Garlicky Chicken Pasta with Vegetables and Lemon-Parmesan Breadcrumbs

Sorry for the long title, but I wanted people to know what was in the dish. This one is savory and comforting and sprightly at the same time with fresh lemon zest and fresh parsley. My favorite part is when the lemon zest, parsley and breadcrumbs meet the hot pasta-it just smells so good! There are so many different ways you could go with this. Want it creamy? Toss in a few ounces of cream cheese and grated parm to the sauce. Want it vegetarian? Leave out the chicken and sub veggie broth for chicken broth.

Ingredients:

Chicken:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1.25 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs (about 5 thighs)

Pepper and garlic salt to taste

Pasta:

12 ounces long pasta (spaghetti, linguine, fettucine, whatever)

Sauce:

¼ cup dry white wine

1 Tablespoon butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup baby spinach leaves

5 asparagus spears, chopped

1 cup sliced mushrooms

Breadcrumbs:

2 Tablespoons butter

½ cup seasoned dry breadcrumbs

½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 to 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

¼ cup grated parmesan

Directions:

Chicken: Heat oil on medium heat in a deep skillet. Open up the chicken thighs and sprinkle with pepper and garlic salt. Cook on medium about 5 minutes per side—you don’t want to crowd the pan, so you might want to do two batches. Check to make sure that the thighs are cooked through. Remove to a plate.

Sauce: Reduce the heat on the skillet used for the chicken to medium low. Add white wine and stir to scrape up any bits. Add 1 Tablespoon butter and minced garlic. Cook for just a minute until the garlic is fragrant but not burnt. Add in the chicken broth, spinach, asparagus and mushrooms. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let cook for about 10 minutes.

Pasta: Prepare pasta according to directions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water and then drain. Add the pasta to the sauce and cook for about 8 minutes until well combined. Add reserved pasta water if the pasta looks dry.

Breadcrumbs: In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave (usually about 2-3 minutes on 50% power-check at 2 minutes and add another minute if needed). You may want to cover the bowl with waxed paper to prevent splatters. Stir the breadcrumbs into the melted butter and then add the parmesan, parsley and lemon zest.

Assembly: Place the pasta on plates and then slice the chicken. Place slices of chicken over the pasta and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

30 Minute Lemon Chicken

This has been one of my favorite things to make lately—there is just so much flavor! The chicken is juicy and the lemon makes it pop.  PS-I eat the lemon slices with the chicken, but you don’t have to. Quick and easy recipe=quick and easy intro.

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, opened up if rolled

Salt and pepper to taste

½ teaspoon Aleppo or red pepper flakes (optional)

2 teaspoons canola oil

1/3 cup chicken broth

1 small lemon, thinly sliced and seeded

Directions: Season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper and pepper flakes, if using.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the oil.

Place the chicken in the skillet and cook for 7 minutes or until golden on one side.

Turn the chicken, add the broth and lemon. Cook for another 7 minutes.

Turn the chicken again. Cook for another 9 minutes.

Turn the chicken one more time and cook for another 6 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F.

Easy Chicken Noodle Casserole

Whether it is baked ziti, shepherd’s pie, lasagna or even homemade mac and cheese, casseroles are one of the most comforting foods around. This chicken noodle casserole is easy, feeds a crowd and tastes amazing. Note: I just put a really large skinless, boneless chicken breast and two skinless, boneless chicken thighs in a pot with a box of chicken stock and poached them for 20 minutes, which gave me both the chicken and the stock, but a store bought rotisserie chicken and boxed broth will cut down on prep time.

Ingredients:

1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup

1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup (or can sub another can of cream of chicken)

½ cup sour cream

1 cup milk

1 cup chicken stock

1 heaping teaspoon poultry seasoning

Freshly cracked black pepper, optional

1 (10 ounce) package of frozen mixed vegetables (you don’t even need to thaw)

6 ounces dry, wide egg noodles, cooked according to package directions and drained

3 cups cooked, diced chicken

¼ cup butter, melted

1 sleeve of round, buttery crackers (about 28 crackers), crushed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2 ½ or 3 quart baking dish (a 13 by 9 inch pan will work just fine) with cooking spray, place it on a cookie sheet (to prevent spill over) and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the soups, sour cream, milk, chicken stock and poultry seasoning (as well as black pepper, if using). Stir in the mixed vegetables, cooked and drained egg noodles and diced chicken. Pour this mixture into your prepared baking dish.

Combine the melted butter and crushed crackers and spread over the top of the casserole.

Bake on the middle oven rack for 35 minutes or until the top is golden and the sides are bubbling.

Chicken Breakfast Sausage

In the mood to change up your breakfast routine? Give this savory chicken sausage a shot. Using ground chicken breast helps the flavors of whatever seasoning you are using to shine, however the lack of fat can make the sausage dry. Fat free half and half keeps everything moist and makes sure that the seasoning is well distributed. Use this seasoning blend as a start and fry off a little patty to taste. Then, adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Ingredients (makes about a dozen):

1 pound ground chicken breast meat (or ground turkey breast)

2 Tablespoons fat free half and half

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons rubbed sage

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

½ teaspoon dried thyme

Pinch of grated nutmeg

Pinch of red chile flakes

Directions: Combine all ingredients. Dampen your hands with water and form the sausage into patties. Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray over medium heat and cook about 4 minutes per side until done.

Orange-Sweet Chili Chicken Salad

How about a refreshing, healthy, no-cook dinner for warm summer nights? This sweet and tangy chicken salad really hits the spot and it goes together in less than 10 minutes. You can easily do a double batch of this salad the night before your next potluck and toss the greens (maybe sliced bok choy or Napa cabbage) into it right before you leave.  

Ingredients (serves 4):

Dressing:

½ cup Thai sweet chili sauce

2 Tablespoons orange juice

2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Salad:

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded

2 stalks of celery, sliced

½ cup carrots, sliced into matchsticks

½ cup sweet bell peppers, sliced into matchsticks

2 or 3 green onions, sliced

1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained

¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted (or not toasted-your call)

Leafy greens for serving

Directions: Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, combine the salad ingredients and pour the dressing over (note: you may have more dressing than you need). Stir to combine.

Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Serve over leafy greens.

Andouille, Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo

Here's a beauty of a dish to serve to a crowd. This might look like a lot of work, but it really goes together easily. This gumbo is rich and deeply flavored owing to that beautiful roux. This is just mildly spicy, so feel free to ramp up the creole seasoning or add some cayenne if you wish. 

Ingredients (serves 8):

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1 pound fully cooked andouille sausage, sliced into coins

1 ½ cups dry white wine, divided

½ cup canola oil

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 medium onion, diced

3 stalks of celery, diced

1 large green bell pepper, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with the juice

3-4 cups vegetable broth

2-4 teaspoons creole seasoning (like Tony Chachere’s®)

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon file gumbo (in the spice aisle of the supermarket)

1 bay leaf

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

Salt and pepper to taste

Cooked white rice for serving

Fresh parsley and sliced green onions for garnish

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the oil on medium heat in a large Dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot.

Season the chicken thighs with a little salt and cook in the oil until browned on all sides. Remove the chicken and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until done throughout. Remove the chicken from the oven, dice it into one inch chunks and set aside. PS-you can turn off the oven now—you won’t need it anymore.

Add a splash of wine to the Dutch oven and scrape up all the brown bits. Add the sliced andouille sausage and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they are brown. Remove the sausage to a plate and add another splash of wine and again scrape up any brown bits.

Add the ½ cup of canola oil to the pot and then slowly whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly until this roux gets just a bit more tan than peanut butter (about 10 minutes).

Toss the onion, celery and green pepper into the pot and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes or until the veggies are soft. Note: the roux will become darker during this stage.

Add in the garlic and just stir for a minute. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, creole seasoning, file gumbo, remaining wine and bay leaf.

Return the chopped chicken and sausage to the pot and bring to a boil. The mixture should thicken nicely at this point.

Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for one hour. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Stir in the shrimp and cook just a few more minutes, or until the shrimp is opaque. Ladle into bowls over scoops of white rice and garnish.

Japanese Style Vegetable, Meatball and Broth Hot Pot

My stars. This smells incredible. It tastes incredible. I could easily exist on this, cheese and fruit for my whole life. 

I was doing some reading last night and everything kept coming up ‘broth’. I’m a huge broth fan and will choose a brothy soup over a cream one any day. A cup of broth can be just the pick me up you need when you are feeling kind of hungry, but don’t really want a meal. It’s also great for when you are feeling blue, or tired, or just not up to par. I always keep vegetable bouillon cubes at home and at work that I can just put in a mug and add hot water to. It’s great when I have a sore throat.

Last night I was especially entranced by the Japanese Sumo wrestlers making Chankonabe, the traditional food for Sumo training. The meal itself seemed healing and healthy (if you don’t eat 2 gallons like those guys do). I knew today was going to be a lovely rainy day, so I decided to try my hand. This meal will make you feel whole again.

I’m sure my spelling of Chankonabe is off, but then again, I didn’t set out to make a ‘traditional’ Chankonabe-I just wanted what I liked.

Big bonus: The ingredients I used can be swapped out, added to, removed, whatever you want. You can make this vegan, you can add noodles/rice,  potatoes, chicken, or seafood and make it the kind of hearty meal Sumo wrestlers eat.

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

1 pound ground turkey or chicken

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 egg white

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 Tablespoon finely sliced green onions

1 teaspoon salt

Stock:

4 cups chicken stock

4 cups vegetable stock

2 teaspoons miso paste

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 Tablespoon mirin (optional)

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

Salt to taste

Everything else:

1 cup carrots, cut into matchsticks

1 medium onion, thinly sliced into half-moons (about 1 cup)

3 cups chopped bok choy

1 small daikon radish, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

2 cups Napa cabbage, thinly sliced

8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced (I’m using cremini, but shitakes would be awesome)

8 ounces extra firm tofu (not silken), squeezed dry between paper towels and cut into bite sized cubes (if you see fried tofu, get that-it will hold up better as you cook)

4 green onions, sliced on the diagonal

A few drops of toasted sesame oil

Directions: Mix all the meatball ingredients together in a mixing bowl and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Place the chicken and vegetable stocks in a large Dutch oven and add in the miso, soy, mirin and ginger and some salt (maybe a teaspoon). Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium or medium low-you want it simmering, not boiling. Simmer for 15 minutes. Put some in a bowl, let it cool slightly and taste. Adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Add in the carrots, onions, bok choy, daikon and Napa cabbage to the stock. Drop the meatballs carefully in. Cover and let cook for 20 minutes.

Add in the mushrooms, tofu and green onions. Cook for another 20 minutes. Add a few drops of toasted sesame oil and taste one more time. Adjust the seasonings and serve in big bowls.

Chicken, Lemon, Egg and Spring Vegetable Soup

This is simply a take on Greek Avgolemono Soup and it is a deeply comforting dish on a cool spring night. The chicken stock and eggs make it rich and satisfying while the lemon and veggies brighten it all up.

Ingredients (makes 3-4 bowls):

4 cups chicken stock (I’m using the good quality, salted box o’ stock)

1 cup cooked chicken breast, shredded

2 eggs

¼ cup half and half or milk (I’m using fat free half and half)

1 cup fresh asparagus, cut into bite sized pieces

1 cup fresh peas

1 handful of fresh baby spinach leaves, torn into pieces

2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice (start with 2 and taste—I like more, so I use all 3 TB)

½ cup grated parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste

Maybe some chopped fresh chives or parsley to garnish

Directions: Heat the stock to a boil in a sauce pan. Lower the heat to medium and add the chicken breast.

While the stock is heating up, whisk the eggs with the half and half and set aside.

Add the asparagus to the chicken stock and cook for about 3 minutes. Then add the peas and spinach and slowly whisk the egg mixture into the soup. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in the lemon juice and parmesan. Taste and add salt/pepper if you like and then ladle into big bowls, garnish if you want and serve. 

Sweet Potato and Chicken Sausage Hash with Chipotle-Apple Jelly and Parmesan Roasted Tomatoes

Big name for a big meal! And trust me, this is a complete meal. Think about this the next time you have weekend guests or host a breakfast or brunch. There are a lot of wonderfully flavored items in here, so I’m prepping the chicken sausage, sweet potato hash, the chipotle-apple jelly and the topping for the tomatoes the day before and refrigerating them until the morning. Then all I have to do is cook the hash, reheat the jelly, broil the tomatoes and cook the eggs.

Ingredients (serves 6-8):

For the day before prep work:

Chicken sausage:

1 ½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon dried sage

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 pinch oregano

1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg

¼ cup yolk-free egg product (like Egg Beaters®)

1 pound ground chicken breast

Sweet potato hash:

2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes (about 6 cups)

1 small white onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

¾ cup chopped bell peppers, any color or mix of colors

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 ½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon dried chipotle powder

½ a bunch of Swiss chard (about 5 stalks—stems and leaves both), chopped (this will seem like a lot, but chard cooks down to almost nothing in your dish)

Chipotle-Apple Jelly:

1 (12 ounce) jar apple jelly

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped

Parmesan topping for the tomatoes:

3 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon seasoned breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons canola oil

For the ‘day of’ cooking:

Canola oil

Cooking oil spray

Three smallish tomatoes, stemmed, cored and cut in half along the equator

6 eggs or 1 ½ cups yolk free egg product

Salt and pepper to taste

Sliced green onion for garnish

Directions:

On the day before you plan to cook:

Prep the chicken sausage. Mix the salt, pepper, sage, thyme, paprika, oregano and nutmeg together. Put the ground chicken in a bowl and add the yolk free egg product and the seasoning mix you just made. Combine thoroughly and place in the bottom of a zip top bag. Roll up the bag, push any extra air out and seal the bag. Refrigerate until needed.

To prep the hash, toss the sweet potatoes, onion, bell peppers and oil together in a large bowl. Mix the salt, pepper, and paprika and chipotle powder together in a small dish and then add to the veggie mixture. Mix until all the veggies are evenly coated and place in a zip top bag and refrigerate until needed. Place the Swiss chard in another zip top bag and refrigerate until needed.

To prep the chipotle-apple jelly: Heat the apple jelly on low heat in a saucepan. Add the chopped chipotle in adobe and stir until combined. Remove from heat and put in a container or bowl. Cover securely and refrigerate until needed.

Prep the tomato topping by combining the parmesan, breadcrumbs and canola oil in a small bowl. Put in a small container or zip top bag and refrigerate until needed.

The day you are eating:

Heat 2 teaspoons of canola oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add 1/3 of the chicken sausage and cook until browned, crumbling it as you go. Add in 1/3 of the sweet potato hash, and cook until the veggies are tender and begin to brown along the edge (about 12 minutes). It helps to stir every few minutes and pat everything down into a single layer after stirring. Remove to a serving dish and keep warm. Repeat in two more batches of sausage and hash. Finally, add in all the Swiss chard and cook for about 5 minutes until it wilts down. Toss it into the finished hash.

Place the Chipotle-apple jelly in a small saucepan on low heat and cook for about 7 minutes or until the jelly is liquid and warm. Remove and place in a small serving bowl or ramekin.

Preheat the broiler in your oven and coat a baking dish with cooking oil spray. Place the tomatoes in the dish, cut side up and sprinkle the topping evenly over the tops. Broil for 4 minutes or until the top is golden. Remove from the oven.

Add another 2 teaspoons of canola oil to the skillet that you used for the sausage and hash and cook the eggs or egg product any way you like, seasoning with salt and pepper to your liking. Place them over the entire dish of hash or over individual servings—your choice.

Place the hash, eggs, tomatoes, and jelly out on a table and let your guests go crazy. Use the Chipotle-apple jelly to drizzle over their hash or to use as a dipping sauce for pieces of hash.

Feel Better Broth (AKA Cold Potion #9)

Cold and flu season has officially arrived in my neighborhood. This warming broth will make everything better. You don’t even have to peel or finely chop the veggies, just drop them in. You don’t even have to measure.

If you want you can add the chicken back into the broth along with some noodles for a hearty soup. You could also lightly beat an egg and whisk it into a mug full of the hot broth for a hit of protein, but I’m a big fan of sipping on a mug of plain old broth when I’m ill.

Ingredients:

64 ounces good chicken broth

5 cups water

2 pounds bone-in chicken

2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled but left whole

1 big onion, quartered

2 stalks of celery, cut into big chunks

2 chubby carrots, chopped into big pieces

1 big chunk of fresh ginger (oh, about an inch long), cut into 2 or 3 pieces

2 thin dried red chili peppers (I’m using Japones, which are a 7 on a 1-10 heat scale, but use what you like)

6 whole black peppercorns

1 teaspoon kosher salt (more or less to taste)

1 cluster of fresh parsley, tied with kitchen twine

Directions:

Pour the broth and water into a big stock pot. Add in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 2 hours. Stir occasionally and skim off any foam that forms on top.

Remove the chicken to a plate and let cool. Take the meat off the bones (discarding bones and skin) and save for another use. Pour the broth through a strainer and discard the solids. Serve the broth hot.

Swiss Chicken Casserole

This is just good old fashioned comfort food. I think I might start calling it “Super Chicken Casserole” because there is so much deep, rich flavor from the chicken thighs, cooking the noodles in fortified stock and then adding in the cream of chicken soup.

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken stock (that is one 32 ounce box)

5 cups water

½ of a white onion, sliced (oh, about a half cup or so)

½ cup chopped carrots

¼ cup chopped celery

1 teaspoon whole peppercorns

4 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

12 ounces wide egg noodles

  

1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of chicken soup (I used the low fat kind)

1 soup can of milk

1 ½ cups chopped mushrooms

1 ½ cups chopped broccoli (frozen and thawed works great)

1 ½ cups cubed Swiss cheese

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine

1 cup dry breadcrumbs

Directions:

Pour the chicken stock and 5 cups of water into a large Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots, celery, peppercorns, thyme and chicken. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer on medium low heat and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes or until the chicken is done. Remove the chicken to a plate and cut into bite sized pieces. Strain the stock, discarding the veggies/herb, and return the stock to the Dutch oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13 by 9 pan with cooking spray and set aside. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the breadcrumbs. Set the breadcrumb mixture aside.

Add the additional 4 cups of water to the stock in the Dutch oven and bring back up to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to time listed on the package. Drain the noodles and place them back in the Dutch oven. Add the cream of chicken soup, milk, mushrooms, broccoli and Swiss, mixing thoroughly. Check for seasoning and add salt, pepper or herbs to your liking.

Put the chicken noodle mixture into the 13 by 9 pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the buttered breadcrumbs over the top. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the sides are bubbly and the top is golden.

Baked Chicken, Bacon and Green Chile Tortilla Rolls

Crispy, creamy--these little roll ups are a perfect quick dinner. They are mild enough for little ones, too.

Ingredients (5 servings of 2 roll ups each):

4 strips of bacon

1/3 cup onion, diced

4 ounces (1/2 of an 8 ounce package) cream cheese

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained

2 cups cooked chicken, diced

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

10 (8 inch) flour tortillas

Cooking spray

Sour cream for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon to a paper towel to drain. Drain off all but a light coating of the fat from the skillet and add in the onions. Cook for about 3-5 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are just soft. Lower the heat under the skillet to low and add in the cream cheese, stirring until the cream cheese is melted. Add in the green chiles and chicken, stirring to coat. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

Stir the cheddar cheese and bacon (crumbled) into the cream cheese mixture. Place a good spoonful onto each tortilla on the side nearest you. Pat the filling down just a bit so the tortilla will roll up uniformly. Roll each tortilla up around the filling. Place each tortilla roll seam side down on the baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove and let cool slightly. Serve with sour cream. 

Cheesy Chicken and Bacon Pockets

I'm not going to flatter myself by thinking there are a lot of people out there watching my blog, but there may be a few who are asking themselves "What the heck is that crazy woman doing--she's posted 3 recipes today that are all throwbacks to another era". Well, today is Mother's Day, so I'm gonna party like it's 1969!! If you wish to throw a "Way Back Party" sometime soon, may I make some recommendations? 

Drinks: Cocktails, definitely cocktails. Maybe Dirty Martinis, Old Fashioneds or Whiskey Sours.

Music: Frank, Dino and Rosemary Clooney ('Come on a my house.....')

Appetizers: Cream Cheese, Olive and Pecan Stuffed Celery, Cheddar Cheesettes, Spanish Style Bacon Wrapped Dates

Salad: Shaved Fennel, Celery and Artichoke Salad or Grilled Romaine with Bagna Cauda Viniagrette

Main Dish: This one. Definitely this one. 

Dessert: Banoffee Pie

Ingredients (serves 4, with maybe some extra filling which you should definitely eat on crackers!):

4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 of a large package), softened

1 or 2 teaspoons of  milk

2 cups cooked, cubed chicken or turkey

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

¼ cup chopped green onion

5 or 6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

1 (6.5 ounce) can of mushrooms, drained

Salt and pepper to taste

1 (8 ounce) can crescent rolls

Cooking spray

4 Tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs

Directions: Stir together the cream cheese and milk in a mixing bowl. Carefully stir in the chicken, cheddar cheese, green onion, bacon, mushrooms and salt and pepper. Chill for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Roll out the crescent rolls to make 4 rectangles. Flatten the rectangles out slightly with your hands, sealing the perforations and any little holes. Spoon about ½ cup of the chicken mixture into the center of each rectangle. Pull the corners of the dough up to the center top and twist together slightly. Pinch all the seams closed as best you can.

Place the pockets onto the baking sheet and spray with a little cooking spray. Sprinkle about 1 Tablespoon of bread crumbs on each and give them another light spritz of cooking spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Note: you can completely do these ahead—just prepare the bundles as directed early in the day and then refrigerate. Then bake off when you are ready.

Gruyere, Bacon and Chicken Roulades with White Wine Mustard Sauce

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  Here’s a fancy dish that is really easy. I know it looks like a lot of ingredients and steps, but if you start with the individually frozen chicken breast portions and use the microwave-ready bacon, it goes really quickly. Of course, you could pound out fresh chicken breasts and cook regular bacon up-completely up to you. 
  
  
  Ingredients (serves 4):
  Chicken:
  4 skinless, boneless chicken breast portions, thawed and pounded thin (tip: use the largest ones in the package-they will be easier to roll)
  Salt and Pepper
  2 Tablespoons stone ground mustard
  ½ cup baby spinach leaves (oh, about 15 or 20 leaves)
  4 sticks of aged gruyere cheese, each about the size of a small finger
  4 slices microwave-ready bacon, microwaved until crisp (about 25 seconds) and broken in half
  
  
  Breading:
  1 cup flour mixed
  1 teaspoon salt
  ½ teaspoon pepper
  1 egg
  ½ cup milk
  1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
  
  
  ¼ cup canola oil
  
  
  Sauce:
  1 Tablespoon diced shallot (about 1 big clove)
  1/2 cup chicken broth
  1/4 cup dry white wine 
  2 teaspoons stone ground mustard
  1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  2 tablespoons butter 
  
  
  Directions:
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Ready a baking sheet by lining with foil or parchment and coating with vegetable spray.
  
  
  Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts. Spread the mustard evenly on one side of each chicken breast. Lay 4-5 spinach leaves on top of the mustard. Place one piece of cheese and one piece of bacon (two halves) on the lower end of each chicken breast, making sure that there is about ½ inch border of chicken on the sides. Roll up by folding the lowest portion of chicken (with the cheese and bacon up once, fold in the sides and then keep rolling up (think burrito style rolling). Secure with toothpicks, trying your best to keep all the cheese inside the roll.
  
  
  Get out three shallow bowls. In the first, mix the flour with the salt and pepper. In the second, use a fork to mix the egg and milk. Pour the panko into the third bowl. Feel free to add salt and pepper to both the egg wash and the panko as well, if you wish.
  
  
  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium. Roll each chicken breast first in the flour, then the egg wash and then in the panko. Cook in the oil until golden brown on each side. Remove to your baking sheet and cook in the oven for 10-12 minutes (check one by cutting just into the chicken of one roll-there should be no pink). When done, remove from the oven and set aside for about 5 minutes.
  
  
  While the chicken is cooking make the sauce by adding the shallots to  the skillet you used to cook the chicken (still on medium heat). Add the white wine, broth, mustard and vinegar, stirring to mix together. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium low. Cook until reduced by half (about 5 minutes) and then turn off the heat. Swirl the butter into the sauce just to melt.
  
  
  Remove the toothpicks from the chicken. Put a spoonful of sauce on each plate and then place the chicken on top. Spoon any extra sauce right over the top.
  
  
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Chicken Chow Mein

Whenever my mom had the chance, she would order Chow Mein or Chop Suey at Chinese restaurants and with good reason-old school Chow Mein is just wonderful. I love all the flavors and it’s just so warm and comforting. Even better, you can work with whatever veggies you have in your house instead of the ones listed (although I recommend keeping in the celery, green onions, bean sprouts and water chestnuts). Don’t have fresh chicken, but you have leftover? Use that. Don’t want any meat or poultry? Fine and dandy, just use veggie broth in place of the chicken broth (and omit the oyster sauce if you don’t do fish/shellfish).

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

Chicken:

1 Tablespoon corn starch

1 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 Tablespoon good sherry (not the ‘cooking’ variety)

2-3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into 2 inch pieces

Sauce:

2 Tablespoons corn starch

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 Tablespoon sherry

½ cup chicken broth (cold)

Optional-2 teaspoons of oyster sauce

A few drops of sesame oil

2 Tablespoons canola oil

Vegetables:

2 stalks celery, green part only, sliced thin on the diagonal

¼ of a white or yellow onion, sliced into thin half moons

¼ cup red bell pepper, sliced

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms-any kind (I’m using fresh shitake, so I’m taking off the tough stem and saving it for      broth)

1 (14 ounce) can bean sprouts, drained (or use fresh-they are even better)

1 (5 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained

2-3 green onions, sliced thinly on the diagonal

Optional: a handful of baby spinach leaves—I just love the dark green in there.

Noodles:

1 (16 ounce) package chow mein noodles (or you can stir fry some cooked and cooled noodles, but gosh I love those crispy ones!)

Directions:

Stir together the corn starch, soy and sherry for the chicken and then toss in the chicken pieces. Let stand for 15 minutes. Then, drain off the marinade and discard it.

Stir together the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Heat the oil in a very large skillet or wok on medium high until shimmering but not smoking (just about 3 minutes). Toss in the chicken and cook until no longer pink, stirring often. Add in the celery, onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add in the mushrooms, bean sprouts and water chestnuts and cook, stirring constantly for another 2 minutes. Add in the green onions (and spinach, if using) and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir the sauce together again and then slowly add into the pan and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens. Serve over noodles.

Enlightened Cannelloni

Cannelloni lovers unite! I have never been able to resist cannelloni on any menu. This is way different than your typical cannelloni, however. These have a very light feel to them and you can taste every single ingredient. Just a few notes first: Your noodles may tear when you remove them from the boiling water. That’s ok. Just roll as you see fit and use any broken pieces to patch the tops. I recently had something like this at a restaurant and it was completely made up of patches of noodles. I thought it made it very rustic and made it look more like it was made from scratch. However, if you enjoy trying to stuff tubes of pasta, go for it. You may also have some scraps of noodles left over. Save those and toss with a hearty sauce and you’ve got another dinner. This is very much an ‘it’s great, no matter how you make it’ dish, so please feel free to change up anything.

Ingredients (makes about 15 cannelloni-5 servings of 3 rolls each):

Filling:

1 (12 ounce) package Italian style turkey or chicken sausage, removed from casing and broken up if needed or cut into a small dice if not in a casing

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup onion, finely chopped

½ of a 15 ounce bag of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (you could just one square box, if you would like)

1 (15 ounce) container part skim ricotta

¼ cup grated parmesan

Salt and black pepper to taste

Noodles:

One package ‘oven-ready’ lasagna sheets (the ones I found are perfect-about 7 inches long by 3 ½ inches wide) or you could use 15 cannelloni shells.  

Sauce:

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes (with liquid)

1 (14.5 ounce) can tomato sauce

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

¼  cup half and half

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:

About 1 cup of shredded or shaved parmesan

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Brown the sausage in a skillet (you may want to add a smidge of olive oil to help it along). Add in the garlic and onions-cook on medium until the garlic and onions are fragrant, but not brown. Add in the spinach. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat and transfer the sausage mixture into a bowl. Mix in the ricotta and parmesan and then add salt and pepper to taste.

Spray two large, shallow, casserole dishes with cooking spray (or use two 13x9 baking pans). Dip the noodles in boiling water for about 2 minutes or until just flexible enough to roll. Drain and quickly lay out on wax paper coated with cooking spray. Fill each noodle with about 2-3 Tablespoons of filling each, lengthwise and roll up. Place (seam side down) in the casserole dishes.

Make the sauce by adding cooking the tomatoes, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning in a skillet and cooking on medium 10 minutes. Remove from heat stir in the half and half. Adjust seasoning. Ladle over the stuffed noodles in the casserole dishes. Sprinkle ½ cup of the shaved/shredded parmesan over the top and bake the casserole for 20 minutes. Garnish with the other ½ cup of shredded parmesan. 

Hot and Sweet Orange BBQ Chicken

I am not a fan of heat for the sake of heat, but I do love layering sweet and tangy and hot together. The different flavors here are so good. Also, you can make extra of this sauce and use it for dipping chicken nuggets or even as a sandwich spread.

Ingredients:

Brine:

4 cups water

1/3 cup kosher salt

¼ cup brown sugar, lightly packed

Chicken:

2 ½ pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces

3 cups ice

Sauce:

1 orange

1 ½ cups prepared or homemade barbecue sauce

¼ cup hot sauce (I like Frank’s®)—more or less, depending on how hot you want it

2 Tablespoons honey

Directions: For the brine: Bring the water, salt and brown sugar to boil in a saucepan. Cook until the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Place the chicken in a large zip top bag and pour the brine over it. Add the ice, close the bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

For the sauce: Cut the orange into eights and remove any seeds. Place the orange pieces in a food processor (yes, rind and all) and pulse until it is pureed. Put the orange puree into a mixing bowl and add the hot sauce and honey. Save about a cup of the sauce in a small bowl for dipping the chicken later, if you wish.

To cook the chicken: Heat your grill to medium heat. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Place the chicken on the grill and cook, turning often, until the juices just start to run clear. Reduce the heat to low. Brush the sauce on one side of the chicken and then flip and coat the other side. Let cook 5 minutes. Repeat until the chicken registers 165 degrees F and the sauce is glazed and caramelized. 

Shortcut Chicken Pot Pie

Some days you just don’t want a lot of fussing. Try this for a hearty, comforting dinner that goes together in no time.

Ingredients:

3 cups diced leftover (or grocery store rotisserie) chicken
2 (10 ¾ ounce) cans cream of chicken soup (I’m using the low fat kind)
½ cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 (4 ounce) cans sliced mushrooms, drained
2 cups frozen classic mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn), thawed
1 refrigerated pie crust

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the pie crust. Spoon the chicken mixture into a shallow casserole dish (about 1.5 quart capacity). Place the pie crust over the dish and press the edges of the crust onto the edges of the dish. Fold up any excess crust that hangs over the edges and lightly crimp. Cut a few vent holes in top. Place both dishes on a large baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Let cool a few minutes before serving.

Easy Grilled Lemon Chicken

Five ingredients-how’s that for easy? The lemonade marinade just imparts a hint of lemon flavor and does not make the chicken sweet, just really juicy.

Ingredients:

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 cups lemonade (not diet, you want the sugar in there)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Lemon wedges to finish

Directions: Place the chicken in a zip top bag and pour the lemonade over. Marinade in the refrigerator for at least one hour---longer is better, though.  

Preheat your grill to medium low to medium heat (don’t go to high on the heat or the skin on the chicken will burn before the center is done). Drain and discard the marinade from the chicken and pat the thighs dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and coat with olive oil to prevent sticking.

Place the chicken skin side down on the grill and cook for about 10 minutes. If you get flare ups, reduce the heat and/or move the chicken to an unheated part of the grill for a few minutes. Flip and continue cooking, flipping once or twice more until the skin is golden and crispy and a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Serve the chicken up with a lemon wedge to squirt over the top.

Turkey Salad

I was lucky enough to find a piece of skinless rotisserie turkey breast in my neighborhood deli case. This is so quick and it is great for a hot night when you don’t want to turn on the oven. Plus, you can make this ahead (it takes all of about 6 minutes) and chill until you want to eat it.

Ingredients:

Dressing:
2 to 3 Tablespoons low fat mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons low fat sour cream
1 teaspoon Dijon (or other) mustard
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt

Remaining ingredients:

½ pound turkey breast, diced into ¼ inch pieces
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup finely chopped cabbage (packaged cole slaw works great)
1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/3 cup shredded cheddar
Chopped chives to garnish (optional)

Directions:

Mix the dressing ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add in the remaining ingredients and mix well. Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped chives. That’s it. Serve wrapped in a tortilla, with crackers, on top of cucumber slices, on lettuce leaves, stuff it in a bun, however you wish.

Get creative on me: Switch out leftover chicken or tuna steaks for the turkey. Use a bottled dressing rather than making one (I think Thousand Island might be really nice in this). Switch out veggies that you don’t like for ones you do like celery, chives, cucumber, etc. Not spicy enough for you? Add in some chopped jalapenos.