Chicken with Wild Mushroom and Balsamic Cream Sauce

Salt
1/2 pound orzo pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 6 ounces
Pepper
2 tablespoons butter
12 cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
12 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
12 white mushrooms, sliced
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, a couple of sprigs, chopped
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, eyeball it
3 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half, a couple turns of the pan
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful

Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add orzo pasta. Cook to al dente.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.
Return the skillet to the heat, turn heat back a bit, and add the butter. Once the butter melts add the mushrooms and brown stirring occasionally for about 4 to 5 minutes. Once the mushrooms are brown season with salt and pepper then add the garlic, thyme and shallots. Cook stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes or until the shallots are wilted. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Whisk in the stock, balsamic vinegar and the cream. Turn the heat up to high and simmer for about 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice the chicken on an angle. Add the parsley and the chicken back to the skillet to heat up, about 1 minute.
To serve, pile orzo on dinner plates and top with the sliced chicken and sauce.
photo by: Food Network

Cream Cheese Pizza

1/2 loaf of French Bread

1 package cream cheese (softened)

1 can tuna fish

1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon minced onion

Garlic salt to taste

6 ounces artichokes (quartered, marinated)

2.25 ounces sliced olives

Mix cream cheese, tuna, worcestershire sauce, onions and garlic salt. Cut French bread in half (so you have two open-faced pieces). Spread mixture on bread. Slice up artichoke pieces smaller if desired. Place artichokes and olives on top of ‘pizza’. Place on baking sheet and broil until edges of bread and mixture are browning – approximately 7 to 9 minutes.

**measurements are mostly all guesses here, it’s not a recipe we’ve put in writing, so tweak it to your own liking**

Black Beans and Rice

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium onion

2 tomatoes

1/2 cup salsa

2 cups cooked rice

Saute onion and tomato until tender, add black beans and salsa. Serve on top of rice.

Serves about 4.

Barbecued Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps

also known as Chinese Tacos

1 large head iceberg lettuce - cored

2 cups mushrooms, cleaned and chopped small

1-1/2 pounds ground chicken

2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil

salt and pepper

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2- 1 inch ginger root finely chopped or grated

1 orange, zested

1 red bell pepper - diced or chopped small

1 6-8 ounce tin water chestnuts, drained and chopped small

3 scallions or 6 green onions, sliced or chopped small

3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce (Chinese BBQ sauce in Asian section)

Put lettuce in a bowl and cover with ice water. Place in fridge to crisp and cool. Add oil to pan and heat until HOT. (you want to cook fast and sear in flavor) You can use a wok or a big or skillet.

Add chicken to pan and sear by frying a couple minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add ginger and garlic and cook an additional minute. Grate zest into pan then add red pepper, water chestnuts and scallions or onions and continue cooking and another minute. Add Hoisin sauce and stir to coat evenly. Transfer to a serving dish.

Drain lettuce and place on a plate.

To eat, pile spoonfuls into lettuce leaves (large leaves will need to be ripped into 2 or 3 smaller pieces) and add more Hoisin sauce if you wish. Wrap (as best you can) and eat. You will need napkins, it is messy!

Microwave Caramel Corn

1 bag of puffed butter popcorn (Chester’s Brand)

½ C. butter
1 C. brown sugar
¼ C. dark or light Karo syrup
Dash of salt

Microwave on high for 4 minutes in a glass bowl, remembering to stir after 2 minutes.

Then add:
½ t. baking soda
1/8 t. vanilla

Stir the caramel mixture until fluffy. Place popcorn in a in a large Tupperware bowl (or one that is ok to go back into the microwave.) Pour the caramel mixture all over the puffed popcorn. Stir it all together until well coated. Then microwave the popcorn for 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute. This will help soften the caramel again so it coats all the popcorn more evenly.

Spread this out on wax paper to let it cool.

Enjoy!!!

Note: If you want added sweetness, melt some chocolate almond bark and drizzle over the caramel corn. I put this in the refrigerator so the chocolate gets hardened. Then take out and break it up into smaller pieces.

Note: You may also spread the caramel corn onto a baking sheet and bake at 200 degrees until crispy.

Summer Corn Fettuccine

Salt

1 pound fettuccine

extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

6 slices smoky bacon, chopped

6 ears corn on the cob, shucked

3 shallots, finely chopped

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup half-and-half or cream

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

hot sauce or 1 or 2 pinches cayenne pepper

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano

1/2 cup torn sweet basil leaves

Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium heat. Salt the water, add the pasta and cook to al dente. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook a few minutes until rendered and crisp. Put a small bowl inverted into a large bowl, steady the corn cobs on the smaller bowl and scrape the ears. Add 3/4 of the scraped corn and any corn liquid into the pan with the bacon. Add the shallots and red pepper and liberally season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

Add the remaining corn and half-and-half to a food processor and puree until smooth.

Pour the stock into the corn and vegetables, and simmer over low heat for a minute. Stir in the thyme and corn-cream mixture and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, to thicken. Add the hot sauce or cayenne and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Drain the pasta and add it to a large serving bowl. Pour in the sauce, add a couple handfuls of cheese, about 1/2 cup and toss. Top with torn basil or chopped tarragon and pass the remaining cheese at the table.

Serves 4 to 6

Clouds

1 box instant Sugar Free Chocolate Jello Pudding

3 cups Milk

Light Whipped Cream

Beat Jello and milk with a whisk for 2 minutes. Set in fridge for 5 minutes. Place two heaping spoonfuls of pudding in bottom of cups. Place one heaping spoonful of whipped cream on top and add an additional layer of pudding then whipped cream. Place back in fridge for additional 5 minutes. Serve.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 10-¾ ounce cans cream of chicken soup
¾ cup milk
1 10-½ ounce package tortilla chips
4 ounce can green chilies, drained
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, soup and milk together; set aside.
2. In a lightly greased 13"x9" baking dish, layer tortilla chips, half of chicken mixture, green chilies and cheese.
3. Repeat layers ending with cheese.
4. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
5. While casserole is baking, prepare a tossed salad to serve with dinner. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
(from www.momswhothink.com)

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

• 4 refrigerated breaded chicken patties
• 1/2 cup Louisiana-style hot sauce
• 4 teaspoons canola oil
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 4 sandwich buns, split
• 4 slices provolone cheese
• 4 tablespoons blue cheese salad dressing
• 
  Lettuce, tomato and red onion slices, Additional hot sauce
• 
  
• Place chicken patties in a large resealable plastic bag; add hot sauce. Seal bag and turn to coat. In a large skillet, brown patties in oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until heated through. Remove and keep warm.
• 
  
• Spread butter over cut sides of buns. In the same skillet, toast buns, buttered side down, over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned. Top with a chicken patty, provolone cheese, salad dressing, lettuce, tomato and onion. Serve with additional hot sauce. Yield: 4 servings.
• 
  
• Photo by: Taste of Home

Orzo with Ham and Goat Cheese

1 lb. orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

1/2 lb. sliced deli ham, coarsely chopped

1/2 lb. mild, soft goat cheese, crumbled

5 scallions (or green onions), thinly sliced

Preheat broiler and lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. Cook orzo in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente (about 10 minutes). Reserve 3/4 cup pasta cooking water. Toss hot orzo with remaining ingredients, reserved cooking water, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl until cheese is melted. Transfer orzo mixture to baking dish and broil 2 inches from heat until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

Bowtie Apple Pasta

Approx. 1 1/2 boxes/bags of bowtie noodles

Half a tub of sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

Salt and pepper to taste (a lot of pepper)

A lot of cheese (a couple cups? Depends how cheesy you like it)

2 apples cut up in chunks

Add sour cream and cream of chicken to cooked hot noodles. Mix. Add salt and pepper. Mix. Add as much cheese as desired. Mix. Add apples. Mix. Enjoy!