RECIPES

These are some of my favorite, go to, recipes....


Chicken Chili/Soup

1 lb chicken breast (organic of course :) - small cubes or ground

1-2 green peppers - clean and cubed

1  scallion

1 small onion - minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 cubenlla (sp?) pepper - small cubes (light green, relatively skinny, long pepper)

1-2 jalapeño peppers - cored, seeds removed and minced

2 cans of white beans (cannelloni (again sp?) or navy or whatever your guys like)

8-16 ozs of chicken broth - whatever one you like, I use the bouillon

2-3 tbl spoons or so of olive oil

oil in a big stew pot

sauté all peppers, onions until light brown/translucent

and chicken and sauté until 95% cooked

add 2 cans of beans - 1 drained and 1 not

add broth

low simmer for a few hours......

for flavor and fun you could do...

tequila with the sauté of the chicken --- I'm not the biggest fan, but some love the flavor

lime juice (which I love, but michael hates) on the chicken as it is sautéing

obviously more or less spicy peppers....

and then when it's done....top as desired with....

olives

peppers

cheese

sour cream

on top of nachos

onion

Tortilla Soup 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion – chopped

2 garlic cloves – minced (can use from jar)

¼ cup chopped cilantro

½ tsp cumin

2 jalapeno peppers – finely diced (can use from jar)

2 scallions – chopped (green & white parts) OPTIONAL

5 cups chicken broth (I like Kitchen Basics)

2 cups diced chicken or turkey (pre cooked – get rotisserie from store)

1 cup frozen corn - at least

At least 2 cans kidney beans – 1 light and 1 dark

2 Roma tomatoes

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Tortilla chips

Sour cream

Heat olive oil in large stockpot over medium heat.

Add onion, garlic, cumin, cilantro, jalapeno & scallions.

Cook for 2-3 minutes

Add chicken broth and bring to a boil

Simmer covered for 20 mins

Add beans, diced chicken, tomatoes & corn

Serve in bowls and garnish with more tomatoes, cheese, tortilla chips & sour cream

Pecan Breaded Chicken Breasts (can use Panko instead of pecans) 

1 stick butter

3 Tblsp Dijon Mustard

6 oz finely chopped pecans (or bread crumbs)

8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves (pounded to be thin)

2 Tblsp vegetable oil

2/3 cup sour cream

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground pepper

In a small saucepan, melt 6 tblsp of the butter. 

Whisk in 2 tablespoons of the mustard until blended

Scrape mixture into a shallow dish

Place pecans in another shallow dish

Dip chicken first in butter mixture then in pecans to coat

In a large frying pan, heat remaining butter in oil over med heat

Add chicken and cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and NOT pink in middle

Remove to a serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm

Discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan and reduce the heat to low. 

Add the sour cream

Whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon mustard, salt, & pepper

Blend well

Cook just until heated through – do NOT boil.

Serve over chicken

Ravioli with Spinach and Bacon

20 minutes, serves 4

1 package (1lb) fresh or frozen ravioli

6 slices of bacon

2 TBLsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 bag fresh spinach

½ TBLsp lemon juice

Salt & pepper

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium high heat until crisp, 6-8 mins.  Transfer to a paper towel.  Crumble.

Meanwhile, cook the Ravioli according to the package directions. Drain and divide into bowls

Wipe out the skillet and heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 1-2 mins. 

Add the spinach, salt, pepper.

Cook, tossing, until just wilted, 1-2 mins.

Stir the bacon & lemon juice into the spinach. 

Spoon mixture over the ravioli.

Serve warm.

Penne w/ Chopped Tomatoes & Basil

Serves 4

3 large or 4 medium very ripe tomatoes

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic – peeled & smashed

1 tsp salt

About 8 oz. fresh mozzarella

About 1 cup fresh basil

1 lb penne pasta

½ to 1 cup fresh grated Parmigianino cheese

Peel and coarsely chop the tomatoes

Place tomatoes in a bowl and drizzle with oil, sprinkle with garlic, salt, and toss gently.

Set aside at room temp for about 1 hr.

Rinse the basil and coarsely chop.

Cut the mozzarella into ¼ in dice

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 

Cook the pasta until aldente.

Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

Remove and discard the garlic from the tomato mixture.

Add the tomato mixture and basil to the pasta. Place over low heat and cook until the pasta has absorbed some of the juices from the sauce, about 2 mins.

Add the Parmigiano cheese and mix well.

Remove the pasta from heat and add the mozzarella and toss and gently.

Serve immediately.

Chicken with Rosemary

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 large cloves garlic, cut into slivers

3 3 in. sprigs of Rosemary, plus ½ tsp minced leaves for garnish

4 boned, skinned chicken breast halves

¼ lb minced shallots

1/3 cup dry Vermouth

3 Tablespoons canned chicken broth or bouillon

1 tsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

¼ cup heavy (whipping) cream

Salt to taste

Combine 2 Tblespoons of the oil with the garlic and rosemary sprigs (cut into 1 in pieces).

Rub the mixture over the chicken so all of it is evenly coated.

Place in a bowl or dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 mins.

Heat remaining 1 Tablespoon oil in a skillet over med.-high heat.

Add shallots and minced rosemary leaves.

Cook, stirring, until golden (about 2 min)

Lift out and set aside.

Raise heat to high, add chicken breasts and brown lightly on both sides (2 mins per side).

Remove to a place.

Add Vermouth, scraping up any brown bits in the pan, and boil until wine reduces to a thickish glaze.  (2-3 mins).

Return shallots and rosemary to the skillet.

Stir in broth, mustard and pepper.

Boil, stirring for 2-3 mins. Until reduced by 2 thirds. 

Add cream

Boil to reduce again by half.  (2 mins).

Taste and add salt to taste. 

Return chicken to pan along with all the juices.

Cook over medium-low heat until warmed, spooning sauce steadily over the top. (2 mins)

Serve with rice or small pasta. 

Chicken Dip

3-4 boneless chicken breasts – cooked and shredded

8 oz. cream cheese

½ cup Frank’s Hot Sauce

1 jar Marie’s Blue Cheese Dressing

Mix together

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until bubbly and slightly brown.

Serve warm to room temp with tortilla chips

 Cheesy Bread

½ baguette, cut into 2 inch slices

½ small yellow onion, thinly sliced

1/8 lb thinly sliced, cooked ham

¾ cup white wine

½ tsp black pepper

1 ½ cups grated Gruyere Cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees F

Place the bread in a buttered, ovenproof skillet or a 9 in sq. baking dish

Scatter the onion and ham over the bread

Pour the wine over the mixture

Sprinkle with the pepper and Cheese

Bake until the cheese has melted and begun to brown, about 20 mins.

Vegetable Salad Bars

1 can crescent rolls

1 pkg. (8oz) cream cheese

1 pkg. DRY ranch dressing

2 rounded tsp sour cream

2 rounded tsp mayo

½ small head cauliflower

½ sm bunch broccoli

2 sm carrots

Shredded Cheddar, Swiss or Monterey cheese

Shred the veggies in a food processor

Unroll the crescent rolls and lay out on the jelly roll pan  – pinch together the seams

Bake as suggested

Let cool

Mix together cream cheese, dressing, sour cream and may – you can let this sit overnight. 

Cover roll with cream cheese mixture

Pat on shredded vegetables

Sprinkle with cheese

Press firmly

Cover w/ Saran Wrap and refrigerate

Cut into bars and serve.

Will keep for several days.