LEMON CHICKEN WITH OLIVES AND RICOTTA CHEESE

Lemon and chicken create a perfect combination of flavor. Lemon is a great addition frankly to most dishes. Everyone needs recipes for chicken and this one is fast and delicious.

Ingredients:

8 (no boil-oven ready) lasagna noodles

1 tbl + 1 tsp olive oil

1 lemon

4 boneless chicken breasts cut half

1 cup pitted green olives

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Fresh rosemary for garnish.

In a large stock pot, bring 3 inches of water to a boil and add noddles and 1 tsp olive oil. Cover and cook 6 minutes or until tender, drain. Lay noodles on a single layer of wax paper, cover and set aside.

Zest the lemon and set zest aside. Cut the lemon in half and cut one of the halves into wedges and juice the other half. Sprinkle the chicken with half the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.

In a large saute pan heat 1 tbl olive oil, and add chicken to the pan. Cook about 10 minutes, turning once until the chicken is no longer pink. Add olives and heat through.

In a bowl combine lemon juice, ricotta cheese, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Place bowl in a microwave and heat for 30 seconds. Spoon ricotta mixture into four bowls, top with noodles, then chicken and olives. Garnish with remaining lemon zest, wedges and rosemary and serve.

ANOTHER GREAT CHICKEN DISH!

ENJOY!

PARMESAN CRUSTED CHICKEN WITH MASHED CAULIFLOWER

I have to admit...not a big fan of mashed potatoes....mashed cauliflower is a whole different thing...it has so much more texture and flavor than potatoes, never mind the healthy aspect, just don't over cook it...well and then let's not forget the cheese....
This is a great recipe if you have leftover chicken too!!!! You could use turkey too!!

Ingredients:

3 cups cauliflower coarsely chopped
1/4 cup water
16 oz chicken tenders
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
3 tbl panko breadcrumbs
2 tbl unsalted butter
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt
pepper
fresh Italian parsely

Preheat broiler
Steam the cauliflower for about 10-15 minutes and drain. Keep warm
Season chicken with rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and broil for 5 minutes a side.
In a bowl stir together mayonnaise, 1/4 cup parmesan and panko breadcrumbs. Spread over the chicken and cook another 2 minutes until the topping is golden brown. Add butter and remaining parmesan to the cauliflower and mash until not quite smooth. Cut up the chicken pieces and add to the mashed cauliflower. Top with Italian parsely as a garnish

A Great Casserole!
ENJOY!

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP - EASY!

Well it is 60 degrees here....haven't seen that in months...got the windows and doors open....BUT we all know winter hasn't completely left us and some night we will want a nice hot bowl of soup...and this one is so easy and quick ....like 15 minutes quick.

Ingredients:

2 tbl canola oil

3 corn tortillas cut into strips

1 cup red or green salsa (homemade or store bought)

28 oz low sodium chicken broth

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 large zucchini chopped

1 cup cooked corn kernels

garnishes of sour cream, cilantro and lime wedges

In a saute pan heat oil over medium heat and add tortilla strips. Cook until crisp and drain on paper towel.

In a saucepan, combine salsa and broth and bring to a boil. Add chicken, corn and zucchini and heat through.

Ladle into soup bowls and top with tortilla strips and garnish with sour cream, cilantro and lime.

STAY WARM!

ENJOY!

QUICK CHICKEN WEEK - HAWAIIAN CHICKEN

If only we were all in Hawaii after all this cold and snow. This recipe counts on the marinade. So if there are other flavors you think you would like in this...GO FOR IT! I serve this with some nice brown rice with a little fresh Italian parsley garnish. A combination of red and yellow peppers sauteed with a little marinade on them would be a great addition. This recipe requires the chicken to marinade for at least 4 hours but can certainly go longer. You could marinade before you leave for work and all you have to do when you get home is make rice and saute the chicken...20 minutes!!!!!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1 tbl rice wine vinegar

2 tbl ketchup

2 tbl low sodium soy sauce

1-1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot minced

4 boneless chicken breasts

salt

pepper

non-stick cooking spray

prepared rice with fresh Italian parsley garnish

Combine first 7 ingredients. Reserve 1/2 cup marinade and pour remaining marinade in ziploc plastic bag. Add the chicken to the bag and swish it around and chill for at least 4 hours up to 12 hours.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Remove chicken from bag and through the bag out with marinade. Salt and pepper the chicken and add to the pan. Baste with 2 tbl reserved marinade. Cook total time is about 6-7 minutes turning once and basting with 2 more tbl marinade. Serve with rice.

ALOHA!

ENJOY!

QUICK CHICKEN WEEK - COCONUT CHICKEN

This couldn't be easier and more delicious. I love coconut chicken and shrimp. For this recipe you want to use boneless chicken breasts cut into 1/2 in strips. This is very affordable too and kids love them. I just buy a prepared mango-type salsa..but many store products would work depending on your taste....chili sauce, corn salsa, etc.

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts cut into strips

1 cup flour

1 cup whole buttermilk

1 large egg

1 lime zested

1-1/2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut

4 tbl canola oil

salt

pepper

Store bought salsa/sauce

Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and lime zest toss to coat. Create a breading station by pouring flour in a shallow plate, combining buttermilk and egg in a shallow dish and place coconut in a separate plate. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess, dredge in egg mixture and dredge in coconut.

Heat large saute pan with oil on medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan when hot and cook about 6-7 minutes until done turning once in the process. Drain and serve immediately with your choice of sauce. Makes an excellent appetizer or a main course with a salad or rice.

STAY WARM!

ENJOY!

QUICK CHICKEN WEEK - CHICKEN WITH CHERRY TOMATOES AND CAPERS

Who doesn't love chicken in tomatoes.....YUM! I add some garlic, shallots and capers to add a little sweet/tangy addition to the tomatoes. Again, this recipe is best with chicken cutlets which are thin sliced boneless breasts. If you cannot find cutlets, buy boneless breasts and slice them in half lengthwise and pound to about 1/2 inch thick. Olives would be a nice addition but carry a few calories!!!

Ingredients:

4 chicken cutlets
3 tbl olive oil
5 garlic cloves minced
2 shallots minced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 cup capers drained and rinsed
1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
salt
pepper
fresh basil chopped for garnish

In a saute pan heat 2 tbl olive oil in a pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and add to the pan. Cook on each side about 3 minutes and transfer to a plate to keep warm. To the same saute pan, add remaining oil. Cook garlic and shallots to the pan. Saute for about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth and capers. Cook about 5 minutes and serve over chicken and garnish with basil leaves.
Serve with steamed vegetables or a nice dinner salad. The chicken portion has about 300 calories per serving!!!

It's about Quick Chicken!
ENJOY!

CHICKEN WEEK - APRICOT CHICKEN WITH BROCCOLI

If you like the saltiness of soy sauce and the sweetness of apricot preserve...this is the one for you. I buy chicken cutlets which are just boneless chicken breasts sliced in half length wise. If you can't find cutlets, just slice the boneless breasts and place plastic wrap on top of each piece and pound them thin to about 1/2 inch thick. They cook VERY fast so keep your eye on them.

Ingredients:

4 skinless chicken cutlets

3 tbl olive oil

1 garlic clove minced

1 shallot minced

1 lb broccoli florets small pieces

1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

3 tbl apricot preserve

1-1/2 tbl low sodium soy sauce

2 tbl fresh lime juice

1 tsp red pepper flake (optional)

salt

pepper

Italian parsley for garnish

In a large sauce pan, heat water to boil and add broccoli with a tsp salt. Blanch for about 5 minutes, drain and place on platter and keep warm. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbl olive oil in a saute pan and add chicken. Saute about 3 minutes a side and transfer to the broccoli platter and keep warm. To the same saute pan add remaining tbl olive oil, garlic, red pepper flake and shallot. Quickly saute about 1 minute. Add chicken broth, apricot preserve and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Cook one minute. Remove from heat and add lime juice. Spoon sauce over chicken and broccoli and garnish with parsley.

Only about 400 calories in the Whole dish!!!!

ENJOY!

ONE POT DISH - BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS!!!!

Yes it is winter! Yes it seems to be snowing everywhere! And, Yes your kids are out on a snow day AGAIN! This is a great one-dish meal that is as delicious as it is CHEAP! Chicken thighs are super affordable and when you braise them they stay juicy and have much better flavor than their white meat friends. Frankly add whatever you've got in the pantry/frig to this dish...it all works. If you don't like chipollini onions you can add frozen pearls or shallots or leeks. This serves about 6 adults.

Ingredients:

3 lbs chicken thighs (trim the fat)

5 carrots cut to 1 inch thick

6 garlic cloves diced

1 pkg chipollini onions, wrappers removed

3 lbs small red potatoes halved

4 tbl olive oil

2 tbl flour

1 cup cider vinegar

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 tbl tomato paste

4 tbl unsalted butter

2 tbl flat leaf parsley chopped

1 tbl fresh thyme chopped

salt

pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Place thighs skin side down in the pot and cook over medium high heat until the thighs are golden brown on both sides. Transfer them to a plate.

Spoon off all but about 2 tbl of oil from the pot and add carrots, onions, garlic and potatoes. Cook over low heat until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir for a minute. Add vinegar and tomato paste. Scrape any bits off the bottom of the pot and stir until everything is incorporated. Bring sauce to a boil and cook until sauce thickens. Add the broth, and thyme and season with salt and pepper and return chicken to the pan skin side up. Transfer to the oven and cook for an hour.

Preheat your low setting on your broiler and transfer the chicken and potatoes to a baking sheet. Broil until they are crisp on the outside. While you broil, also simmer the sauce on the stove top until it reduces a bit, about 10 minutes. Stir in the butter. Add the parsley, chicken and potatoes back to the pot and serve. The house will smell magnificent.

Perfect with a nice chardonnay!!!

ENJOY!

LOW CARB DAY - CHICKEN SALTIMBOCCA

While I am not in favor of a super low or no carb diet for the long term, it is okay for a jump start. The foods that are associated with low/no carb are usually high in cholesterol and sodium. These things will eventually lead to high blood pressure and a rise in cholesterol. So make sure you are a good candidate for this kind of diet.

Having said that, it can help a diet get started. however when you reintroduce carbs like pasta, rice and bread you have to careful not to let yourself get right back to where you were before you started.

The secret to a low carb diet is adding FLAVOR! Most people think you boil a chicken breast and steam a bunch of vegetables and just try to get through the meal. No need for that. Herbs, fresh lemon or lime juice, low sodium chicken stock are all no or super low in carbs...use them. Here is a great recipe which you can add salad or some sauteed vegetables. It has 2.3 g of carbohydrate for the chicken dish alone. That is LOW! This serves 4

Ingredients:
4 (4 oz) chicken cutlets
2 oz very thin sliced prosciutto (8 strips)
2 cloves garlic minced
12 fresh sage leaves
1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
5 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
pepper

Sprinkle chicken with pepper (you can add a pinch of salt if you like). Place three sage leaves on each cutlet. Wrap 2 prosciutto slices around each cutlet over the sage leaves. Heat a saute pan with 1-1/2 tbl olive oil. Add chicken to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until done. Remove chicken from pan keep warm. In a bowl combine, broth, lemon juice, garlic and cornstarch in a bowl and whisk until cornstarch is incorporated. Add cornstarch mixture and remaining olive oil to the pan. Cook for about 1 minute to a boil until slightly thickened whisking constantly. Spoon sauce over chicken.

FLAVOR and 2.3 g of carbs!
ENJOY!

SLOW COOKER WEEK - CHICKEN WILD RICE SOUP

Nothing like a bowl of soup that eats like a meal for all you "New Englanders" covered in SNOW today! So throw this in the pot and cover yourself with a blanket, watch a movie all while dinner is cooking.

You can use rotisserie chicken or other previously cooked chicken you may have. Before the chicken gets to the slow cooker it has to be cooked.

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups cooked chicken

2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms

2 medium carrots chopped

2 stalks of celery chopped

1 can reduced fat and sodium cream of chicken or mushroom soup

1 (6 oz) pkg long grain and wild rice mix

5 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

5 cups water

In a slow cooker, combine the cooked chicken, mushrooms, carrots, celery cream of chicken soup, packet of rice with seasoning mix. Gradually stir in the chicken broth and water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. You can garnish with the leaves from the celery stalks. Serve with nice crusty bread.

Stay Warm In New England Today!

ENJOY!

NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY - CHICKEN SATAY WITH PEANUT SAUCE

Yet another great appetizer for your New Year's party. Great dish for one hand while the other holds the main event - cocktail! Trim and marinade the chicken pieces a day ahead and quickly cook before guests arrive.

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless chicken breast halves
2 tbl soy sauce
2 tbl fresh lemon juice
1 tbl canola oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp curry
1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp cayenne
salt
pepper
About 30 bamboo skewers soaked in water for about 20 minute

Cut the chicken into about 24-30 pieces of the same size. In a bowl, combine 1 tbl soy sauce, and 1 tbl lemon juice with oil, garlic, curry, 1/2 tsp salt and a few twists of your pepper grinder. Add chicken and toss well to coat. Let marinade overnight.

In a sauce pan, combine remaining tbl soy sauce, and lemon juice with the peanut butter, coconut milk, brown sugar, cayenne and 1/4 tsp salt.

Place oven rack as close to the broiler as safely possible and heat on high. Thread one piece of chicken on the end of each skewer. Broil in a single layer turning the skewers once. Cooking time should be about 6-8 minutes. While the chicken cooks, warm the sauce. If it seems to thick add a tbl of water.

Let chicken cool slightly and serve with peanut sauce. Really easy and not too time consuming.

Ring it in!
ENJOY!

FOOTBALL TIME - BEAN AND CHICKEN CHILI

Now that Thanksgiving is over, you know the football season isn't far behind...boo hoo!!!!!! After a big meal of turkey and ALL the side dishes, it will be nice to settle down with a one pot dish that just tastes delicious and makes watching the game so much more enjoyable...less clean up!!!

Ingredients:

6 dried small red chiles stemmed and seeded
1 tbl cumin seeds
1 lb dried pinto beans soaked overnight and drained
2 tbl fresh oregano leaves (or 3 tsp dried)
2 large yellow ontions diced
3 large carrots diced
2 stalks celery diced
7 cloves garlic minced
2 fresh jalapenos stemmed, seeded, diced
2 lb skinless chicken thighs
salt
grated cheddar cheese for garnish

In a small bowl, cover the dried chiles with boiling water and let steep for about 15 minutes until soft. Reserve 2 cups of the soaking water and drain the seeds from the rest of the water. Puree the chilies in a blender with the 2 cups reserved water.

In a small saute pan, add cumin seeds and toast. Grind them in a blender after about 5 minutes. In the same pan toast the oregano leaves (only fresh ones) and remove as they start to dry out.

Put the beans in a soup pot and cover with 7 cups of water. Add the chili puree, toasted cumin and oregano, onions, carrots, garlic, celery, jalapenos ans chicken thighs. Bring to a boil then reduce and skim off fat as it rises. Remove the chicken when it is cooked through about 25 minutes. After it cools, shred the chicken thigh meat and set aside and discard the bones.

Continue to cook the beans until tender about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Return the chicken to the pot and heat through. Add salt to taste. Serve with grated cheese on top.

The house will smell great!
ENJOY!

CHICKEN WITH ARTICHOKES AND MUSHROOMS

I made this last night for about 20 people and they ALL loved it!!!! One guest didn't like mushrooms so I made one batch with zucchini instead..and it was also delicious!!!! I served it with a caesar salad and vodka-sauced pasta....just wonderful and easy. You can put it together up to about 3 hours ahead of time and just put it in the oven when you are ready.

Ingredients:

4 whole boneless chicken breasts cut into 1-2 inch strips
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbl unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion diced
2 (9 oz) jars of artichokes drain and rinsed
1/4 cup capers, drained and rinsed
1 lb mushrooms quartered
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry vermouth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

On a dinner plate, combine flour, salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl beat the eggs. On another plate combine the breadcrumbs. Dredge the chicken strips in the flour, then eggs then breadcrumbs and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan then add butter. Saute chicken in batches until golden brown. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate to drain. To the saute pan add the onion and saute for about 2 minutes. Add artichokes and capers and saute for about 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and incorporate for about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and vermouth and remove from heat.
Arrange chicken in a single layer of a 13 x 9 pan. Pour the artichoke, mushroom mixture over the chicken. Bake uncovered, basting frequently for 35-40 minutes. Remove and serve.

The chicken stays so juicy!
ENJOY!

TARRAGON CHICKEN CUTLETS

Tarragon and chicken are a very traditional French combination. Generally it is served with some nice rich potatoes and thin green beans. I like to get just slightly healthier and serve with a nice side of olive oil grilled vegetables....yes my husband prefers the potatoes!!!!

Definitely use chicken cutlets instead of full boneless breasts. If you can't find the cutlets, just slice the breasts horizontally to about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. I also add a bit of Dijon mustard for a little kick.

Ingredients:

3 large chicken cutlets
2 tbl olive oil
1 large shallot minced
2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup dry vermouth
3 tbl cold unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces
salt
fresh ground pepper

Clean chicken and pat dry. Season generously with salt and pepper. In a large saute pan heat olive oil. Cook chicken, flipping once to just barely cooked about 1-2 minutes a side. Transfer it to a plate and keep warm.

If the pan looks dry add another tbl olive oil. Add the shallot and saute until soft, about a minute. Pour in the vermouth and scrape the pans to pick up the bits off the bottom of the pan. Simmer until slightly reduced. Turn heat to low and add butter 2-3 pieces at a time until completely melted. Stir in the tarragon and mustard and season to taste. Add the chicken and any sauce on the plate back to the pan and turn to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately.

This is yet another easy, great twist to CHICKEN!
ENJOY!

HOISIN CHICKEN IN LETTUCE CUPS

These are such a crowd favorite as an appetizer no matter what you choose as the main course. You can use chicken breasts instead of thighs, but the thigh meat tends to keep much more of its moisture through the cooking process. You can cook the thighs on a grill or on the stove in a grill pan.

You can arrange all the condiments separately so everyone can make their own, but I like to make it easier and put them all together as easy finger food. This serves about 6-8 people as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup hoisin sauce (found in Asian section)
4 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbl soy sauce
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cleaned and dried
1 head of Boston lettuce, leaves separated, cleaned and dried
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
2/3 cup chopped salted peanuts
1 fresh jalapeno thinly sliced crosswise (optional)
salt

Whisk together hoisin, vinegar and soy sauce. In another bowl season chicken with 1 tsp salt and 2 tbl hoisin mixture. Grill the chicken until well browned and almost beginning to blacken. Turn once and cook about 5 minutes a side. Let it rest about 5 minutes then dice and mix in remaining hoisin mixture.

To arrange, spoon the chicken mixture on each lettuce leaf and top with basil, mint, scallion, peanuts and jalapeno (if using). Roll the edges of the leaf up and around filling and serve on a platter.

They make a very elegant starter!
ENJOY!

CHICKEN TETRAZZINI

There are few baked pasta dishes that I like and I love this one! The cream and milk combined with the nutmeg to make a bechamel is so delicious and the added spices are wonderful! It seems like a lot of ingredients but you only have to chop 5 of them!

Ingredients:

4 tbl olive oil

12 tbl unsalted butter

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 lb white mushrooms, sliced

1 sweet onion chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup Italian parsley chopped

3/4 cup frozen peas

1 tbl fresh thyme chopped

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup flour

4 cups whole milk, warm

1 cup heavy whipping cream, room temp

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 cup italian breadcrumbs

salt

pepper

1 lb linguine

1/4 cup slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Grease a 13 x 9 pan with 2 tbl butter. In a saute pan melt 2 tbl butter and 2 tbl oil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook until golden on both sides about 4 minutes per side. Let cool on a plate and shred into a bowl.

In the same pan melt 2 tbl butter and 2 tbl oil. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat about 12 minutes. Add the onion, garlic and thyme and saute about 8 minutes until the onions are soft. Add the wine and simmer until it mostly evaporates - a couple minutes. Transfer this mixture to the bowl with the chicken.

Melt 3 tbl of butter in the same pan over medium-low heat and add flour. Whisk for about two minutes until the flour is incorporated. Whisk in milk, cream, broth, nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Increase heat to high and cook uncovered until the sauce thickens - about 10 minutes..stir often.

Cook linguine according to package directions, but not completely about 8 minutes and drain. Combine the linguine with the sauce, chicken mixture, peas and parsley. Pour into the baking dish. Combine cheese and breadcrumbs and sprinkle on top. Dot with remaining 3 tbl of butter and bake until golden and bubbly - about 25 minutes. Let cool a few minutes and dot with slivered almonds.

Serve with a nice glass of Chardonnay!

ENJOY!

SOUP TIME - CHICKEN NOODLE

According to Anne...there MUST be more soup. Fall and Winter are soup seasons so I will be blogging as many as I have. This is really a very traditional chicken noodle soup at the start, but the addition of a little cream and cooking sherry really adds so much more flavor to the soup. You can add other vegetables, but if you are planning to store some leftover soup there are certain vegetables that won't hold up too well in the stock for long.

This is a great weekend meal because the fragrance of the stock just screams comfort!

Ingredients:

For Stock

3 lb fryer chicken whole or cut up

3-1/2 cups of water

3 carrots peeled and cut in half

3 celery ribs cleaned and cut in half

1 large onion peeled and cut in half

3 cloves of garlic peeled and cut in half

4 bay leaves

3 chicken bouillon cubes

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp lemon pepper

2 tsp salt

1 tbl whole peppercorns

For Soup

2 cups sliced carrots (coin shaped)

2 cups sliced celery

1/3 cup cooking sherry

3/4 cup heavy cream

3 tbl chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 tsp fresh rosemary finely chopped

2-1/2 cups uncooked pasta noodles (egg)

grated Parmesan cheese

salt

fresh ground pepper

a nice crusty baguette

Stock: add all ingredients into a soup pot. Cook until the chicken is tender -about an hour. Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool. Strain the rest of the stock reserving the broth. When the chicken is cool, cut up meat into chunks and discard the bones, etc. Set chicken aside.

Soup: Bring stock back to a boil and add carrots and cook about 3 minutes, then add celery and cook 8 minutes. Add the chicken, parsley, sherry and rosemary. Stir to combine and add the cream. Cook for another 5 minutes and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Cook the noodles in a separate pot according to package directions. Add noodles to individual servings so they don't continue to cook in the soup and absorb all the stock.

Serve with grated Parmesan and a nice crusty bread! Keep warm!

ENJOY!

HALIBUT WITH TOMATO, OLIVE AND CAPERS

I love fish, but it can be a tricky thing. At first I overcooked everything. Then I tried to cook it in the serving sauce. I have found in very few circumstances should you bake fish in a sauce. Swordfish works very well baked in sauces, but for the most part you really should cook the fish and sauce separately.

Ingredients:

1 lb Halibut fillet

1 tbl olive oil

salt and pepper

Sauce:

2 tbl olive oil

2 cloves garlic minced

15 oz can peeled tomatoes

1/4 cup kalamata olives, halved

1 tbl fresh chopped basil

1 tbl capers, drained and rinsed

dash of red pepper flakes

fresh lemon slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Coat the fish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes turning once. (Internal temp should be around 135 degrees).

Sauce:

In a large saute pan heat oil and add garlic for a minute. Then add tomatoes with juice, olives, capers and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes stirring frequently.

Spoon the sauce over the fish and garnish with basil and lemon slice. Very easy and great flavor!

I serve this with some basmati rice and a good chardonnay! I know what you are thinking!

ENJOY!

CHICKEN AND BASIL STIR FRY

Stir Fry...great flavors and pretty much a one pot dish...except for making the rice. Speaking of rice there are a lot of them out there so don't cut yourself short on flavor by going with white rice...try basmati, jasmine or brown. If you don't have the fish sauce, you could just use chicken broth. You could add other vegetables to this or substitute the chicken with shrimp!

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless chicken tenders cut about 1 inch wide

4 shallots, chopped

4 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 cup fresh basil coarsely chopped

1 tbl fish sauce

1 tbl lime juice

1 tbl light brown sugar

2 tbl canola oil

1/2 cup water

salt

pepper

pinch of red pepper flake

In a large pan heat oil and add shallots, garlic and red pepper flake. Cook about a minute and add chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken about 4-5 minutes.

Combine the fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar and water. Add mixture to the chicken and cook until the liquid reduces and makes a sauce. Remove from heat and add the basil. Serve over rice.

Another simple recipe!

ENJOY!

SKEWERED CHICKEN WITH SWEET AND SOUR ORANGE SAUCE

I am a fan of all food on sticks...yes even I have been known to have a corn dog...although I only eat the breading! I think the flavors of the meat, sauces and just having someone else man the grill is fabulous!!!! As an added bonus, you can put all kinds of skewers together ahead of time and guests seem to think you worked tirelessly getting it all together. You can always use store bought marinades but this is so easy and cheaper to make.

Ingredients:

4 large boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch chunks

1 tbl plus a tsp of fresh minced rosemary

3 tbl olive oil

2 tsp dark brown sugar (light is okay if that's what you have)

1 tsp red pepper flake, more if you like

1 cup orange marmalade

1/4 cup rice vinegar

salt

fresh cracked pepper

vegetable oil or cooking spray for the grill

metal skewers

Mix together 1 tbl rosemary, brown sugar, red pepper, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper. Put the chicken in a shallow pan, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Add the rosemary mixture and coat all the chicken.

In a pan warm the marmalade, vinegar and remaining tsp of rosemary over low heat just to get warm. Se aside and keep warm.

Skewer the chicken pieces. If you want to add vegetables to the skewers go for it!. Clean your grill and either oil it or spray with cooking spray so the chicken doesn't stick. Cook over medium high heat (covered grill) for about 4 minutes until you get grill marks. Turn to the other side and grill until they are almost done. Don't overcook the chicken as it will dry out fast on a grill!

Put half the marmalade in a bowl and put on the chicken at the last minute, turning once and adding more marmalade. Remove from the grill and serve with extra marmalade for dipping.

I serve this with rice or couscous...red potatoes would be good too....

ENJOY!