Skinnytaste~ Chicken Pot Pie Soup

If you know me well, you know that I LOVE to try new things,whether it be my own concoctions or other people's. I recently started subscribing to a page on Facebook called Skinnytaste. Not only does she have a Skinnytaste Facebook Page, but a Skinnytaste blog/website as well. I have found so many recipes that I can't wait to try! I do not do Weight Watchers, but I love that she offers points for recipes in her nutritional value.

I love chicken pot pie and when I was on this site, I found an amazing healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup recipe that reminds me of something my mom would make and love. It is now a huge favorite for dinner. I also made it the other day as a meal for a friend, so I am hoping her family will like it as much as we do. I have tried this in the crock pot, but was not happy with it. The flavor of the soup was just as good, but the creaminess you get when you cook it on the stove was not. So, when I cook this again, and I am sure I will, it will be a stove top soup.

Stress, food, and some great recipes to try

Stress and food, need I say more? For me they seem to go hand in hand and it is not a good combination for me being I am trying to lose weight. When I am stressed I love to cook and eat all my favorite comfort foods that I remember from growing up, the problem with these foods is that they are full of calories and high in fat.

I love to cook and cooking is a way for me to relieve stress, I just send the girls downstairs and turn up the tunes. Lately though while trying to lose weight cooking has become boring to me, I think it is the one ingredient cooking (Leigh Peele) that is doing it to me. To those who are not into cooking, I think one ingredient cooking while trying to lose weight is a wonderful idea, it is quick and straight forward, but to me it has gotten boring not only to me but to my kids. I try different spices to mix things up and it works great, but I miss some of my favorite dishes as does my kids. I am getting tired of hearing, "Oh, chicken again!" So, the following cookbook a friend let me borrow has given me a great idea, it is called NOW eat THIS! 150 of America's Favorite Comfort Foods All Under 350 Calories by Rocco DiSpirito. It is a great cookbook full of stuff we love to eat. I have tried two recipes, Meat Loaf with Portobello Mushrooms and Grilled Chicken Parmigiano, they both went over well and will be made again. I try to plan my meal plans 2 weeks in advance, so my new goal is to try and make the comfort foods I love a bit healthier.

I just read a great review of this book on Diets in Review.com. I have not tried the recipes that are listed on this site, Rocco’s Brownies and Flash-Fried Finger-Lickin’ Chicken but I will soon along with the Mac n' Cheese recipe he has in there. Until then I will leave you with the Meat Loaf recipe in hopes you will follow the links and try all these tasty recipes and go buy the book for even more. If these recipes are not what you are looking at trying I found some more sample recipe in the Google Books section.


For this recipe I could not find Ian's All-Natural Panko breadcrumbs, so I used other whole wheat ones. I also added 1-2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes in it to give it a bit of a kick, it turned out great and does not add any additional calories.


Meatloaf with Portobello Mushrooms
Serves 4
Per serving: Fat 8.9g, calories 212, protein 21g, carbs 11g, cholesterol 55mg, fiber 2g, sodium 400mg
From Now Eat This!

Ingredients:

4 ounces portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup egg substitute
1/3 cup reduced-sugar ketchup, such as Heinz
12 ounces 93% lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (try and use fresh, dried just does not taste the same!)
1/2 cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs, such as Ian's All-Natural
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set it aside.

Place the mushrooms in a food processor, and pulse until they are very finely chopped; scrape them into a large mixing bowl. Add the garlic cloves to the food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped. Add the egg substitute and 1 Tablespoon of the ketchup, and puree until the garlic is smooth. Scrape the garlic mixture into the bowl containing the mushrooms.

Add the beef, parsley, and panko to the bowl. Add the salt and season with pepper to taste. Using your hands, gently mix the ingredients until they are just combined.

On the prepared baking sheet, form the meat mixture into an 8x4x1 1/2 inch loaf. Brush the remaining ketchup over the loaf. Bake until the meatloaf is cooked through, 18-20 minutes.

Allow the meatloaf to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.


Source: DiSpirito, R., (2010). Now eat this!. New York:Ballantine Trade Paperback Original.

Jen’s Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

This is one of our favorite soups! It takes a while to make, but is worth the effort. It makes a ton and is very good reheated after being in the refrigerator or freezer. I made this last week and I used chicken thighs instead of breasts and it turned out great, it was just a big greasier.


Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped (if I do not have any onions, I use a bag of Seasoning Blend, I always have this in my freezer)
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch rounds or 1 small bag of baby carrots, cut up if you like
1 small bag/package of frozen peas
4 chicken bouillon cubes, broken up
2-3 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (same with the onions, if I do not have any celery, I use a bag of Seasoning Blend, this has onions, celery, and peppers in it)
1 - 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
3-4 medium potatoes cut into chunks
2 or 3 chicken breasts with skin and bone(the skin adds flavor) (6-7lb)
49 oz chicken broth or canned low-sodium broth
1 quart cold water, or as needed
4 sprigs of fresh parsley or 1-2T of dried parsley
3 cloves of garlic or 2 tsp if it is already minced
1-2 tsp garlic powder (optional, depends on how much garlic you like)
3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1-2 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6-12 oz medium egg noodles (depends on how much you want)
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish



Directions:

Cut up all of your veggies in advance. Rinse and cut the chicken breasts in half leaving the skin and bones. Cut through the bones. If there are any pads of yellow fat in the tail area, do not remove them.

Heat the oil in a broth pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, potatoes, and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 10 minutes.
(This step is optional, I only do this if I am in a hurry and want the soup to be done sooner. Most of the time I just throw the veggies in with the chicken right away, I am usually not in a hurry and let my soup simmer most of the day so the veggies are very soft by the time we eat.)

Add the chicken to the pot and pour in the broth. Add enough cold water to cover the ingredients by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off the foam that rises to the surface. Add the tomatoes, parsley, thyme, garlic powder, bouillon cubes, and bay leaf.

Reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is very tender, about 2 hours.

Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside until cool enough to handle. If using fresh springs remove and discard the parsley and thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Let stand 5 minutes and degrease the soup.

Discard the chicken skin and bones and cut the meat into bite-size pieces or shred.

Add the noodles and peas and cook until done, about 10 minutes. Stir the meat back into the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot and with French bread (to soak up juice).

This soup can be prepared up to 3 days ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 3 months.

**Just remember that the noodles will soak up juice, so if you do not want it thicker you may have to add water or chicken broth to it if it sets in the fridge for a couple days. I personally like it both ways.


Yield: 12 to 14 servings

Chicken Alfredo Pasta Salad

I took this to a last minute BBQ as a side dish and it was great! Everyone loved it! I made some changes to what I had on hand and noted it in bold. The serving size says 4, but everyone knows how BBQ's go, there is always so much food no one ever takes the full serving. But, I think it would be great on a hot day as a light main dish. Throw a lettuce salad and some fruit with it and it would be a great meal!





Chicken Alfredo Pasta Salad

Prep Time 30 Minutes

Total Time 30 Minutes

Makes 4 servings


1 box (7.75 oz) Betty Crocker® Suddenly Salad Classic pasta salad mix

1/2 cup refrigerated Alfredo sauce (I couldn’t find refrigerated, so I used reg. sauce)

1 1/2 cups shredded deli rotisserie chicken (without skin) (I used a large can of chicken)

1 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes

1 cup halved sliced cucumber

2 tablespoons sliced fresh basil leaves (I used 1T of dried basil)


In 3-quart saucepan, cook pasta as directed on box. Drain; rinse with cold water to cool.

In small bowl mix seasoning mix from packet and Alfredo sauce. Place cooked pasta, chicken, tomatoes, cucumber and basil in serving bowl. Add Alfredo mixture; toss to evenly coat. Sprinkle with topping from packet and basil sprig, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving time.


Makes 4 servings (1 1/4 cups each)

Success
If the Alfredo sauce and seasoning mix is too thick when combined, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk.

Chicken Vegetable Soup

As I have said in the last couple posts, I love the Hungry Girl's cookbook, Hungry Girl 1-2-3: The Easiest, Most Delicious, Guilt-Free Recipes on the Planet by Lisa Lillien. We love soup, we could eat soup all the time. So, in her book I found a soup recipe in there called Hungry Chick Chunky Soup that I was going to make, but had to modify it with what I had on hand. I do have to say it turned out great, very filling and not as many calories as hers, I used a lot less chicken.

Servings: 10
Calories: 85 per 1 cup


Ingredients:

3 1/2 C Water
3 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
1 can (15.5 oz) Great Northern Beans
4 oz baby carrots, cut up
3 oz Broccoli Cole Slaw
1 can (14.5 oz) tomatoes, petite diced, undrained
1 C peas, frozen
8 oz chicken, skinless, boneless, breast, raw, diced
3/4 C Seasoning Blend (onions, peppers, celery mix, found in frozen food aisle with vegetables)
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground thyme
1 bay leaf

Directions:

Heat water and Bouillon Cubes in microwave until dissolved.

Place all the ingredients in the crock pot and stir.

Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours, until chicken is fully cooked. Remove bay leaf and enjoy!

Fajitas in a Foil Pack

Here is another recipe I found in my Hungry Girl cookbook, Hungry Girl 1-2-3 : The Easiest, Most Delicious, Guilt-Free Recipes on the Planet by Lisa Lillien . This was a great dinner that both of us enjoyed! I only had half a zucchini, so I used a small yellow squash in it as well. The seasonings blended so well together it reminded me of a tandoori chicken I have made before, but not as spicy. I needed a few more calories for the day so I added some jasmine rice with it, but my husband just ate it as is. The serving size is more than adequate and we had some left for his lunch the next day.


Ingredients:

1½ tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon ground cumin
12 ounces raw boneless skinless lean chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
1 bell pepper (any color), sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced into thin strips
Half an onion, sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine lime juice and cornstarch in a large bowl, and mix until cornstarch dissolves.Stir in all the seasonings to form a thick paste. Add chicken and veggies and stir to coat.Set aside. Lay a large piece of heavy-duty foil on a baking sheet and spray with nonstick spray.

Spoon chicken-veggie mixture into the center of the foil and spread it out a bit. Place another large piece of foil over the chicken-veggie mixture. Fold together and seal all four edges of the two foil pieces, forming a well-sealed packet.
Place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.
Let cool slightly. Using oven mitts, carefully flip packet over to mix contents, and then return to right-side-up. Cut packet to release steam before opening it entirely. (Careful—steam will be hot.) Enjoy!

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Per serving (½ of recipe): 244 calories, 2.5g fat,
716mg sodium, 13g carbs, 3g fiber, 5.5g sugars, 41.5g protein

http://www.booksamillioninc.com/save/images/hungry_girl/fajitas.pdf

Mashed Potatoe Casserole

Ingredients:

1 can corn, drained
1 C frozen peas
1 large can white chicken, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 - 1 can of milk
1 1/2 C cheddar cheese, shredded
Prepared mashed potatoes, serving size for 2
Pam non-stick spray


Directions:

Mix corn, peas, chicken, cream of mushroom soup, milk, 1 C of cheese. Put into a lightly greased casserole dish. Spread mashed potatoes on top and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes uncovered.

Jen's Easy Black Beans & Rice

Ingredients:
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 14- ounce bag of Seasoning Blend
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 15-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 14.5- ounce can of Hunts Fire Roasted Tomatoes w/ Garlic, diced
• 1 12.5- ounce can of chunk chicken breast (may be omitted to make vegetarian)
• 2 Tbsp white or red vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ Tbsp cilantro
• ½ - 1 cup water

Directions:

1 Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high. Sauté Seasoning Blend for 3-4 minutes, until just beginning to soften, then add garlic and sauté a minute more. Add the black beans, tomatoes, chicken, vinegar, water, and Tabasco or cayenne, oregano, and cilantro. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

2 Stir in rice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 6

Broccoli, Spinach, & Chicken Bake

This went over very well in my house. It is in my husband's top 5 favorite dishes now.




2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite size pieces, about 1 lb
2 (10-oz.) pkg. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 (10-oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
2 (10 3/4-oz.) cans cream of mushroom soup, regular or 98% fat free
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 small onion, diced
2 cups (8 oz.) sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup mayonnaise, regular or light
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 garlic clove
1 T olive oil
20-36 round buttery crackers, crushed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Cooking chicken:
Heat the olive oil in a pan. Sauté onion and garlic for 5 min and then add the cut up chicken. Cook for 5-10 min and then remove from heat when done.

Mix the first 11 ingredient together until combined. Spoon into a lightly greased 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with crushed crackers. Bake 45-50 minutes.

One Dish Chicken and Rice Bake

This is one of our favorite meals. I got this from a Campbell's soup label and have been making it for years. I think next time I make it I am going to use pork chops instead of chicken.

From: Campbell's Kitchen
Prep: 5 minutes
Bake: 45 minutes
Serves: 4

Chicken and rice paired with a creamy mushroom sauce bake together for a delicious one-dish meal that's easy to clean up.

Ingredients:

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1 cup water *
3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)

Directions:

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.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with a steamed vegetable blend and crusty whole wheat rolls. For dessert serve fresh apple slices and store-bought caramel sauce for dipping.

Nutrition Information

Using Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup : Calories 331, Total Fat 7g, Saturated Fat 2g, Cholesterol 76mg, Sodium 601mg, Total Carbohydrate 33g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Protein 30g, Vitamin A 2%DV, Vitamin C 0%DV, Calcium 2%DV, Iron 14%DV

Using Campbell's® Condensed 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup : Calories 312, Total Fat 5g, Saturated Fat 1g, Cholesterol 75mg, Sodium 454mg, Total Carbohydrate 33g, Dietary Fiber 1g, Protein 30g, Vitamin A 2%DV, Vitamin C 0%DV, Calcium 4%DV, Iron 14%DV

Tandoori Chicken with Jasmine Rice

1-2 T Tandoori Seasoning
1/3 C vegetable oil or yogurt
1/3 C vinegar or any type of citrus juice
1/3 C water
2-3 lbs of chicken

Mix all of the ingreidients together. Pour over quartered chicken and let marinade, overnight if possible, but 2-3 hours will also work.

Bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 min or until juices run clear.

I served this with jasmine rice and a salad.

Herbes de Provence Chicken Rub

Ingredients:

2 T butter
2 T Herbes de Provence
1 T olive oil
1 1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t pepper



Directions:

Stir 2 tablespoons of butter, the Herbes de Provence, oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of each the salt and pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat just until the butter melts. Rub the butter mixture all over the chicken.

Chicken with Rosemary

I used 4 chicken breasts for this and I baked it instead of broiling it.



3-4 pounds of any chicken of your choice.

Seasoning:
3 T lemon juice
1/4 C olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t minced fresh thyme or 1 t dried
2 t minced fresh rosemary or 1 t crumbled dried
Salt and pepper to taste
Melted unsalted butter for brushing chicken

Melted unsalted butter for brushing chicken
Salt and pepper

Make the seasoning: In a bowl combine all the ingredients well.

Arrange the chicken in a baking dish and brush the chicken with the seasoning. If time permits, let the chicken marinate, covered and chilled, turning occasionally, for at least 2 hours or overnight. Transfer chicken to a plate and pat dry.

Brush the chicken on all sides with the melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Broil the chicken, skin side down, under a preheated broiler about 6 inches from the heat, tuning and brushing them with the butter, for 45-50 min, or until the juices tun clear when a thigh is pricked.

Crockpot Chicken Curry

I served this with jasmine rice. It went over very well at our house!


Ingredients



• 1 green bell peppers, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 can of no salt added tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. coriander
• 1 1/2 tbsp. paprika
• 1 tbsp. ginger
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. cloves
• 1 cup of low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tbsp. cold water
• 4 tbsp. flour
•


Directions:

Place vegetables in crock-pot; place chicken on top. Mix together tomatoes, spices and chicken broth. Pour over chicken. Cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 5-6 hours. Remove meat and vegetables. Turn heat to high. Stir cornstarch into water. Add to crock-pot. Cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 15-20 minutes.

Grilled Ginger-Soy Chicken with Fried Rice

I did not grill this, I baked it at 425 degrees for 45 minutes. I also used a cut up whole chicken (about 7 lbs) with the skin on and so being I had so much chicken I doubled the marinade. It had a wonderful taste, next time I am going to grill it and used the skinless chicken breasts.


Grilled Ginger-Soy Chicken

Prep time: 10 minutes
Marinating time: 2 hours
Cooking time: 20 min
Servings: 8

¼ C reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 T minced fresh ginger
2 T honey
2 T miso paste
1 T minced garlic
2 t toasted sesame oil
¼ t red pepper flakes
8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (3-4 pounds total)
½ t kosher salt
1 C unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

In a large resealable plastic storage bag, combine the first seven ingredients. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Seal and chill for at least 2 hours.
Lightly coat a grill rack with vegetable oil spray. Heat the grill to medium for indirect heat. (If using a charcoal grill, position the coals on one half of grill. If using a gas grill, heat one side to high, the other to low.)
Remove the chicken from the marinade. Discard the marinade. Season the chicken with kosher salt.
Place the chicken on the hottest section of the grill. Cook for 10 minutes turning once. Move to the cooler section of the grill and cook 10 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165 degrees F. Sprinkle with peanuts.
317 calories per serving, 44 g protein, 8 g carbs, 12 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 99 mg cholesterol, 424 mg sodium, 2 g fiber


FRIED RICE

3 tablespoons oil, divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1 cup chopped cooked meat, poultry, or shrimp (I omitted the meat being I was serving it with chicken)
1/2 cup frozen sweet green peas
3 cups cooked rice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
Sliced green onions (optional) - Add at the end
Chopped almonds (optional) - Top each serving with a few toasted almonds

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add eggs, and gently stir 1 minute or until softly scrambled. Rremove eggs from skillet; chop and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in skillet; add onion and bell pepper, and stir-fry 3 minutes. Add chopped cooked meat, poultry, or shrimp and peas; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add rice, soy sauce, and chili-garlic sauce; stir-fry 3 to 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in scrambled eggs; sprinkle with green onions and almonds, if desired. Makes 4 servings

Honey Mustard Pecan Chicken

Ingredients:

1 C of French's Honey Mustard
4-6 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless
1-2 C pecans, chopped


Directions:

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste, lightly baste bottoms of the chicken breasts with the honey mustard and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Coat the top of the chicken breasts with the leftover honey mustard. May use more if you prefer. Sprinkle the chicken with the pecans and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 min or until done.

Baked Chicken with Lemon and Garlic

I served this with broccoi and cheese and penne rigate with some of the sauce spooned over the pasta. Everyone loved it, but next time Ryan requested I use thin spaghetti.



Ingredients:

12 to 18 small white onions, peeled*
**I did not have any onions, so I used Westpac Seasoning Blend that I had in the freezer, it has onions,celery, red peppers, green peppers, and parsley in it. It can be found in the freezer section at the grocery store. I also used my chopper to chop it into finer pieces. Olivia does not like big chunks.**

1 fryer chicken, about 3 1/2 to 4 pounds
**I used 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts**

1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
5 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 2 lemons, about 5 to 7 tablespoons
1 teaspoon dried tarragon (or use dried leaf thyme)
Salt, pepper, and paprika


Preparation:

*If using fresh onions, cut an X on the root end, boil for 3 minutes then cool in ice water and slip skins off.

Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or olive oil. Heat oven to 375°.

Quarter the chicken, if using a fryer chicken. Wash chicken and pat dry.

Combine wine, broth, garlic, lemon juice, and tarragon or thyme and onions; pour over chicken.
**There will be more than enough liquid, spoon some of this over your noodles.**

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika. Bake for 15 minutes. Baste and return to bake for 15 to 25 minutes longer, or until chicken is cooked through and browned.

Baked Chicken & Fiesta Potatoes

Baked Chicken

4 chicken breasts sprinkled with Chef Prudhomme's Magic Seasoning Blends, Poultry Magic.

Bake at 425 for 45 min or until done.


Fiesta Potatoes

5-6 med red potatoes, diced
1 packet of taco or fiesta seasoning
1 small onion, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1 T olive oil

Line a baking sheet with some aluminum foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.

Put the potatoes in a bowl, add olive oil, stir until the potatoes are all coated. Mix in the onions, peppers, and taco or fiesta seasoning.

Cover the potatoes with another piece of foil and pinch the edges closed.

Bake at 425 for 45 min. If you prefer your potatoes to have a more crunchy texture you can bake uncovered.


Serve with vegetable of your choice or a nice salad.

Potatoes are very good dipped in ranch dressing or topped with salsa, sour cream, or cheese sauce (you can do all of it if you are feeling adventurous!)

The leftover potatoes are great when mixed in a ham and cheese omelet the next day.

Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya

2/3 C Bacon Drippings or lard
2 medium onions, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
1 lb chicken, cut into bite size pieces*
1 1/2 lbs smoked sausage, cut into bite-sized rounds
2 C long grain, white rice (not instant)
2 large tomatoes, peeled & chopped**
3 C beef broth or pork stock if you have it
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/4 t red (cayenne) pepper or to taste
Salt to taste
12 green onions chopped(tops and bottoms)
1/2 C minced parsley, preferably flat-leaf

Chop all of your vegetables ahead of time; I even browned my chicken a bit.

In a heavy 8 qt Dutch oven, melt drippings or lard over medium heat. Add onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic; cook until vegetables are wilted and transparent, about 5 min. Add chicken and sausage; cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is lightly browned, about 8 min. Add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until rice is light golden brown, about 5 min. Add tomatoes; stir until combined. Cook 2 min. Stir in stock or broth. Add seasonings. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer until rice is tender and no liquid remains, 45 min or so. Taste for seasoning; adjust if necessary. Add green onions and parsley. Cover and cook 5 min. Serve hot. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Serve this with a salad and some french bread. I did not have any french bread so I made some beer bread from Tastefully Simple and it went great with it!


*The original recipe called for ham; I did not have any so I used chicken instead.

**I used a large can of petite diced tomatoes with the juices instead of fresh.


Terry Thompson, Cajun-Creole Cooking

Oven-Baked Chicken & Browned Butter Vegtables with Almonds

Along with the chicken and broccoli, we had baked potatoes. This meal was a great success in our house last night. The vegetable dish calls for broccoli and cauliflower, but I used only broccoli. Olivia ate everything and loved it even though she had me make a small alteration to her broccoli. She had me put some shredded cheese on top of her broccoli, and put it in the microwave for a few seconds so it would melt.





Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour
Servings: 5

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2/3 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (3 to 3 1/2 pound) cut-up whole chicken (I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Melt butter in rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches, in oven.
2. Stir together Bisquick, paprika, salt and pepper; coat chicken. Place skin sides down in dish (dish and butter should be hot).
3. Bake 35 minutes; turn chicken. Bake about 15 minutes longer or until juice is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Oven-Baked-Chicken/Detail.aspx
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2009 Allrecipes.com


Browned Butter Vegetables with Almonds


Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 30 Minutes
Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon garlic pepper
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
2 tablespoons white wine
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups chopped broccoli
2 cups chopped cauliflower

DIRECTIONS:
1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Season with garlic salt and garlic pepper. Mix in almonds and cook until golden brown. Stir in wine, onion, red bell pepper, broccoli and cauliflower. Cook 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.


http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Browned-Butter-Vegetables-with-Almonds/Detail.aspx
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2009 Allrecipes.com