Girlfriend Charming Chicken Salad

12 oz. of your favorite spring mix greens

1 cup sliced heart of palm

4 oz. crumbled gorgonzola cheese

2 avocados, sliced into bite-sized chunks

3 oz. candied pecans (we like the Sweet & Spicy Pecans from Trader Joe’s)

10 oz. chopped cooked chicken breast (approximately 2 breasts)

Dressing: Rapidly whisk together 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, juice from two lemons (preferably Meyer lemons) and 1 clove (or more to your preference) crushed garlic.  Salt to taste.

Toss salad together and top sparingly with salad dressing. Et voila! Enjoy friends and share with your girlfriends!

Jen & Frank’s Chicken Parisienne (cuz I did it my way!)

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed (had in freezer chopped up from massive family value purchase)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1 can (10-12 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom soup), undiluted

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup frozen peas

8 oz sour cream

12 oz package of egg noodles (I used spinach flat noodles)

1. Place chicken in crock pot.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika.  Add soup, mushrooms, wine and peas.  Mix well.  Cover and cook on high 2 – 3 hours.

2. Add sour cream during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

3. Prepare egg noodles as directed.

4. Spoon crock pot chicken and sauce over egg noodles and serve.

This first attempt from the new cookbook got sidetracked right off the bat because my grocer didn’t have turkey cutlets, so now it’s Chicken Tetrazzini, and I made a few changes to suit my families tastes.  For the original recipe feel free to click the link, but our dinner turned out fantastic.  I’d definetly categorize this dinner in the comfort food category.  It was sumptuous and satisfying.  It’s a great weeknight meal and it’s something that I think would be best prepared during the day, refrigerated (maybe even for more flavor), then popped in the oven for dinner.  It could easily serve six along side another veggie (I made green beans) and garlic bread if you do that sort of thing.  My only complaint is that it created too many dirty dishes because god knows I hate doing the dishes.  In fact, as a write this, they are still all over my counter.  That’s next on my list.  So let’s get on with it so I can clean up.  Enjoy!

Turkey Chicken Tetrazzini

10 oz spaghetti

2 tsp canola oil

1 lb chicken cutlets

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp dry sherry

8 oz sliced mushrooms

2 tsp minced garlic

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

3/4 cup milk (we use 2% in our house)

2/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

Cooking spray

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2.  Cook spaghetti according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.  Drain.

3.  Chop up chicken cutlets into bite-size pieces.  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat then add chicken to pan.  Sprinkle chicken with onion powder, salt and pepper.  Cook until done.

4.  Add mushrooms, sherry and garlic to another pan.  Cover and cook on medium 4 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.

5.  Combine peas and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir well.  Add turkey, pasta and mushroom mixture to bowl and stir until combined.  Pour mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

6.  Combine breadcrumbs and butter in a small bowl until evenly mixed.  Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over pasta mixture.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until bubbly and thoroughly heated.  Remove and let set for 5 minutes to set.

This Tasty Tuesday meal imbues me with the same feeling.  There is something tender and comforting in this dinner that is reminiscent of a warm country house and a home cooked meal.  It just feels good.  It has an immutable quality of hearty warmth and down-home flavor.

You could say this dish’s long lost cousin is chicken fried steak, but I only go there when I’m in Texas.  This is the classier Californian with a touch of European sauciness.  You’ll love it.  Be sure to serve the bottle of white wine that you use in the recipe.  I also pair the entrée with crisp green beans and a long grain and wild rice side prepared from a box.

Like many of my recipe ideas, this one is inspired by The Best of Sunset Weeknight (2004) Chicken in Orange Cream, but now with a little of Not Just Another Jen thrown in.

Country Orange Cream Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

¼ cup of all-purpose flour, plus 1 Tbsp later for sauce

2 Tbsp butter

½ cup white wine* (plus a splash more for good measure)

1 Tbsp (minimum) orange peel**

¼ cup fresh orange juice**

2 Tbsp chopped green onion

2 tsp sugar

1 Tbsp minced garlic

½ tsp dried tarragon

½ cup sour cream

1.  Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.  Add ¼ cup of flour in a shallow bowl.  Turn chicken in flour to coat sides well.

2.  In a 12- to 14-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat, melt butter.  When hot, add chicken.  Cover if breasts are meaty and cook 10-13 minutes, turning once, until chicken is golden brown on surface and no longer pink in the center of the thickest part of breast (cut to test).

3.  While chicken is cooking, mix wine, orange peel, juice from orange**, green onion, sugar, garlic and tarragon in a glass measuring cup or small mixing bowl.  Pour over the chicken. Cover and simmer to blend the flavors 3 minutes on low.

4.  Using tongs, transfer chicken to a platter and keep warm.  In the same mixing bowl as the wine-orange sauce on chicken, mix together sour cream and 1 Tbsp of flour, and then whisk mixture into sauce in pan.  Whisk, scraping to release any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Simmer sauce, whisking until thickened and well blended 2-3 minutes.

5.  Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

*  Tonight’s white wine was Donovan-Parke’s Chardonnay Reserve straight from the BevMo 5-Cent Wine Sale

**  Once I zest the orange, I cut it in half and squeeze whatever juice I can out of it.  I try to get somewhere between 3 Tbsp to 4 Tbsp (equivalent to ¼ cup).  If the fresh orange doesn’t produce that much juice, I’ll throw in a splash of orange juice.

Cheers friends!

From Sunset Magazine-Feb 2009-Photo: Iain Bagwell-Styling: Dan Becker

Sometimes I know we can get in a chicken dinner rut, but here’s a new one for the repertoire. I love the mix of flavors in this dish and the boys love it because it has dried apricots in it. So it’s sweet and flavorful. Typically, I serve this dish with a side of broccoli or lemon green beans. I hope you like it as much as we do.

Of course this meal comes from a Sunset magazine publication (Best Recipes 2010). Truly it’s because of Sunset that I know how to cook (ok, my GBF should get some credit too). But if it weren’t for Sunset’s great pictures, I would never try anything new. I’m totally serious about that. Below is the recipe that was originally featured in Sunset, February 2009. The link is available if want to see the original. My comments are in [brackets].

This meal can serve 4 and takes 30 minutes to cook so it’s great for weeknight dinners and excellent for leftovers.

Chicken with Tomatoes, Apricots & Chickpeas

4 boned, skinned chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds total)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
1 ½ ground coriander
¼ tsp cayenne
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots [I eyeball this, so it’s probably more]
1 Tbsp sugar
3 garlic cloves [also eyeballed, so it’s likely more]
1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas drained and rinsed [a.k.a. garbanzo beans]
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Sprinkle chicken all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, then add cumin, coriander and cayenne; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. [I know that sounds weird. I’ve also just put all those spices in a ramekin then sprinkled it on top of the chicken while it cooks. I’m sure there is some purpose to ‘browning’ the spices, but I’m not that fancy.] Add chicken and cook until golden brown on underside, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook until brown on the other side, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

2. Stir in tomatoes, apricots, sugar and garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and return chicken to pan. Cook, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. [Typically I spoon the sauce over the chicken while it finishes cooking.] Stir in chickpeas and parsley, and cook until heated through.

Asparagus with Orange and Basil Sauce [with Chicken]

Note: Delicate asparagus is gently scented with orange zest and basil (mint would also be nice). A sprinkling [or more] of subtle Asiago cheese allows each ingredient to shine equally.

¾ pound pencil-thin asparagus [or whatever your grocer sells banded with a rubberband]

1 garlic clove, finely chopped [or more]

Grated zest of 1 large orange [and the juice inside, you don’t want it to go to waste!]

¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper

½ cup fresh basil leaves, cut into strips

¼ cup freshly grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

1. Bend asparagus gently to snap off the tough ends (they break naturally at the right point); discard ends. Cut spears into 1 ½-inch lengths.  Set aside.
2. Combine garlic, orange zest, [juice from orange that you just zested], butter, salt and pepper in pasta serving bowl.  Set aside to warm to room temperature or, preferably place the bowl (be sure it’s heat proof) over the pasta pot to warm the ingredients and melt the butter while heating the water.  Once the water comes to a boil, remove bowl and set aside. [First of all, I only salt and pepper after the fact and to taste.  Secondly, I’ve only set my bowls on top of the boiling water once and it may be why it cracked.  Not recommended.  Use your brain because evidently I didn’t.]
3. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted [or not] water until almost al dente.  As asparagus and cook until tender, but still bright green, about 1-2 minutes [if it’s thicker than a pencil do 3 minutes].  Drain pasta and asparagus well and immediately add to sauce in bowl.  Sprinkle with basil and Asiago cheese and toss.  Serve at once with [lots of] extra Asiago cheese.
4. [ I use frozen chicken breast strips to add protein to this meal.  Simply place frozen strips on plate in microwave and defrost.  Pour in along with Step #3 above and toss.]

Serves 2 to 4.  Recommended Pasta: 8 ounces bowties (farfalle).  [or whatever kind of “meaty” pasta you have in your cupboard.  I don't recommend spaghetti or linguine type noodles.]

Serve with wine (of course) and enjoy!

Rosemary-Fig Chicken with Port

From my favorite recent cookbook purchase, Cooking Light’s Fresh Food Fast (2009)

My comments are in [brackets]

½ tsp salt

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp pepper

4 (6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Butter-flavored cooking spray [Pam works]

2/3 cup fig preserves [only 1 jar in all the massive jelly selection at my grocery store, but SO worth it…find it!]

1 Tbs minced fresh rosemary

6 Tbs port or other sweet red wine

1. Sprinkle first 3 ingredients evenly over chicken.  Coat chicken with cooking spray.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned.  [While that’s cooking] Combine fig preserves, rosemary, and wine in a bowl; add to chicken, stirring gently.  Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook 6 minutes [it ended up being about 15 minutes for my fat breasts…lol].  Uncover and cook 1 minute over medium-high heat or until sauce is slightly thick.  Serve sauce over chicken.  Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast and 3 Tbs sauce).

I served this with a spinach salad topped with goat cheese (OMG I can’t get enough of it) and cranberries and a cous cous/harvest grain blend in a bag from Trader Joes.  If you’re not that fancy then Rice-A-Roni works well too (god knows we use it a lot too!).  So good!  Add to repertoire, especially for guests.

Enjoy and cheers!

From Cooking Light, Nov. 2003

I’m in a comfort food binge.  I think fall does it to me every time.  Here is a great recipe that I found for Green Chile-Chicken Casserole online.  It’s so good you’ll want to make it in a big casserole dish so you can have left overs.  This easily fed 3 adults and 4 kids (had a friend & her kids over) with a small take home for our guest.  Yes, even the kids loved it!

This is my favorite kind of recipe – throw in a bunch of ingredients into pan and mix.  Then throw in a bit more into casserole pan (or crock pot) then let bake for 30 minutes and viola!  Easy, breezy and Yum! Yum!

Green Chile-Chicken Casserole

From Cooking Light, November 2003

My notes are in [brackets]

1 1/3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 cup canned chopped green chilies, drained

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup fat-free sour cream

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 (10 ½-oz.) cans condensed 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 garlic clove [I end up using more than one clove, for sure]

Cooking spray

24 (6-inch) corn tortillas [I ended up not using that many, but whatever]

4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound) [I use the grilled chopped frozen variety that I defrost in the microwave before putting in casserole]

2 cups (8 oz.) finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese [I like the Mexican blend]

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the first 9 ingredients (though the garlic) in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly [well close enough].  Remove from heat.

Spread 1 cup soup mixture in a 13×9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Arrange 6 [whatever covers the pan] tortillas over the soup mixture, and top with 1 cup chicken and ½ cup [read: handful of] cheese.  Repeat layers, ending with the cheese.  Spread remaining soup mixture over cheese.  [Sprinkle a bit more cheese on top.]  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Cheers, friends!  I hope you enjoy!

P.S.  Mine always turns out a bit soupier than the picture.  I think the picture looks too dry.  Maybe that’s because they really do use 24 tortillas!

1) easy

2) tasty

3) kids like it too

4) so very little prep & clean up

Here’s a good recipe from The New Creative Crock Pot Cookbook (2001) by Robin Taylor Swatt (oh thank you Sharon, my MIL, for getting me hooked on slow cooking).  Prep took about 10 minutes.  Throw it in the pot and stir occasionally.  Oh, so easy.

1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts (in my case 2 breasts)

1-14 oz can of tomatoes, drained and diced

1-14 oz can of artichoke hearts in water, drained

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

1 cup nonfat chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine (drink another 2 glasses for yourself)

3 Tbs quick cooking tapioca

2 tsp curry powder

1 Tbs fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 tsp dried sweet basil

1 tsp dried thyme leaves

½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in the Crock Pot slow cooker. Mix thoroughly. Cover; cook on Low 6-8 hours or on High for 3½-4 hours.  Makes 6 servings; 4 grams of fat per serving.

I served this dish on brown rice with a side of green beans (which were frozen and I simply put in the microwave for 4 minutes).  Also I only cooked the meal in the crock pot for 3 hours and it was just fine and yummy, delicious.

Cheers, friends!

P.S. I’d like to thank The Sister Project for the image that I lifted.  LOVE your site!