinkle palm full of dried red pepper on top. Ginger also gives it a kick.) Let sit while cooking yams.

Throw yam in micro for 5 minutes. Then cube up cooked yam and onion and pan fry with some butter/olive oil spray.

In separate pan throw in tofu mix. Dry tofu for crispy fry (use butter or oil) or don't dry and simmer tofu with sauce. When tofu is almost done throw spinach on top for steaming.

Mix yam/onion with tofu/spinach. Let cool for a bit then dig in.

Some people like to serve this dish over brown rice mix or pan fried udon noodles. I like it just straight up.

2 servings - Each serving is around 300-400 cals. High protein, high fiber, low carb.

Almond Apricot Chicken with Mint Pesto -- From Kathleen

(image borrowed from ayoska.wordpress.com)

I am participating in a recipe swap that should result in about 36 new recipes, so as I get them, I'm going to post them here.

ALMOND APRICOT CHICKEN WITH MINT PESTO
SERVES 4
TOTAL TtME:50 MINUTES
PREP TIN4E: 3O MINUTES

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 ounces goat cheese
4 dried apricots, cut into 7+-inch pieces (3 tablespoons)
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 large egg, liqhtly beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 Preheat the oven to 375'F. Cut a slit in one side of each chicken breast to create a pocket about 4 inches long.

2 In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the almonds with the goat cheese and apricots. Stuff each breast with one quarter of the mixture. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

3 On a plate, combine the breadcrumbs and the remaining 1/4 cup almonds. Dip each breast into the beaten egg, then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. .

4 Heat the oil in a large ovenproof non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken until golden, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to the oven; bake until cooked through, about l5 minutes. Serve hot with the mint pesto on the side.

MINT PESTO

3 cups lightly packed fresh mint
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt

1 In a food processor, combine the mint and almonds; process until finely chopped.

2 With the motor running, gradually pour the olive oil through the feed tube. Season with salt. Keep at room temperature until ready to serve. Store leftover pesto in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks; let it come to room temperature before serving.

Pineapple Mango Salsa

1/2 cucumber, skinned and chopped
1 mango, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, chopped and seeded
1/2 lime, juiced
1-2 tomatillos, chopped
1/4 of a large red onion, chopped
1/2 can pineapple chunks, cut in half
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Chopped cilantro to taste
Let sit in fridge for 1/2 hour before serving.

When Loradona and I made this we doubled everything and we served it over our chicken and had chips with it. We made it on Saturday night and served it for Sunday dinner, it was still good Monday but pretty mushy after that.
There is a lot of chopping, which is why I recommend doubling it, it's not much more work.

Chicken (Curry) Salad

(The chicken salad is in the blue bowl behind my spinach artichoke dip)
Ingredients:
-4-6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves - boiled and shredded or cubed (whichever you prefer)
- 1 1/2 to 2 stalks celery diced (fairly small) I'm not big on the taste of celery (or lack thereof) but I like the crunch, so if you like it chunkier, go for it, but I like it diced pretty small.
- red grapes either whole or cut in half. I usually cut them in half. Maybe a 2/3 cup or less
-For 6 chicken breasts about 1- 1 1/2 cups of mayonaise ( a little less for 4 breasts)
- About 1/4 cup orange juice ( to dilute the mayo)
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
- 11 oz can of mandarin oranges (drained)
- diced apple ( or half an apple) if you like :)
- about a teaspoon of curry or more
- salt and pepper to taste. (SALT IS A MUST- THE CHICKEN HAS NOT BEEN SALTED!)


Directions

- mix the dressing separately
- mix all other ingredients EXCEPT oranges in a large bowl
- pour dressing over mixture in bowl and check to see if it the consistency you want. I sometimes add a little more mayo or orange juice if it looks too dry.
- fold in oranges last.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I have to warn everyone (again) that I RARELY measure things when I cook. This works for me... it may not work for you. This is why generally Cliff is the baker in the family and I am the cook most of the time. With this recipe it is all about the consistency and what YOU like, so if it looks like too little mayonaise - ADD MORE and vice versa. I have also mixed in some mozzarella cheese with my cream cheese/mayo/parmesan base so do what you like! It really is delicious, though :)

Ingredients:
- I think it was about an 8 oz package of cream cheese? Maybe a 1/2 a cup? I just eye balled it.
- About the same amount of mayonaise - maybe a little more or less (this with the cream cheese and parmesan cheese made up the base
- About a 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.
- 14 oz. can of Artichokes drained and chopped
- about a bag of fresh baby spinach chopped and sauteed with a little garlic and then drained of excess water OR about 1/2 bag frozen chopped spinach thawed and WELL drained. ( you might have to squeeze to get the liquid out)
- Parmesan and Muenster cheese to top it (Maybe two slices or so torn? )
- A little minced garlic or garlic powder to taste. I like garlic.
- a little cayenne pepper and black pepper to taste. If you don't like things very spicy you can certainly skip the cayenne all together. I didn't use very much when I made it for the shower.

Directions -

- Grease a small-ish baking dish (I think I used an 8"x 8" or a 9"x9" and pre-heat oven to 375
-Mix the cream cheese, mayo, and parmesan together with a little minced garlic or garlic powder and your pepper. Fold in Artichokes and Spinach.
- Top with muenster cheese and a little extra Parmesan.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until cheese starts to bubble or the edges are slightly golden brown.
- Enjoy!

Lemon Basil Carrots

LEMON BASIL CARROTS

baby carrots, or cut up whole carrots (skinned)

butter

pepper

lemon juice - just a little

basil

garlic powder

^ just use your judgement on amounts

sautee the carrots in the butter until they are as soft as you like, then add the other stuff. yum!

Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Home Fries variations..

20 minute Jamaican Jerk Chicken Awesomeness

2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp lite Italian dressing (or dry dressing packet and 2 tbsp olive oil)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix all this stuff together. Marinate the chicken for 1 hour to overnight. I've also done a 5 minute marinade and then made more sauce to spread on top of the cooked chicken.

To cook:
Works great in gorge Formans or on regular grills. I also recently broiled the chicken and it was FANTASTIC.

Home fries

Potato wedges (I cut Idaho potatoes in half longways and then in about 1/4 inch wedges)
Keep skins on

Toss the wedges in with olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, and garlic sauce. Don't get cheap on the seasonings.

Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 for about 15 minutes. Flip them once in the middle.

*This recipe is especially delicious if you substitute Idaho potatoes for sweet potatoes.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

My neighbor Nancy gets the credit for this one! So simple and soooooooooo good!


Ingredients

- Baby spinach
- Strawberries washed and halved
- Toasted pecans or walnuts
- Goat cheese
- Briannas Blush Wine Vinaigrette

Directions

- Toss spinach, strawberries, nuts
- Crumble goat cheese over salad
- Drizzle desired amount of delicious dressing over salad
- Enjoy!!!