Chicken Parmigiana

To make the breaded chicken breasts:
1 c unseasoned bread crumbs
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
1 T minced fresh parsley or basil
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c flour
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3 c olive oil

Combine bread crumbs, cheese, and seasonings. Set aside. Coat the chicken with the flour. Shake off any excess. Dip chicken in beaten egg, then coat in the bread crumb mixture, patting with your fingers to make it stick. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken for several minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan, and blot dry with a paper towel to remove excess oil.

To make the Italian Tomato Sauce:
2 T olive oil
1/3 c finely chopped parsley
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c fresh basil leaves, chopped, or 1 sprig each of rosemary, sage, and thyme
1 large can diced tomatoes (28 oz)
1 small can diced tomatoes (15 oz)
1 T tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large skillet. Add parsley, onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until onions are golden brown. Add garlic and basil. Cook, stirring for about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered until sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes (remove herb sprigs).

Now to put it all together:
Breaded chicken breasts
2 c Italian tomato sauce
3/4 c grated parmesan cheese
6 oz mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Heat oven to 350. Lightly oil a 9x13 baking pan. Spoon 1 c Italian tomato sauce into bottom of pan. Arrange chicken over the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 c parmesan cheese. Spoon the remainder (1 cup) of tomato sauce over chicken. Top with mozzarella cheese and remainder of parmesan cheese. Cover the pan with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, and place under broiler for 1-2 minutes more to brown top. Serve over pasta.

Chicken Broccoli Bake

2 c cooked rice
4 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 c flour
2 T olive oil
broccoli spears (I usually buy 1 medium bunch of broccoli)
1 c milk
1 package cream chees (8 oz)
1/2 - 1 t garlic salt
1 t paprika
ground black pepper
1/2 c grated cheese (whatever you have - cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan)

Coat chicken in flour. Shake off excess. Heat oil in large skillet. Brown chicken pieces. Remove from heat. Steam broccoli until just tender. In saucepan combine milk, cream cheese, seasonings, and 1/2 of grated cheese. Cook over medium heat, stirring until thick (a few minutes).

Put rice in bottom of 9x13 pan. Cover with broccoli, then chicken. Pour sauce over and then top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

Chicken Mango Curry

2 - 3 chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 c flour
salt and pepper
2 T olive oil
1 mango, cut into bite sized pieces
1 can pineapple chunks, drained, but save the juice
1" fresh ginger, grated, or finely minced
1 small onion, diced
3 t curry powder
1 c chicken stock
1/2 c plain or vanilla yoghurt

Coat chicken pieces in flour with salt and pepper. Shake off excess flour. Heat oil in large skillet. Brown chicken for several minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Brown onions in skillet along with fresh ginger for a several minutes. Add mango, pineapple, and curry powder and cook for 1 minute while stirring. Add juice from pineapple and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Return chicken to pan and stir in yoghurt. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

Turkey Burgers

1 lb ground turkey
1 small zucchini
1 red bell pepper
1 onion
blue cheese

Put vegetables in food processor until diced finely. Mix with ground turkey. Form into patties. Grill. When cooked, top with blue cheese.

Quick Chicken Cacciatori

This recipe is so quick, easy, and tasty. It's my mother-in-law's recipe.

1-2 lbs chicken tenders
1 can diced tomatoes (or I have used crushed tomatoes)
2 carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, cut in half
1 garlic clove, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
oregano
basil
other seasonings to taste

Place chicken tenders in pot. Add all other ingredients. Cover and simmer on medium-low until chicken is done, and carrots are starting to soften. Remove celery stalk before serving. Serve over noodles or rice.

Sheryl's Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is one of my favorite chicken recipes. It is so yummy! It is taken from the Lion House cookbook.

3 lbs chicken breasts

1 t garlic salt

1/2 t black pepper

1 beaten egg

4-6 T cornstarch or flour

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Let stand one hour or more. Preheat oven to 325. Dip chicken in egg, then coat in cornstarch or flour. Brown in hot oil. Place in baking dish. Cover with the following sauce. Bake uncovered for 1 hour, turning chicken once or twice.

3/4 c sugar
1/2 c vinegar
1/2 c chicken broth
3 1/2 T ketchup
1 T soy sauce

Combine in small saucepan and heat.

Crock Pot Chicken Tenders

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Mary.

1 lb chicken tenders

1 3 oz pkg cream cheese

1/2 pkg Italian salad dressing mix

2 cans cream of chicken soup

Put chicken in crock pot, add cream cheese, Italian dressing, and soup. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Serve over egg noodles or rice. 

Lasagna

This is Jason's mom's recipe for Lasagna. It is Jason's favorite. 

Sauce:

1 1/2 lbs ground meat

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 onion, chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 t oregano

1 t basil

1 t parsley

salt and pepper

1 large can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

Brown meat. Add garlic, onion, celery, bell pepper, and seasonings. Cook for several minutes, until onions begin to soften. Add tomatoes and sauce. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Filling:

1 c ricotta cheese

1 c cottage cheese

1 c mozzarella cheese

1 c cheddar cheese

1/2 of small package of frozen spinach, cooked and drained well

1 egg

Mix all ingredients together.

Pasta:

1 box lasagna

Cook pasta as directed on package until "al dente" (not hard, not soft). Lay each piece of pasta on towel after cooking while waiting to put meal together.

Now it is time to put it all together. Put half of the meat sauce in bottom of 9x13 pan. Cover with pasta, then cheese mixture, then more pasta, then remaining meat sauce. Top with grated cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, until edges are bubbly. Remove from oven and let stand 20 minutes before serving. 

Chicken Tikka Masala II

4 chicken breasts cut into 1" pieces
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1" fresh ginger, chopped
14 oz can diced tomatoes
4 T plain yogurt
1 onion, diced
2 T oil
2 T masala curry
salt and pepper
1 T flour
1/4 c water
3 T chopped cilantro

Put garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and yogurt in blender until smooth. Set aside.

In large skillet heat oil. Add onions. Brown onions for 3-4 minutes. Add masala curry and fry for 1 more minute, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato mixture and chicken to onions. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix cornstarch with water and slowly add to tomato mixture. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Before serving add cilantro. Serve over rice.

Honey Chicken Over Snow Pea Rice

Here's another great recipe that comes from a friend.

1 T butter

1 1/2 c long grain rice

salt and pepper

5 c chicken stock

zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 large handfulls of snowpeas

2 T olive oil

2 lbs chicken, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1 large onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

3 inch piece of fresh ginger - peeled and grated

3 T honey

1 T cornstarch

Melt butter in saucepan. Add rice and salt and pepper. Lightly brown rice for a few minutes. Add 3 1/2 c chicken stock and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and let simmer for about 20 minutes. When rice has only about 3 minutes more to cook, lift lid and add snowpeas. Don't stir them in, just throw them on top of the rice. When rice is done, fluff rice, mixing in the snowpeas.

While rice is cooking, heat large skillet over medium heat. Add oil. Brown chicken for several minutes. Add salt and pepper, pepper flakes, onion, garlic, ginger, and honey. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring frequently. Add remaining 1 1/2 c chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Mix cornstarch with a little bit of water. Add to chicken mixture. Mix thoroughly and cook for 2 more minutes until sauce thickens. Add lemon juice.

Serve the chicken over the rice.

*Tip for using fresh ginger* Store fresh ginger in the freezer (inside a freezer safe bag). It keeps longer and is easier to grate. When grating frozen ginger there is also no need to peel it before you grate it.

Taco Casserole

I just found this recipe that I had got from a friend years ago. I was hesitant to try it, because it didn't sound very good. My husband and I were both pleasantly surprised at the outcome. I will be making it again soon. It was so easy. I put it together in the morning and let it sit in the fridge until I was ready to put it in the oven. 

1 lb ground beef or turkey

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 pkg taco seasoning

8 oz taco sauce (1 cup)

1 c sour cream

1 c cottage cheese

1 c crushed tortilla chips

1 c cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 400. Grease bottom of 2 qt casserole dish. 

In a skillet brown ground meat. Add onion, pepper, and garlic and cook until vegetables are tender. Add seasoning mix and taco sauce.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese.

Place half of the crushed chips in bottom of casserole dish. Add meat mixture, followed by cheese mixture. Top with cheese and remaining chips. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Brownies w/Carrots and Spinach

Ok - so I'm sure the title has turned you off, but you really should try them. I just got this recipe from a friend, and they actually are yummy. They might not be the most incredible brownie I've ever tasted, but I definitely enjoyed eating it. Here it goes.

3 oz semi sweet chocolate
1/2 c carrot puree
1/2 c spinach puree
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c cocoa
2 T butter
2 t vanilla
2 egg whites
3/4 c flour (or oat flour)
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

Melt chocolate, being careful not to burn it (use a double boiler, or very low heat). In large bowl combine melted chocolate, carrot and spinach purees, sugar, cocoa, butter, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Add egg whites. Mix well. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until blended. Bake at 350 in a greased 8"x8" pan. Cool completely before cutting and serving. DO NOT SERVE UNTIL COOLED COMPLETELY. The brownies loose the taste of spinach as they cool.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

1 1/2 cups oil
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded carrots
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup raisins

In large bowl, beat oil, flour, sugars, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, soda and salt. Stir in the carrots, pecans, and raisins, and mix well. Pour batter into two greased and floured 9" cake pans. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on cooling rack. Frost with Cream Cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package cream cheese (8 oz)
1/4 c butter
splash of milk
about 4 c powdered sugar (I don't measure it)
1 t vanilla

Beat butter and cream cheese together until creamy. Add milk and gradually add powdered sugar until desired consistency. Add vanilla. Put layer of frosting in between both layers of cake. Frost top and sides of cake. For extra decoration, cover sides of cake with chopped pecans.

Baklava

This is a Mediterranean pastry that is SOOOOO delicious. It takes a lot of work to make, but is worth it! Plan on about an hour to put together after all the prep work is done (syrup made, nuts ground and seasoned).

SYRUP
2 cups honey
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks(or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
lemon peel(without pith - 4 inch-long piece)
orange peel(without pith - 4 inch-long piece)

PASTRY
4 cups coarsley ground walnuts (the fresher the nuts you use, the
better it will taste)
2 cups coarsley ground almonds
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 lb phyllo dough
1 lb unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS (make first so that it can cool to room temperature)
In a small saucepan, combine honey, sugar and water. Bring to a slow
boil, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Add lemon
juice, cinnamon sticks and peels and cook over a medium heat for 10
minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove peels and cinnamon sticks
and allow to come to room temperature before using.

In a medium bowl combine walnuts, almonds, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg,
ground cloves and 3 tablespoons melted butter and mix thoroughly.

Place filo between sheets of waxed paper and cover with a slightly
damp towel to prevent filo from drying out. Brush bottom and sides of
an 18"x12" (cookie sheet) pan generously with melted butter. Place 8
filo sheets into bottom of pan, brushing each sheet generously with
butter. Take an additional 4 sheets of filo and place in pan allowing
sheets to drape over each of the 4 sides of pan. Brush these with
melted butter. Spread 2 cups of nut mixture into pan, distrubuting
evenly over bottom. Fold over the overlapping filo sheets brushing
each with butter, to envelop the nut mixture. Repeat layering process
2 more times to form 3 nut layers. Top pastry with remaining filo
dough and generously brush top layer with melted butter. Tuck in the
buttered filo neatly around.

Score through top layers of pastry with a sharp knife making 6 strips
lengthwise then cut 10 strips diagonally to form diamond shaped
pieces. Stud each diamond-shaped piece (and any odd looking ones near
the ends of the pan) in the centre with a whole clove per piece. Pour
remaining melted butter over pastry and lightly sprinkle some water on
top too (wet your hand under the tap twice and shake this out over the
pastry). Bake pastry in a 325 degree oven for 1 hour, until nicely
golden-brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Carefully spoon cool syrup
over pastry. Allow to stand at least 3 hours or overnight. Cut through
the scored pieces and serve.

Rice Pudding

This recipe is adapted from the Lion House Recipes book.

2 cups cooked rice (I use the short grain brown rice that Costco sells)
2 1/4 cups milk (I use vanilla soy milk) (If you want a richer flavor, substitute 1/4 c milk with 1/4 c evaporated milk)
1 T cornstarch
1/4 t salt
1/2 c plus 2 T sugar or other sweetener
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/8 t nutmeg
1/8 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla
1/2 c raisins

Combine cornstarch, salt, sugar in small bowl and mix well. Scald milk in a saucepan. Slowly add the sugar mixture, stirring continuously until it begins to boil. Add cooked rice, and continue to stir until it begins to boil again. Pour a little of the hot mixture into the beaten eggs while stirring rapidly. Then add it into the mixture in the saucepan and stir until it is thickened (only a couple minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in spices, vanilla, and raisins (I steam my raisins for a few minutes to plump them up a little). Serve hot or cold. We like it so much that I always make a double batch.

Black Bean Soup

My mom just gave me this recipe. It is so easy and delicious!

2 can black beans (drained)
1 can chicken broth (about 2 cups)
1 cup salsa
1/2 t cumin
1 t paprika

Simmer in pot about 15 minutes. Put half of the soup in the blender until smooth, then return to the remaining soup in pot. Stir and serve.

Top with: sour cream, cheese, avocado, limes, tortilla chips

White Fish in Tomato Sauce

Combine the following: (this also works well if you replace the fish with chicken breasts)

2 T cornstarch
1 t salt
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t chili powder
1 t ginger powder
1 t ground fennel
1 t coriander

Coat 2 medium fish fillets (tilapia or cod work well) with above mixture.

Heat large skillet pan over medium heat. Add 1-2 T olive oil. Once oil is hot, add fish fillets. Cook several minutes on each side (until fish is done). Remove from pan and set aside.

To make sauce combine the following in a bowl:

2 T tomato paste
1 t garam masala
1 t fresh ginger (grated)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 t salt
3/4 c water
pinch of pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 cinnamon stick

Heat skillet. Add sauce and simmer on low for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add fish fillets and cook another 2 minutes or so. Garnish with chopped cilantro and mint. Serve with mashed potatoes.