Chicken and Brown Rice Curry Salad

A friend of mine brought this to a pot luck ladies lunch a few years back.  I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I begged her for the recipe.  I love to eat this in lettuce cups, or with chopped up lettuce in a pita pocket.  It feels so light and refreshing.

3 tsp. curry powder
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 1/2 c. light mayonnaise

3-4 skin on, bone in, chicken breasts
turmeric to taste
4 c. cooked brown rice
2 c. raisins
4 celery ribs, chopped
2-3 green onions, sliced
2 c. cashews or peanuts
2 green apples, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Sprinkle turmeric over skin of chicken breast.  Separate skin from meat and rub meat with additional turmeric.  Roast chicken on foil lined baking sheet for 35-40 minutes or until no longer pink.  Remove from oven, allow to cool, then remove meat from the bone and skin, shred into bite size pieces.

Combine curry powder, ground ginger, soy sauce and mayonnaise.

In a medium bowl stir cooked chicken, brown rice, raisins, celery, green onions, nuts, and green apples.  Pour dressing over and stir all together.  Refrigerate until chilled, then serve.

Baked Chicken Breasts

Growing up my mom always cooked chicken to a crisp.  I honestly didn't know that chicken was supposed to be a juicy until I started cooking for myself.  Still, boneless, skinless chicken breasts have a tendency to dry out pretty quickly.  I have been searching for ways to prevent this from happening.  Turns out, brining is key.  This recipe turns out moist, well seasoned chicken breasts every time.  I bake up a few breasts, and keep it in the fridge for additions to salad, or for a quick bite of protein. 

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded to an even thickness)
1/4 c. kosher salt
1 quart warm water
1 Tbsp. melted butter or olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika

Pour warm water and salt into a quart size resealable plastic bag.  Place chicken into bag, place in to refrigerator, allow to brine for 15 minutes or up to six hours (the longer it brines, the saltier your chicken will be, so keep that in mind).

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Remove chicken from brine and pat dry.  Place chicken in a single layer in a large baking dish.  Brush both sides with melted butter or olive oil.

In a separate bowl, combine the 1/2 tsp. salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.  Rub the mixture evenly over both sides of the chicken.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until no longer pink in the center (should be 170 degrees in the thickest part of the chicken).

Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes (resting is also essential to keeping the chicken moist).

White Chicken Chili - Crockpot

It has been really rainy here the last few weeks and what goes better with rainy weather than a nice warm bowl of chili.  I am not at a bean eater, in fact I avoid them when possible.  My dear husband, however loves beans, and since our marriage has begged me to make foods with beans in them.  I have found that in my levels of hatred for beans, white beans rank pretty high on the palatable scale.  This recipe allows my husband to eat beans, and is mostly acceptable to me, I have been caught picking the beans out of my bowl, though (don't tell Adam).

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, uncooked
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
dash cayenne
1 (14.5 oz.) can chicken broth
1 (4.5 oz.) can chopped green chilies (undrained)
1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained
2 (15.5 oz.) can white beans, drained and rinsed well
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1 c. milk
1 tsp. chicken base
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 c. sour cream

Place chicken breasts in crockpot, sprinkle chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne over the chicken.  Pour chicken broth, green chilies, corn and beans over chicken.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

An hour before serving:   Remove chicken from crockpot and shred using two forks to pull the meat apart, set aside.  Melt butter over medium-high heat in a small saucepan.  When butter is melted, whisk in the flour, cook until flour is browned.  Gradually whisk in milk and chicken base.  Allow sauce to simmer for a few minutes, whisking frequently; add salt and pepper.  Pour sauce into crockpot, stir to combine.  Stir in the sour cream, add chicken back to pot.  

Continue to cook on low for an additional hour.

Southwest Chopped Salad

Somehow this recipe was pinned to my Pinterest account with links to three different blogs.  I guess it's a popular one out there in the blog-o-sphere and that I really want to try it!  It is very, very good.  

Summer is the perfect time to have salads for dinner, and this is an excellent one to try.  It makes a lot and is very filling.  My kids were not the biggest fans, but one of them doesn't like salad dressing and neither of them like avocados, so there was bound to be some disappointment when this showed up on the table.  They lived and they will eat it again, as I will be making it again.

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped, washed and patted dry

2 c. shredded chicken (I grilled mine sprinkled with garlic salt)

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 c. corn (would be awesome fresh, but I used frozen that I'd defrosted)

1 medium vine tomato, diced

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

4 green onions, sliced

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

2 avocados, diced

1 c. crushed tortilla chips (optional)

1/2 c. fat free mayonnaise

2/3 c. plain Greek yogurt (I've also used just plain non-Greek yogurt which made the dressing a little bit easier to stir)

1 Tbsp. ranch dressing powder

1 Tbsp. taco seasoning

Juice of one lime

1.  In a large bowl, toss all of the salad ingredients, minus the tortilla chips

2.  In a small bowl mix together the dressing ingredients.  Toss the salad with as much or as little of the dressing to your taste; top with tortilla chips.

Cheesy Southwest Chicken and Pasta Casserole

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it looked so good I just had to make it!  I was not at all disappointed.  Even my pickier eater said it was yummy and asked for a second helping.  It's almost like a southwest macaroni and cheese with chicken.  Will make again and again.
I used only 1 jalapeno and remove both the seeds and the ribs so that my non-heat-eaters wouldn't burn their mouths.  I didn't have any fresh corn so I used a bag of frozen which I defrosted and it turned out great.  I had chopped all of the peppers a few weeks before I made this and had put them in the freezer so they gave off quite a bit of water so I used the full 1/3 c. flour, it thickened perfectly.  I used one 14.5 oz. can of chicken broth and about 1/4 c. of water for the liquid.  I didn't have a casserole dish that I thought this would fit in to so I put it in a 9X13" baking dish, it was the perfect size, filled to the very top.  This recipe makes WAY more than 4 servings.  We've eaten it twice this week and still have some leftovers.  
Here is the link to the website where I found this recipe.  She has several recipes that look super tasty!  Love seeing other peoples food - it makes me happy...

1/2 lbs. whole grain pasta such as rotini
4 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 c. diced onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
3 ears corn, kernels removed
1/4 to 1/3 c. flour (depending on how much liquid the veggies give off)
2 c. chicken stock or milk
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
salt & pepper to taste
1/3 c. heavy cream
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 c. grated mozzarella cheese
2 c. chopped rotisserie chicken
1 1/2 c. crushed tortilla chips

1.  Boil pasta in a large pot of water, cooking for half of the total time directed on the package.  Drain and set aside.
2.  In a large skillet or saucepan, melt butter and saute onion, garlic, peppers, jalapenos, and corn until tender, about 7 minutes.   Sprinkle the flour over the veggies; stir.  Cook for about 2 minutes then add the chicken stock or milk.  Increase the heat to thicken the sauce, then sprinkle in the cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, cheese, cream, chicken and cooked pasta.  Stir to combine and melt cheeses.
3.  Pour into a large casserole dish that you have sprayed with cooking spray.  Top with crushed tortilla chips.  Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Yield: 4 servings

Chicken and Rice Bowl with Teriyaki Sauce

Don't let the long list of ingredients scare you off, it is quite simple to prepare and is very yummy.

Enjoy!

Rice:
2 c. brown rice
3 c. water
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk (about 1 1/2 c.)
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 can black beans rinsed and drained

Teriyaki Sauce*:
2/3 c. soy sauce
2/3 c. water
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sesame oil
4 cloves garlic
1 to 2 Tbsp. ginger, minced
2 tsp. garlic chili sauce
2 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp. water

Veggies:
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 carrots, peeled and grated
3 celery stalks, sliced
1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise then cut into 1/4" slices
1 1/2 c. broccoli florets

4 chicken breasts, grilled with salt and pepper to taste, then cubed

For Rice:
Bring water, coconut milk and sugar to a boil, add rice.  Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.  Stir in the beans; recover and continue to cook for an additional 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the teriyaki sauce.

For Sauce:
In  medium saucepan mix all the ingredients except for the cornstarch/water slurry.  Bring to a boil then add the cornstarch/water.  Continue to boil until thickened.  Remove from heat.

For Veggies:
In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add veggies and saute just until crisp-tender.

To serve: layer rice, veggies and chicken in a bowl.  Drizzle with teriyaki sauce.

*You could use a store bought teriyaki sauce and add an additional 1 tsp. soy sauce, the chili sauce, 1 tsp. ginger and thicken with cornstarch/water slurry.   

Thai Peanut Salad

Thank you to my friend Tiara for this wonderful recipe!
The recipe calls for red leaf lettuce, but I like it made with broccoli slaw (sometimes called rainbow slaw) that you can find premade in the produce section.  If you use the broccoli slaw, omit the cabbage and carrots. The peanut sauce is a little spicey so play with the porportions of the peanut sauce to vinaigrette to get the right heat/flavor you are looking for.

Salad:
Red leaf lettuce
Purple cabbage
Sliced carrots
Red bell pepper, sliced
Honey roasted peanuts
Shredded or sliced roasted chicken

Dressing:
1/3 c. Thai peanut sauce (found in the ethnic food section of the grocery store)
2/3 c. Red wine vinaigrette

Combine the dressing ingredients well and toss over the salad.

Yummy Lemonade Chicken

Super Yummy! Nice and lip-smackingly-tart. My father-in-law says it’s as good as PF Chang’s Lemon Chicken.

Mmmmm

This recipe was given to me by Jackie for our dinner exchange group.

1 1/2 c. lemonade concentrate
6 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 Tbsp. vinegar
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or ten chicken tenders
½ c. flour with lemon pepper to taste
¼ c. canola oil

1. Mix all sauce ingredients. Set aside.
2. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, cook in oil. Pour sauce over chicken, simmer until warm. Serve over cooked rice.

Stuffed Chicken Parmigana

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese
1 (10 oz) package chopped frozen spinach, thawed and pressed
1 clove garlic, minced
2 eggs, beaten
1 (8 oz) package shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (16 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
½ c. Italian style bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste. Slit open on the side for stuffing; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, garlic, eggs, and ¾ c. of the cheese. Mix well and stuff each breast with ¼ of the mixture; secure with toothpicks and dip in 1 beaten egg. Dredge in the Italian style bread crumbs.
3. Place on aluminum baking racks on top of cookie sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a lightly greased 9X13 inch baking dish, pour spaghetti sauce over chicken, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Return to oven for an additional 20 minutes of cooking or until the chicken is cooked through.

Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

Kind of a high-maintenance recipe, but worth the work, beats store bought roast chicken, any day!
This requires a roasting pan with a wire rack, or a large baking pan with a wire cooling rack that will fit comfortably in the pan.

1 whole chicken (4 to 7 lbs.)
Salt
2 to 3 Tbsp. melted butter
2 tsp. mined fresh rosemary or thyme of ¾ tsp. dried, crumbled
1 tsp. grated lemon zest (optional, but highly recommended)
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
½ tsp. salt
5 medium baking potatoes, cut into ¾ inch cubes
3 lbs. butternut squash, peeled and cut into ¾ inch cubes

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Remove the neck and giblets from, then rinse the chicken, pat dry.
2. Generously rub the body and neck cavities and sprinkle with salt. Set a v-rack or flat wire rack in a shallow roasting pan. Place chicken on the rack and brush with 2 to 3 Tbsp. melted butter.
3. Mix the rosemary or thyme, lemon zest, red pepper flakes and ½ tsp. salt. Gently separate the skin from the body of the chicken with the tips of your fingers and rub the meat with the herb mixture.
4. Position the chicken on its side, that is, with a leg facing up. If you are using a flat rack, you may need to prop the chicken up with balls of aluminum foil to keep from topping over. Roast for 25 minutes for the first 4 lbs, plus 3 minutes for each additional pound.
5. Remove the rack from the roasting pan and spread the potatoes and butternut squash over the bottom of the pan; return rack to pan, setting over the vegetables. Insert a wooden spoon or large metal spoon into the body cavity or grasp the chicken at both ends, with your hands protected with paper towels. Turn chicken over on its other side, again propping with foil balls if necessary. Roast again for 25 minutes for the first 4 lbs, plus 3 minutes for each additional pound.
6. Turn chicken, breast side up, stir the vegetables, and roast 15 to 30 minutes more. The chicken is done when the thickest part of the thigh exudes clear juices when pricked deeply with a fork and registers 170° to 175° on an instant read thermometer (if you prefer very well done chicken thermometer should read 180°). If vegetables are not tender when the chicken is done, remove the chicken from the roasting pan, cover with aluminum foil and set aside to rest before carving. Stir the vegetables, and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until tender.

Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

¡Caliente!

1 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ c. chopped onion
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 c. hot water
½ to 1 tsp. ground cumin
2 c. half and half cream
2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 can (16 oz.) cream style corn
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies, undrained
¼ to 1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 medium tomato, chopped
Fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped


1. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces.
2. In Dutch oven, brown chicken, onion and garlic in butter until chicken is no longer pink.
3. Dissolve bouillon in hot water. Add to pan along with cumin; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add cream, cheese, corn, chilies and hot pepper sauce. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Stir in tomato. Serve immediately; garnish with cilantro if desired.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Jerk Chicken Nachos

6 cups tortilla chips
3 c. diced or shredded cooked chicken
2 c. (8 oz) shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend
2 Tbsp. Jamaican jerk rub, divided
1 small yellow or red bell pepper or combination of the two
1 lime
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro
¼ tsp. sour cream and 1 tsp. additional Jamaican Jerk rub (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Arrange tortilla chips in a slightly overlapping layer on baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, cheese and 1 Tbsp. of the rub; mix gently. Sprinkle chicken mixture evenly over tortilla chips. Bake 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted; remove from oven.
3. Meanwhile, dice bell pepper. Cut and juice lime into a small mixing bowl; add bell pepper and remaining rub and mix well.
4. Spoon bell pepper mixture over nachos; sprinkle evenly with cilantro. If desired, combine sour cream and additional rub in resealable plastic bag; trim corner to allow sour cream to flow through. Pipe sour cream mixture over nachos. Garnish with lime slices, if desired.

Yield: 12 servings

Harvest Chicken Salad

Dressing:
2 oranges
½ c. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. stone-ground mustard
¼ tsp. each salt and pepper
2 tsp. sugar
1 small garlic clove, pressed

Salad:

1 pkg (6 oz) fresh baby spinach leaves
2 c. diced roasted chicken
1 c. diced celery
2 medium red delicious apples
½ c. chopped red onion
¾ c. sweetened dried cranberries
½ c. toasted pecan halves (optional)
Orange segments and Whole Grain Croutons (recipe follows)

1. For dressing, zest orange to measure 2 tsp. zest, juice oranges to measure ½ c. juice. Combine orange zest, mayonnaise, mustards, sugar, salt, pepper and garlic, whisk until smooth. While continuously whisking, add orange juice in a thin steady stream; set dressing aside.
2. For salad, place spinach in bottom of large serving bowl. Cut apples into small wedges. Layer chicken, celery, apples, onion, cranberries and pecans, if desired, over spinach. To serve, drizzle dressing over salad and toss to coat. Top with orange segments and Whole Grain Croutons, if desired. Serve immediately

Yield: 12 servings

Whole Grain Croutons

4 slices whole grain sandwich bread
2 Tbsp. (1/2 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cut crusts off bread, discard crusts; cut bread into ½ inch cubes. Toss bread cubes with butter to coat; add cheese and toss until well combined. Spread bread cubes in an even layer over baking sheet. Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Crunchy Garlic Chicken

I’ve found that by placing a metal cooling rack over my baking sheet, then putting the chicken on the baking rack helps the chicken get crispy all the way around, instead of being crispy on top and soggy on the bottom, just be sure the spray the cooling rack with non-stick spray.

This recipe was given to me by Karmen through a recipe swap at church.

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
2 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. chopped chives
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
2 c. crushed corn flakes cereal
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley (chopped)
½ tsp. paprika
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

1. Heat oven to 425°. Spray a baking sheet (or use metal rack as suggested above), set aside.
2. Mix 2 Tbsp. butter, milk, chives, salt and garlic powder. In a separate container, mix crushed cereal, parsley, and paprika.
3. Dip chicken into milk mixture, then coat lightly and evenly with cereal mixture. Place on pan. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp. butter. Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

Yield: 6 servings

Chicken-Sausage Gumbo

This makes a lot of gumbo. It’s not at all spicy, you could bump up the heat if you wanted by sprinkling in some red pepper flakes. Replacing the chicken with cooked shrimp would be a good change if you like seafood.

½ lbs. smoked sausage, cut into ½ inch thick slices
1 to 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
5 Tbsp. flour
1 c. coarsely chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
2 c. chicken broth
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 to 2 tsp. Creole seasoning
4 c. chopped cooked chicken
Hot cooked rice

1. Cook sausage over high heat in large pot, five minutes, stirring often. Remove sausage with slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels.
2. Add enough oil to dripping to pot to equal 3 Tbsp, and whisk in flour; cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, 5 minutes.
3. Add onion and next 3 ingredients; cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in brother, tomatoes, and seasoning. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add sausage and chicken; simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.
5. Serve over rice.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Chicken Potpies

Pastry for double-crust pie
1 10-ounce package frozen peas and carrots
½ c. chopped onion (1 medium)
½ c. chopped fresh mushrooms
¼ c. margarine or butter
1/3 c. flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. dried sage, marjoram, or thyme, crushed
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 c. chicken broth
¼ c. milk
3 c. cubed cooked chicken or turkey
¼ c. fresh snipped parsley
¼ c. diced pimiento

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Prepare pastry for double-crust pie; set aside. Cook peas and carrots according to package directions; drain.
2. In a saucepan cook onion and mushrooms in margarine or butter till tender. Stir in flour, salt, sage, marjoram or thyme, and pepper. Add chicken broth and milk all at once. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Stir in drained peas and carrots, chicken or turkey, parsley and pimiento; cook till bubbly.
3. Pour mixture into six 10 ounce casseroles. (Or, use a 2-quart rectangular baking dish.)
4. Roll pastry into a 15X10 inch rectangle. Cut into six 5 inch circle and place atop to 10 ounce casseroles. (Or, roll pastry into a 13X9 inch rectangle. Place over the rectangular baking dish.) Flute edges of pastry and cut slits in the top for steam to escape. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or till pastry is golden brown.
Yield: 6 servings

Chicken Noodle Soup

Your basic chicken noodle soup recipe, it’s dependable, and delicious.

5 (14 ½ ounce) cans ready-serve chicken broth
2 c. water
1 small onion, cut into small wedges
1 c. sliced carrots
1 c. sliced celery (including leaves)
2 Tbsp. chicken bouillon
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
¼ tsp. pepper
½ (1 lbs.) package egg noodles, uncooked
2 c. chopped cooked chicken

1. In Dutch oven, combine broth, water, onion, carrots, celery, bouillon, parsley, basil and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes.
2. Prepare noodles according to package directions; drain.
3. Add egg noodles and chicken to soup; heat through. Garnish as desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: 4 servings

Chicken Chimichangas with Green Sauce

This was given to me by Deirdre for our dinner exchange group.

2 (10.5 oz) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
2 (4 oz) cans diced green chilies
5 pitted green olives
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese
1 (8 oz) pkg. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
½ (1 oz) pkg. taco seasoning
1 lbs. shredded cooked chicken meat
8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
½ c. vegetable oil
1 (8 oz) pkg. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 c. chopped green onion
1 (8 oz) container sour cream


1. Pour the cream of chicken soup into a blender along with the green chilies, olive, jalapeno and lime juice. Puree until smooth, then pour into a saucepan, and warm over medium-low heat while proceeding with the recipe.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and taco seasoning until well blended. Fold in chicken. Evenly divide mixture among the 8 tortillas. Fold each tortilla into a rectangular packet around the filling.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry 4 chimichangas at a time until golden brown, then drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
4. To serve, place chimichangas on a plate and ladle the warm sauce overtop. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and green onions. Finish with a dollop of sour cream

Yield: 8 servings

Chicken Almond Stir-Fry

2 Tbsp. sesame oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 (2.25 oz.) pkg. sliced almonds
1 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen broccoli, carrots and water chestnuts
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
½ tsp. ground ginger
1/3 c. soy sauce
½ c. pineapple juice
Hot cooked rice

1. Pour oil around top inner rim of preheated wok, coating sides or in a large non stick skillet. Heat briefly at med-high heat. Add chicken and almonds; cook 2 minutes; stirring constantly. Add veggies; cover and cook 4 minutes, stirring once.
2. Combine cornstarch and next 4 ingredients; add to wok. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened. Serve over rice.

Yield: 4 servings

Cajun Chicken Pasta

This picture doesn't do this dish justice. It is just the right amount of spice. Couldn't be easier!

I served this with Soft Italian Breadsticks

4 ounces linguine
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced into thin strips
2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
½ c. butter + 2 Tbsp. butter, divided
1 pint heavy cream
2 Tbsp. cream cheese
½- ¾ c. parmesan cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 green bell pepper, chopped
½ red bell pepper, chopped
4 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 green onion, minced
¼ tsp. dried basil
¼ tsp. lemon pepper
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese

1. Melt the ½ c. butter and cream cheese over medium heat in a skillet. Stir in the cream and garlic powder, bring to a light simmer; stir in the parmesan cheese until melted. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguini pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. Place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl and toss to coat. In a large skillet, over medium heat, sauté chicken in remaining butter until no longer pink and juices run clear, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add green and red bell peppers, sliced mushrooms and green onions; cook for 2 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat; add the cream mixture, season with lemon pepper, salt and pepper to taste.
4. In a large bowl, toss linguini with sauce. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.