Baked Chicken Breasts

Jennifer S.

8 - 10 boned chicken breasts
1 clove garlic
2 cans of cream of celery soup (or cream of mushroom)
1 pound of fresh mushrooms, sliced

Place the chicken breasts in pan, cut side down. Squeeze juice from garlic into soup and pour over chicken. Add the sliced mushrooms and bake at 350ºF. for 45 minutes. Serve over rice or whole wheat pasta.

Herb Chicken

Elizabeth F.

¼ cup chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped oregano
1 Tbsp. finely shredded lemon peel*
1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)
3 Tbsp. butter
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
¼ cup chicken broth*

1. In small bowl stir together parsley, oregano, lemon peel, and garlic. Set aside. Rub chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper.

2. In 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat cook chicken in butter for 6 minutes or until browned, turning once. Transfer to plate. Remove skillet from heat; stir in half herb mixture. Return to heat. Add broth; bring to boiling, stirring to scrape up browned bits. Return chicken to skillet; reduce heat. Simmer covered, 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and cooked all the way through.

3. Serve with pan sauce if desired; sprinkle with remaining herb mixture. Serve with rice and steamed veggies of choice. Makes 4 servings

*Alternatives
Marinated chicken with lemon, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper first. Also add another quarter cup of chicken broth to thicken and create more sauce. If needed substitute lemon juice for lemon peel, just double number of tbsp.

Rigatoni with Sausage and Tomato Cream Sauce

Jennifer S.

Use water, or chicken broth or apple juice in the place of the white wine.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds mild or hot Italian sausages, casings removed
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (from a 15-ounce can)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup light cream
1 pound rigatoni
Grated parmesan cheese, for serving

In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a fork, until it is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the pan. Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat.
Reduce the heat to moderately low. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it almost evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sausage, tomatoes, and salt. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the pepper, parsley, and cream.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rigatoni until just done, about 14 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Serve with grated Parmesan.

No Boil Lasagne

Jennifer S.

No need to boil the noodles for this lasagne, just assemble the night before and put in fridge until baking time. You can use boxed lasagne noodles or use the no-boil lasagne noodles.

Sauce:
1 lb ground beef (Browned with onion and garlic), drained
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic
2 lg cans of tomatoes
2 cans tomato paste
1 TBS dry parsley
1 tsp dry basil
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp salt
1 TBS sugar

Mix all ingredients & simmer for 20-30 mins. Use two of your favorite jars of pasta sauce in place of the tomatoes and tomato paste.

Filling:
2 - 16oz containers of cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp fresh parley or 1 tbsp dry parsley
1/2 c grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 lb grated Mozzarella cheese
extra cheese for top of lasagne

Mix all ingredients together well.

To Assemble:
Layer (in this order): Sauce on bottom of pan then, Noodles, Cheese mixture, Noodles, Sauce.
LAYER TWICE.
Top with extra mozzarella cheese.
Spray with cooking spray and cover with foil. Place in fridge over night.
Bake for 45 minutes at 400 F. Can uncover last 15 mins of cooking time.
May need 15-20 extra cook time from being in fridge.
Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Taco Chicken

Summer S.

1 lb. chicken breasts or thighs (I can tell you right now that I'm a breast girl and Matt prefers thighs.)
A couple of juicy limes (thin skinned are juicer)
A splash of red wine vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or coarsely chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Juice the limes and combine with a couple splashes of red wine vinegar. Add garlic. Pour over chicken. This will not completely cover the chicken; just turn it occasionally as needed. Marinate for at least 4 hours, no longer than 8.

Heat an outdoor grill (you can also use a grill pan inside. Or your broiler in your oven.) Combine salt, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper in a small bowl. Remove chicken from marinade and rub the spices all over the chicken.

Grill about 7 minutes per side.

Remove from heat and allow to stand a few minutes so it doesn't lose its juiciness. You can either eat the chicken as it is, maybe with Mexican rice and beans, or use slice it up and use it as you would taco meat.

Mexican Egg Rolls

Jennifer S.

photo credit simplecomfortfood.com

2 cups grilled boneless skinless chicken breasts (I marinade mine in 1 T oil, 2 cloves garlic, 1 t cumin, and the juice of one lime)
2 cups Monterrey jack cheese or 2 cups Mexican blend cheese, shredded
1 (15 ounce) can drained black beans
2 cups frozen sweet corn (unthawed and drained of liquid)
1/2 chopped sweet red pepper
4 -5 diced green onions
2 minced fresh garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin (can put 1/2 t more if desired)
1 (16 ounce) package egg roll wraps
oil (for frying)

Chop the chicken into small dices.
Mix all ingredients, except egg roll wrappers and oil, together.
Moisten the edges of an egg roll wrap and put approx 2 tablespoons of filling in the middle.
Fold like you would an egg roll (directions and picture are usually on the egg roll wrapper container).
Make sure the flap is sealed to keep the filling inside.
Heat oil to 350°F and cook just until golden browned (approximately 3-5 minutes). Cut diagonally and serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

Quick and Easy Black Beans

Summer S.

2 Cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 T olive oil
2/3 C diced onion
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
2/3 C chicken broth (or water, I use broth for extra flavor)
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t coriander
1/4 t oregano
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 lime

In a saucepan on the stove, heat the olive oil to med-high heat. Saute onions for about 3 minutes or until they just start to become translucent. Add garlic and saute abut 30 seconds more. Add beans, broth, and remaining seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When they are done cooking, remove from heat and add in a few squeezes of fresh lime juice. Then use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula so smoosh (yes, that’s a technical culinary term) some of the beans. You don’t want to pulverize them, but you want to take a bunch of good smooshes so that some of the beans are smashed, which will thicken the sauce. I like mine on the thicker side so I smoosh quite a bit. They will thicken more upon standing.

If you want a more soupy consistency, just add a little more broth.

Serve as a side dish, or on top or rice, in fajitas or tacos, or on top of chicken or steak

Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing

Summer S.

1 pack (1oz) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix (regular or buttermilk, and ignore directions on the packet)
1 C mayo
1/2 C milk (or buttermilk depending on which packet you buy)
1 lime
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 C green salsa*
hot sauce

Place milk, mayo, and ranch mix in a blender. Juice the lime in there too, you should get about 2T juice. Toss in the garlic, cilantro and green salsa. Blend 'er up. Sample it and add hot sauce to taste. Make it several hours ahead of time to allow it to thicken.

*A note about green salsa:
There are several brands of green salsa available in most supermarkets and they have various degrees of heat. One of the most commonly seen brands is Hernandez. Hernandez brand is a lot spicier than any of the others I've tried. Even their medium green salsa is way too spicy for my liking. I like to buy La Costena because their medium is actually really mild. That way I get all of the flavor of the tomatillos but I control the level of heat with the hot sauce. If you're not used to buying green salsa, make sure to sample it first before you put it in the dressing so you know what you're getting into!

Matt’s Chili Verde

Matt S. (Submitted by his wife Summer S.)
8 Servings

3 Pounds boneless pork loin or chicken thighs, medium dice
1/3 Cup corn oil
3 Tablespoons flour
3 Cups hot chicken stock
4 Large cloves garlic, peeled
2-5 Jalapeno chilies (deseeded, deribbed)
1 ½ - 2 Pounds Anaheim and/or Poblano chilies, roasted, peeled, seeded (canned work well too)
1 onion (rough chop)
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Teaspoon oregano
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro, diced onion and diced tomato for garnish (cheese & sour cream*)

Season and then brown chicken cubes in 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Depending on skillet size, this may require two or three batches.

Remove cubes with slotted spoon to a bowl large enough to accommodate all of the chicken cubes. Deglaze the pan with ¼ cup water, scraping up browned bits, and then pour the liquid over the reserved chicken cubes. Set chicken aside.

Heat the balance of the oil in same skillet set over medium-low heat and slowly whisk in the flour to make a roux. Simmer four minutes then begin whisking in the hot stock in 3 parts, whisking the sauce smooth each time, until all of the stock has been incorporated.

Meanwhile, in a food processor fitted with the steel blade, drop the garlic then the jalapenos and onion down the feed tube until finely minced. Then add the Anaheim chilies and puree. Add the chili puree mixture to the flour gravy and whisk together. Add the cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper.

Adjust all seasonings to taste. Add the meat to the mixture along with the deglazing liquid and simmer slowly for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to see nothing sticks or burns on the bottom.

Serve with hot, fresh flour tortillas and garnish with cilantro, onion and chopped tomatoes (*and I’m a gringo so I like sour cream and cheese with mine).

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Summer S.

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese (I do fat free and you can't tell)
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepper-jack cheese* or if you like it less spicy
1 C grated Monterrey jack cheese
12- 14 small corn or flour "soft taco" sized tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Dip 'em in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or cilantro/lime dressing (recipe to follow)

Slow Cooker Chicken Burritos

Jennifer S.

1 clove garlic, minced
1 small red onion, chopped
14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, with chiles
15 oz canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pound skinless chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup canned chicken broth
12 medium tortillas, about 7-inches in diameter each
3/4 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese
salsa
sour cream

Place garlic, onion, tomatoes, beans, chili powder, salt, oregano and pepper in a 3-quart slow cooker; stir well. Add chicken and broth. Cover and cook on low setting for 5 hours; drain off liquid (there should be about 6 cups of burrito mixture).

To serve, spoon about 1/2 cup of burrito mixture down center of each tortilla; top with 1 tablespoon of cheese. Fold bottom 1/3 of tortilla to center. Fold left side to center; fold right side to center, covering filling. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Baja Bonanza Cilantro Chicken

Summer S.

2 pounds frozen chicken breasts
2 14-ounce cans chicken broth
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 handful chopped, fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons seasoned salt

Place the frozen chicken and chicken broth in the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker. Squeeze lime juice over the chicken. Discard all but 2 of the wedges; place those in with the chicken. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Simmer for approximately 8 hours on low heat. When the chicken is done, take 2 forks and shred the chicken. Keep in the slow cooker and serve in natural juices over rice or as part of another dish. Freeze leftover chicken to use in burritos, tacos, enchiladas, or to make a great chicken sandwich. Serves 6 to 8.

Fajita Pot Roast

Jennifer S.

3-5 lb beef or pork roast
1 med white onion thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 envelope taco seasoning
1/2 cup salsa
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup bell peppers and onions mix (frozen food section)

Place onions and garlic in crock pot, add roast.
Sprinkle with taco seasoning, salt and pepper. Cover with salsa.
Put lid on and cook on low for 8 hours or high 4 hours
Remove meat and shred. Put crock pot on high (If you cooked meat on low) Add peppers and onions mix to juice in crock pot.
Add meat back to crock pot after 20-30 mins and peppers and onions have heated through. Stir well.
Serve in warm tortillas with cheese, sour cream, salsa and avacado slices.

Red Mexican Rice

Jennifer S.

2 cups of your favorite white rice
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
3 cups and 1/2 chicken broth
1 Fresh Red Tomato
1 or 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
1/2 cup cooked carrots.
Small bunch fresh cilantro; more if you like
1 Serrano chile (for spicy) or 1/2 bell pepper (for non-spicy)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt

1. Dice the tomato and the onion, prepare your chicken broth; boil and dice your carrots
2. Using a food processor, blend together the chicken broth, the onion, garlic, tomato paste, oil and tomato dice until evenly liquefied.
3. Pour the tomato liquid in your favorite rice cooking pot; add to this the uncooked rice
4. Add chili and cilantro to the rice. Bring this to a boil, uncovered over high heat setting,
5. Cover the pot and cook the rice over low heat for 25 minutes or until done. Do not open the pot until done!
6. If it looks like the liquid is all gone from the pot before the end, add 1/2 cup broth more.
7. Once the rice is cooked, mix in the diced carrots; serve with some cilantro leaves over the rice as garnish.

Chicken, Shrimp and Egg Fried Rice

Jennifer S.

4 shallots or 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried shrimp paste
2 fresh small red chili peppers, seeded
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon Indonesian sweet dark soy sauce (ketjap manis)
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
3-4 tablespoons peanut oil or corn oil
5 cups COLD, cooked white rice
1 1/2 cups shredded green cabbage
3/4 cup green peas, blanched for 1 minute and drained
1/4 lb medium-sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup diced, cooked chicken
4 green onions, sliced
4 eggs

In a mortar or mini food processor, combine the shallots or onion, garlic, shrimp paste, chilies and turmeric and mash with a pestle or grind to a paste; set aside. In a bowl, mix together the catsup and dark and light soy sauces; set aside.
Place a wok over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add 2 tablespoons of the oil. When the oil is hot, add the spice paste and fry, stirring continuously, for 2 minutes.
Raise the heat to high. Crumble the cold rice between your palms into the wok. Using a wok spatula, toss and gently flatten any clumps of rice until the grains are separated. Add the catsup mixture and stir-fry until all the rice grains are evenly coated. Add the cabbage, peas, shrimp and chicken; stir and toss until the shrimp turns pink, 2-3 minutes. Divide the rice among 4 individual plates and garnish with the green onions. Cover loosely to keep warm.
Reheat the wok over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add 1/2 tablespoon of the oil. When the oil is hot and almost smoking, crack 1 egg directly into the oil. Fry until the edges are blistered and crisp and the whites are almost set, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spatula, turn the egg over and fry for a few seconds longer to brown. Transfer the fried egg to the top of 1 plate of rice. Repeat with the remaining oil and eggs. Serve hot.

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Christina S.

3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp, reduced sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp water
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
Several drops Sriracha (hot chili sauce)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 skinless boneless chicken breast, each cut into 6 lengthwise strips

Soak 12 wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. Line rack of broiler pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray.

To make peanut sauce, whisk together peanut butter, sugar, and garlic in small bowl until smooth. Add soy sauce, water, vinegar, and Sriracha, whisking until blended. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle with cilantro.

Preheat broiler.

Thread chicken onto skewers and spray with nonstick spray. Arrange skewers on rack of broiler pan and broil 5 inches from heat until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. (Or grill chicken until no longer pink in the center.) Serve with peanut sauce.

Yields 12 skewers

Best Asian Grilled Pork Chops

Summer S.

Serves 6

Ingredients
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. vegetable oil
3 T lemon pepper seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 pork loin chops (can also be done with boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

Directions
In a deep bowl mix all marinade ingredients
Marinate for at least 2 hours
Remove from marinade and cook over medium-high heat on greased grill.
Thick chops (3/4”) 6- 7 mins per side
Thinner chops 5- 6 mins per side

Fried Rice

Summer S.

Serves 6

Ingredients
1 T vegetable oil
½ frozen peas
1 large rib of celery, diced
1 large carrot (12 baby) coarsely shredded
I can sliced water chestnuts
1 t minced garlic
2 t grated fresh ginger
¼ t crushed red pepper flakes
1 egg

2 ½ c cold cooked rice
3 T soy sauce
1 T rice vinegar
1 t sugar
1/3 c green onions, sliced

Directions
1. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat; swirl in the oil and add peas, celery, carrots, water chestnuts, garlic, ginger and red pepper. Stir-fry 2 minutes; make a well in the center and crack egg into pan. Scramble into the veggies (2 more minutes). Add rice, stirring well to remove any clumps, and stir-fry until hot, 3- 4 minutes.
3. Sprinkle sauce over the rice, along with the green onions, and stir-fry just to heat through, 2 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Asian BBQ Chicken

Summer S.

1/4 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C soy sauce
2 T lime juice (about 1 lime) *microwave for 20 secs for better yield
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t curry powder
2 T garlic, minced
1 t grated fresh ginger
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Combine everything but the chicken in a small bowl. Whisk to dissolve brown sugar. Reserve a couple of spoonfuls of the marinade in a small bowl. Place the rest, with the chicken, in a zip-lock bag. (If your chicken pieces are extra large and you feel like you need a little more marinade, you can always add a bit of water to stretch it.) Pop that bag in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, but overnight is best.

Preheat a grill (or an indoor grill pan or broiler). Spray cooking surface with cooking spray and place chicken on to cook. Cook for 5-10 minutes on each side depending on the thickness.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Summer S.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 lb (3 or 4 depending on size) boneless chicken breast, cubed
2 T vegetable oil
½ c green bell pepper, cubed
½ c red bell pepper, cubed
1 T garlic, minced
2 T cornstarch
¼ c soy sauce
1 (8 oz) can pineapple chunks, juice reserved
2 T brown sugar
1 t ground ginger (or 2 t fresh)

Directions
1. Brown chicken in oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add green bell peppers, red bell peppers, and garlic; stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and soy sauce- mix together, add vinegar, sugar and ginger; pour mixture into the skillet, along with the pineapple and liquid. Stir together and bring up to high heat for 2 minutes.
3. Serve over rice.