Chicken and Rice Casserole

*** Original recipe Campbell's One Dish Chicken & Rice Bake.

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 cup water*
3/4 cup uncooked white rice
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)

Stir the soup, water, rice, paprika and black pepper in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Top with the chicken. Season with additional paprika and black pepper. Cover the baking dish.

Bake at 375°F. for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.

*For creamier rice, increase the water to 1 1/3 cups.

Sloppy Tom or Joe

*** This recipe found at www.menuplanningcentral.com/arecipes.pdf

1 cup onions chopped
1/2 cup green bell peppers chopped
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 pound ground turkey
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
4 hamburger buns
Butter or margarine

In a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion and green pepper in butter or margarine for 4 minutes or until onion is transparent. Add turkey and cook for 5 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking up meat as it cooks.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir tomato sauce, poultry seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, salt, lemon juice, pepper and garlic powder.

When turkey is cooked, stir sauce into skillet; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Split buns. Spread lightly with butter or margarine and toast 6 inches from heat source. Spoon turkey mixture over bottom half of buns. Place top half over meat mixture.

*** My Notes: I'll add cheese to before placing the top bun. I'll use ground beef rather than turkey.

Lemon Garlic Pasta

*** This recipe found at www.recipezaar.com/26440

3 tablespoons minced garlic (the garlic in the jar)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons chicken flavor instant bouillon
1/2 teaspoon pepper (fresh ground is best)
1 lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta, cooked to package directions
1/2 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup parsley

In large skillet, cook garlic in olive oil until golden. Add lemon juice, bouillon and pepper. Cook and stir until bouillon dissolves. In large bowl, toss pasta, garlic mixture, cheese and parsley; serve immediately.

My Notes: I'll add bite sized cooked chicken to make this a main dish.

Easy Chicken Parmesan

*** This recipe found at southernfood.about.com/od/chickenbreastrecipes/r/bl80517l.htm

4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
seasoned bread crumbs
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
8 slices mozzarella cheese, or more
1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce
Parmesan cheese

Whisk together the egg and milk. Dip the chicken breasts in milk and egg mixture and then in bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in the hot oil on both sides until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Set chicken in a baking dish.

Slice 8 pieces of mozzarella cheese and put two on each chicken breast. Pour 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce over all. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little more mozzarella and bake at 350° for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

*** My Notes: I'll serve this with some type of pasta.

Romano's Macaroni Grille Penne Rustica

*** Recipe found at www.recipezaar.com/145119

SAUCE

* 3 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons minced garlic
* 3 tablespoons marsala wine
* 2 cups heavy cream
* 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/2 cup chicken broth
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch
* 1 tablespoon Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
* 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
* 1 lb penne rigate, cooked
* 12 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 2 skinless chicken breasts
* 1/2 cup about 2 ounces thick-sliced prosciutto, chopped

TOPPING

* 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
* 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

GARNISH

* 12 sliced pimientos
* 4 sprigs rosemary

Directions

1. Preheat bbq grill to high.

2. Prepare gratinata sauce by melting 3 tbls of butter over medium/low heat. Add garlic and sweat it for about 5 minutes. Be sure the garlic doesn't brown. Add the marsala wine and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce and whisk until smooth. Bring mixture to a simmer and keep it there for 10 minutes or until it's thick. Cover sauce and remove from heat.

3. Cook past following directions on the package (7-9 minutes in boiling water). You want the pasta tender, but not mush (al dente). Strain pasta and set it aside when it's done.

4. Pound the thick end of your chicken breast a bit with a kitchen mallet to make them a uniform thickness. Rub chicken with olive oil, then sprinkle on a bit of salt and pepper. Spear the shrimp on skewers (6 per skewer should work fine), then rub them with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

5. Grill chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side. Grill shrimp for 2 minutes per side. When chicken is done, slice each breast into strips.

6. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Build each dish in a large shallow baking dish. Or you can use a 9 inch glass or ceramic pie plate. Load 3 cups of pasta into each baking dish. Add one quarter of the chicken, 3 shrimp, and 2 tbls of prosciutto onto each serving. Spoon 3/4 of a cup of gratinata sauce on each serving and toss to coat. Combine 3 tbls of grated Parmesan cheese with 1 1/2 tsp paprika, then sprinkle about 1 tbls of this mixture over the top of each serving. Bake the dishes for 10-12 minutes, or until tops begin to brown. Arrange 3 pimentos on the top of each serving, then jab a sprig of rosemary into the center an serve.

Serves: 4

*** My Notes: Our local Macaroni Grille closed this year and I've been missing this dish. I'll prepare it all in one casserole dish. I'll also leave out the shrimp so it is cheaper and more kid friendly. I think it will serve MUCH more than 4!!

Mix - and - Match Quick Bread

*** I found this recipe at By Sun and Candlelight blog.

Mix-and-Match Quick Bread (Frozen Assets)

3 cups flour (whole wheat and white make a nice blend)
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar (you can this down and see very little difference)
2 cups Mix-N-Match (see list below)
3 teaspoons vanilla (use pure vanilla not imitation)
1 cup chopped nuts or seeds

Sift together dry ingredients. In separate bowl, beat eggs; add oil and sugar; cream together. Stir in Mix-N-Match and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix well. Stir in nuts. Spoon into two well-greased loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 1 hour. When cool, wrap bread in foil; label and freeze. Makes 2 loaves.

Mix-N-Match (one of more of the following to equal 2 cups)

Apples, grated or chopped
Applesauce
Apricots
Bananas, mashed or chopped
Berries
Carrots, cooked and mashed or grated
Cherries
Coconut
Cranberries, dry or raw, chopped
Dates or figs, pitted and finely chopped
Lemon, 1/2 cup juice
Marmalade (omit one cup sugar)
Mincemeat
Oranges, chopped
Orange juice, 1/2 cup juice
Peaches, fresh or canned, chopped (peach butter)
Pears, fresh or canned, chopped (pearsauce)
Pineapple
Prunes, chopped
Pumpkin, canned (fresh, cooked and mashed too)
Raisins
Rhubarb, finely chopped (add 1/2 cup more sugar)
Strawberries, well drained (dice them)
Sweet potato or yams, cooked and mashed or grated
Zucchini, grated and well drained

Curry Chicken Salad

*** Original Recipe found at allrecipes.com called Fruited Curry Chicken Salad.

* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cooked and diced
* 1 stalk celery, chopped
* 1/2 onion, chopped
* 1 small apple - peeled, cored and chopped
* 1/3 cup golden raisins
* 1/3 cup seedless green grapes, halved
* 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
* 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
* 3/4 cup mayonnaise

In a large salad bowl combine the chicken, celery, onion, apple, raisins, grapes, pecans, pepper, curry powder and mayonnaise. Mix all together, tossing to coat. Salad is ready to serve!

My Notes: I omit celery, raisins, and pecans because I'm not a big fan of those. I leave out the onions because my kids aren't big fans. If I don't have the grapes it's not a big deal. I serve this salad wrapped in a flour tortilla lined with leaf lettuce. I also increase the curry powder to taste.

Red, White & Blueberry Pie

*** Original recipe found in Pampered Chef Delightful Desserts Cookbook. You can go here for their on-line recipe (I found it AFTER typing all this out!). I lifted the above picture from their site. It does NOT do justice to this pie!!

1/2 package (15 ounces) refrigerated pie crusts (1 pie crust)
1 quart fresh strawberries, divided
4 squares (1 ounce each) white chocolate for baking
1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup cold milk
1 package (3.3 ounces) white chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup thawed, frozen light whipped topping

1. Preheat oven to 425. Let pie crust stand at room temp. 15 minutes. Gently unfold onto lightly floured surface. Gently roll to even creases and get size of Deep Dish Pie Plate. Press crust in pie plate, pressing into bottom and up sides. Prick bottom. Bake 10-12 minutes or golden brown. Cool completely.
2. Rinse strawberries and pat dry on paper towels. Select 8 uniformly sized berries for dipping; cut in half through stem ends. Set aside. Hull and slice remaining berries using egg slicer for uniform pieces.
3. Melt white chocolate, uncovered, on high 1 minute in microwave, stirring often until chocolate is melted and smooth. Do not overheat. Dip strawberry halves in melted chocolate; place on a sheet of parchment paper, cut side down. Refrigerate 15 or until set.
4. Scrape remaining melted chocolate over bottom of prepared pie crust, spreading evenly to coat entire bottom and sides of crust. Layer sliced strawberries over bottom of crust.
5. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk until well blended. Add pudding mix; whisk until mixture begins to thicken. Spread mixture evenly over strawberries.
6. Arrange blueberries evenly over top of pie filling. Attach open star tip to Easy Accent Decorator (or any decorator frosting bag) and fill with whipped topping. Pipe topping evenly around edge of pie. Place dipped strawberry halves on whipped topping border. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut into wedges.

Yield: 8 servings (VERY generous portions, you can easily get 10)

Taco Salad

I found this recipe at allrecipes.com or here.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
* 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
* 1 (16 ounce) bottle French dressing
* 1 head iceberg lettuce
* 1 (14.5 ounce) package tortilla chips
* 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
* 1 cup chopped tomatoes
* 4 tablespoons sour cream
* 1/2 cup prepared salsa

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and drain excess fat. Stir in the taco seasoning, chili beans and French-style dressing. Fill the dressing bottle 2/3 full of water and add to the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Crush the bag of chips, open the bag, and toss the broken chips into a large bowl with the lettuce, cheese and tomatoes. When the meat mixture is done, combine it with the lettuce, tomatoes, chips and mix well. Then, add salsa and sour cream.

*** My Notes: I will be putting the tomatoes and olives on the side because my family doesn't enjoy those the way I do. Also, I'll add the French dressing right before serving so the chips don't turn soggy.

Lemon Chicken with Green Beans & Potatoes

*** I found this yummy sounding recipe at Kelly's Korner.

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3/4 lb green beans, (frozen?)
8 small red potatoes, quartered
4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 450. Coat a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange lemon slices from 1 lemon in a single layer on the bottom of the dish. In large bowl combine remaining olive oil, lemon juice of 2nd lemon, garlic, salt and pepper. Add green beans and toss to coat. Using tongs, remove green beans and arrange them on top of lemon slices. Add potatoes to same olive oil mixture and coat. Arrange on inside edge of dish on top of the beans. You can also add a lemon pepper mixture on top of everything. It adds a lot of flavor.Place chicken in olive oil mixture and coat. Place chicken in dish. Roast for 40-50 minutes. Remove chicken and continue roasting potatoes/beans if necessary.

My Notes: Haven't tried this yet.

Easy Breaded Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup Italian-style salad dressing
2 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350*. Dredge chicken breasts in salad dressing, then coat completely with bread crumbs. Place coated chicken breasts in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

If you want it crispier -- boost the temp to 400 and shorten the cooking time by 5 or 10 minutes. Or, boost to 425, do for 20 minutes total, and turn halfway through.

Original recipe yield: 4 servings

*** I found this recipe on line and have no idea where. My original copy says "Angela's Easy Breaded Chicken - Allrecipes."

*** My Notes: I like the crispy version. Simple to make and delicious. For even easier clean up place on top of a piece of aluminum foil.

Zesty Baked Salmon

4 to 6 salmon steaks
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
6 to 8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms, sautéed in 2 to 3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Arrange salmon steaks in a buttered 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Combine salad dressing mix, lemon juice, and water; pour over salmon. Cover dish with aluminum foil. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Top salmon with sautéed mushrooms and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Continue baking uncovered for another 10 minutes.

Serves 4 to 6.

***Found at: http://southernfood.about.com/od/freshsalmonrecipes/r/bl30115q.htm

*** My Notes: I haven't made this, yet. When I do I will use a salmon fillet placed on top of aluminum foil. Cut the cooked salmon into serving pieces and then carefully lift pieces leaving the skin stuck to the foil. I'm sure it would also be good with boneless chicken breasts.

Lemon Pepper Marinade

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
fresh course ground black pepper, to taste
grated zest of one lemon

Mix all the ingredients and use the marinade immediately with meat or fish in your choice of a zip-lock plastic bag or container. Cover or seal and marinate in refrigerator. Use this as a basting sauce as well, but bring to a rolling boil before using after using as a marinade. With or without marinading first, you will find that if you are grilling, this works best for most fish.

Original Recipe Note: if you want to add a sweeter caramelizing effect. Add 1-2 tablespoons of orange blossom (or clover is alright) honey to the marinade recipe.

*** I found this recipe on line and have no idea where. I apologize to the original author.

*** My Notes: I have not used this recipe, yet. When I do I will leave out the rosemary. Also for cooking I will cover a pizza pan with aluminum foil and place a salmon fillet on the foil. Top with marinade and broil. When I serve I will cut the fillet into serving sizes and carefully lift it off the foil leaving the skin stuck on the foil. Also, I think this marinade would work well with boneless chicken breasts.

Honey and Mustard Pork Loin

***Edited 2/26/08 for "My Notes."

2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
salt and pepper
1 small clove garlic, minced
4 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard or country-style
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme, crumbled
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water

Grease slow cooker with a little oil or use a cooking bag to make cleanup easier.

Wash and trim the pork and pat dry; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place pork in the slow cooker. Combine garlic, mustard, honey, brown sugar, vinegar, and thyme; pour over the pork. Turn pork to coat thoroughly. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. Remove pork to a plate, cover with foil, and keep warm.

Pour the juices into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until reduced by about one-third. Combine the cornstarch and cold water; whisk into the reduced juices and cook for 1 minute longer. Serve pork sliced with the thickened juices.

Serves 6.

Found at: http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotporkandham/r/r114c3b.htm

*** My Notes: I didn't care for this recipe. My husband liked it OK but it wasn't stellar. Partly because the slow cooker caused so much water to come out of the tenderloin it basically boiled. What a waste for a tenderloin! Also, even after I reduced the leftover liquid the sauce was very mild. Again, my husband thought that was fine. I wanted a stronger sauce.

I think this recipe would be great if you roast the tenderloin and use the sauce as a baste. Also, leave out the dried thyme. I thought the thyme and mustard were competing flavors rather than complementing.