Pesto with Farfalle Pasta with Roasted Chicken

Recipe created by Cristina Ferrare

Try this delicious pasta dish from Cristina Ferrare. It's the perfect solution for when you have leftover chicken.

Ingredients:

Pesto:

• 4 cups fresh basil leaves
• 4 cups Italian parsley springs
• 4 large cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 cups olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Roasted Chicken Salad:

• 1 cup diced Roasted Chicken
• 1 cucumber , peeled, seeded and diced
• 2 cups mixed greens
• 1/4 cup roasted pine nuts
• 1/2 lemon , juiced
• Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives
• 1/2 pound farfalle pasta
• Handful pomegranate seeds

To prepare the pesto: Chop basil, parsley and garlic in a food processor. Slowly add olive oil and keep chopping. Add salt.

To prepare the chicken mixture and final dish: Place Roasted Chicken, cucumber, pine nuts, 1 Tbsp. of pesto and olives in a bowl and mix together. Cook pasta until al dente. Add 2 tablespoons of pesto to the pasta and mix well. Top off with 2 cups of mixed greens and the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Add the chicken mixture to pasta and toss. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and pomegranate seeds

Continue reading...

Chicken Enchiladas

Recipe created by Cristina Ferrare

These chicken enchiladas make a great family meal—and they're simple to make!

Ingredients:

• 16 ounce bottle or can enchilada sauce
• 6 low-fat or fat-free tortillas
• 1 jar salsa
• 2 cans refried beans
• 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded sharp Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives , pitted
• 1 jalapeño , chopped and seeded
• Roasted Chicken

Heat oven to 400°.

Pour the can of enchilada sauce into a pie dish. Dip tortillas in the sauce to soften them.

On a cutting board, gently spread refried beans on one side of each tortilla. Add enough diced Roasted Chicken to cover the beans. Sprinkle with cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Add olives, chopped jalapeño and salsa (optional).

Roll up the tortillas and place seam-side down in a 9" x 13" baking dish.

Blend the sour cream into the remaining enchilada sauce in the pie dish. Pour over enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cheese.

Cover and bake for 25-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Continue reading...

Chicken Pot Pie with Cornbread Crust

Recipe created by Cristina Ferrare

This is a feel-good meal! It's traditional without a catch but very satisfying—not to mention easy and fast.

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 medium Onion , chopped
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups chopped Roasted Chicken
• 1/2 cup frozen sweet petite peas
• 1 potato , diced and boiled
• 1 1/2 cup chopped, cooked carrots
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Cracked pepper
• Dash of Tabasco® sauce

Crust:

• 3/4 cup white or yellow cornmeal
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tbsp. canola oil

To make filling: Preheat the oven to 400°. Spray a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray. In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil and unsalted butter together. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 4 or 5 minutes. Add in flour until blended. Slowly stir in 2 cups of heated chicken stock, whisking well. Cook mixture over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 4 minutes. Stir in chicken, peas, potato, carrots, salt, pepper and Tabasco®. Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray and cook until heated and thickened. Spread evently into an ovenproof dish.

To make crust: In a bowl, stir cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Stir milk, egg and canola oil until well combined. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Spoon the batter evenly on the filling. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 22 to 25 minutes.

Continue reading...

Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

Roasted Chicken:

• 2 chickens , 4 1/2 to 5 pounds each
• 6 lemons
• A poultry mix of fresh herbs: Rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley and oregano work well

Marinade for one chicken:

• 1 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup juice from fresh lemon (don't discard lemon rinds)

To make marinade: Place all ingredients in a nonreactive bowl. Whisk with a wire whisk until ingredients are incorporated well—the marinade should have a smooth and creamy consistency.

To make roasted chicken: Preheat oven to 425°.

Clean chickens well and pat dry. Place each chicken in its own baking dish.

Stuff cavities with lemon rinds and fresh herbs. A poultry mix is fine, usually consisting of rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley and oregano.

Pour marinade over chicken. Add cracked pepper and remaining herbs to the top of each chicken.

Place an oven thermometer in each chicken and cover with aluminum foil. Place on the lower rack of the oven. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, then remove the aluminum foil. Baste with a basting bulb. Keep basting often, ever 15 minutes until the thermometer reads 180°.

Continue reading...

Pumpkin Walnut Cookies

Pumpkin Walnut Cookies
By: Land O'Lakes

Cookies Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) canned pumpkin (pumpkin comes in 15 ounce cans; not pumpkin pie filling)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon (I used pumpkin pie spice)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting Ingredients:

2 cups powdered sugar (I recommend sifting this)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 less fat Neufchatel cheese)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon (I used pumpkin pie spice)
Walnut pieces, if desired

Direcetions:

· Heat oven to 350°F. Combine butter, brown sugar and sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Stir in 1 cup walnuts by hand.

· Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool completely. (I let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cookie rack to finish cooling - they are soft and delicate, so be careful.)

· Combine all frosting ingredients except walnut pieces in medium bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until smooth. Frost cooled cookies. Garnish with walnuts, if desired.

Yield: 5 dozen cookies

Continue reading...

Fondant

I tried a new fondant recipe the other day and I loved it. It was a marshmallow fondant. It wasn't the easiest recipe in the world, but it taste a lot better than the normal fondant.

Here is another recipe that I found with great reviews that I am going to try soon. It was a rolled butter cream fondant.

Continue reading...

Turkey Tetrizzini

Makes a lot—can ½ recipe for smaller portion or freeze.
Sauce:

¾ c. butter or margarine
¾ c. all-purpose flour
1/8 t. nutmeg
1 quart milk
2 c. chicken stock or canned condensed chicken broth, undiluted (use turkey juices from crock potted turkey sandwiches-recipe below)
4 egg yolks
1 c. heavy cream
1 pkg/ (1 lb.) thin spaghetti
6 c. cooked leftover turkey or chicken cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
2 cans (6 oz. size) whole mushrooms, drained (you can use fresh mushrooms, just sauté quickly in a little EVOO or butter to soften)****You all know I dont like Mushrooms...I just leave these out****
1 pkg. (16 oz.) sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups)

1. Make sauce: Melt butter in large saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in flour, 3 teaspoons salt arid the nutmeg until smooth. Gradually add milk and turkey stock; bring to boiling, stirring constantly, boil 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
2. In small bowl, with wire whisk or wooden spoon, beat egg yolks with cream. Beat in a little of the hot mixture. Pour back into saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce is hot-do not boil. Remove from heat. When thick, add turkey and mushrooms to sauce. If you are using fresh mushrooms, sauté first until tender in a little butter.
3. Meanwhile, in 8 quart kettle, bring 6 quarts water to boiling; add 2 T. salt and the spaghetti; cook until noodles are done, drain in colander. Return spaghetti to kettle. Add sauce; toss lightly until the spaghetti and sauce are well combined.
4. Place mixture in two 12x8x2 inch baking dishes. Sprinkle cheese over noodles and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Continue reading...

Mock Kneades Turkey Avacado Sandwiches

1 turkey breast/roast (bone-in)
Chicken Boulion
Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 c. water or 1 c. chicken broth

Place turkey breast in a crock pot and sprinkle with chicken bullion and Montreal Steak seasoning generously. Pour 1 c. water in the bottom of the crock pot. Cook in crock pot for 4-6 hours on medium heat, or until done.

When turkey is cooked, take out of crock pot and shred into large shredded chunks. Put the following items on your turkey sandwich:

Thick sliced bread
Avocado, sliced
Tomatoes, sliced
Mayonnaise
Bacon, cooked until crispy
You can drain the turkey broth and save for the Turkey Tetrazzini dinner (recipe above).

Continue reading...

Yummy Salmon

Sprinkle Lemon Pepper on top of Salmon.
In a bowl, mix 2 T. Soy Sauce, 2 t. olive oil, 2 t. sugar. Brush on top of Salmon. Broil for 6 min, then flip, and repeat the steps (sprinkle and brush), then broil another 6 min.

Continue reading...

First Couponing Grocery Trip

I have started couponing. For those of you who don't really know what this is, check out the Pinching your Pennies website. They have a lot of great information on how to save money on your grocery bill. It is a job though. It can take a lot of work. Hopefully as I get going I will get better and better at it so that I can save my family some money. This is a photo of my first couponing trip. I think I spent like $60 on groceries and saved about $30.

Continue reading...

Stovetop Barbecued Lentils

This is a healthy recipe that I found that I want to try.

Stovetop Barbecued Lentils
Quick and easy, this barbecue favorite is absolutely addictive. A great make-ahead dish for a potluck or a picnic, it's loaded with fiber.
Yield: 2 quarts; 8 (1/2-cup) servings

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped red onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
2 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 cup tomato sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons agave nectar or dark honey
1 1/2 cups brown lentils, rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and spices and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute; do not brown garlic.
Add broth, tomato sauce, vinegar, mustard, agave nectar, and lentils, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, but intact, about 30 minutes. Lentil cooking times vary. If necessary, add an additional 1/4 cup water and simmer for 5 minutes longer if lentils are not tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Continue reading...

Pot Roast

Ingredients:
1 Beef Roast(2-5 lbs) (I usually buy what is on sale)
1 packet onion soup mix
1-2 cans cream of mushroom soup(1 if smaller roast, 2 if larger)
Montreal Steak Seasoning (I make it without this sometimes, and it still works)

Directions:
Season Roast with steak seasoning (or salt and pepper), sprinkle and pat onion soup mix in. Pour Cream of Mushroom Soup mix on top. Cook for 8 hours on low in the crockpot. I have found that if I try cooking it for 6 hours, that it is usually done, but now nearly as tender. The longer you cook it, the better it gets.

Continue reading...

Lemon Chicken Crossaints

Meat Mixture:
3 lbs. chicken, cooked & cubed
½ t. salt
½ t. pepper
2 T. green onions, chopped
Refrigerated crescent rolls
4 T. butter
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese
4 T. milk
Dash of garlic salt and lemon pepper

Mix all ingredients together except crescent rolls. Put chicken mixture on wide edge of rolls. Roll into crescent shape. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 or until golden brown. Serve with rice and lemon sauce:

Lemon Sauce
1 c. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1-2 T. lemon juice
Salt & pepper

Simmer until warm and combined. Serve over rice.

****I Love this dinner. I have another recipe that I called Chicken Pillows, and I thought I loved that one until I tried the Lemon Chicken Croissants. This dish had a lot more flavor than any of the others that I have seen. ****

Continue reading...

Sweet N Sour Chicken

By: Laura May

Ingredients:

4 skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into 1 in. cubes

Celery, Bell Pepper, Onion or Pineapple

(Whatever you want with yours)

2 c. Ketchup

2 c. brown sugar

2 T. Mustard

2 T. Worcestershire Sauce

2 T. Soy Sauce

Directions:

Cook the Chicken, pineapple and bell pepper.

Mix all ingredients except the first two in a small bowl

Pour sauce over chicken mix in a sauté pan and cook until warm.

Serve over rice.

Continue reading...

Navajo Tacos

Navajo Taco Fry Bread:
2 c. flour
1 c. water
½ to ¾ t. salt
3 t. baking powder
Mix together, put in ball and break in pieces. After rolled out pieces deep fat fry in hot oil. **If you don’t have time to make homemade fry bread, buy Rhodes dough instead & thaw until ready to fry.

Top fry bread with the following:
Taco Meat
Taco Flavored Pinto Beans (I soak and cook them in the crockpot all day and then season them.)
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Onions
Olives

Continue reading...

Crock-pot Cream Cheese Chicken

By: Tamber McAllister

Ingredients:
1 envelope Italian Herb Chicken Seasoning
½ c. butter/margarine
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 8-oz cream cheese
6 chicken breast halves


Directions:
•Turn crock-pot on high. Melt butter, then mix in dressing.
•Put Chicken into crock-pot and coat with Mixture. Then Place remaining ingredients inside.
•Cover and cook on high for 2-4 hours. Take out chicken and shred with 2 forks
•Remove sauce from crock-pot and allow to cool. Place in resalable freezer bag.
•Freeze. To serve, thaw to bubbling hot and serve over potatoes, rice or hot buttered noodles.

Continue reading...

Italian Chicken Strips

By: Tamber McAllister (altered from Paula Dean)

Ingredients:
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 c up freshly grated Parmesan
11/2 teaspoons dried thyme
11/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch ground red pepper
8 boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter (I use egg whites when wanting healthier meal)
Marinara sauce or honey mustard, for dipping


Directions:
1. Preheat Oven to 400 deg.
2. Place all of the seasonings in a pie place and mix together. Dip the chicken strips into the melted butter and then into the Italian seasoning.
3. Place on a baking sheet. Cook for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way through. Serve with marinara or honey mustard sauce
 

Continue reading...

Homemade Oreo’s

By:Tamber McAllister

Ingredients:
2 boxes devils food cake mix
4 eggs 1 ½ c. shortening
Cream Cheese Frosting

Directions:
•Mix together and roll into walnut size balls.
•Cook for 9 min at 350.
•Frost the middle of 2 cookies with cream cheese frosting.

Continue reading...

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

By: Tamber McAllister

Ingredients:
1 box spice cake mix
1 c. canned pumpkin
1/3 c. butter (soft)
2 eggs
½ c. Milk
2 c. mini chocolate chips


Directions:
•Mix all ingredients.
•drop onto cookie sheet.
•Cook 7-10 min. at 375.
•Let cool on pan for 2-3 min.
•Sandwich with Cream Cheese Icing if wanted

Continue reading...

Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies

By: Tim Covington

Ingredients:
2 c. butter
4 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
2 c. sugar
5 c. oatmeal (blended to fine powder)
24 oz choc. Chips
2 c. brown sugar
1 t. salt
8 oz Hershey’s Bar (grated)
4 eggs
2 t. baking powder
2 t. vanilla
3 c. chopped nuts


Directions:
•Cream butter and sugars.
•Add eggs and vanilla.
•Mix with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
•Add choc. Chips, Hershey and nuts.
•Roll into balls, place 2 in apart on baking sheet.
•Bake at 375 for 10 min.

Continue reading...

Easy Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

By: Misty Covington

Ingredients:
1 c. Peanut Butter
1 c. Sugar
1 eggs

Directions:
•Mix ingredients well together.
•Flatten with a glass that has been coated with sugar.
•Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.
•These are very dense, but very good fudge like. Make them bite size.

Continue reading...

Gluten Free Brownies

By: Baby cakes Bakery in New York

Ingredients:
1/2 cup canola oil, plus more for pans
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons garbanzo and fava bean flour
1/4 cup potato starch
2 tablespoons arrowroot
1 cup unrefined sugar or 10 tablespoons
plus 2 teaspoons agave nectar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup store-bought unsweetened
applesauce
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup brewed coffee or hot water
2 cups vegan gluten-free chocolate chips, such as Tropical Source


Directions:
•Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Brush 3 dozen mini-muffin pans with oil; set aside.
•In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, potato starch, arrowroot, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, and unsweetened cocoa powder; set aside. In a large bowl, mix together applesauce, 1/2 cup canola oil, and vanilla. Slowly add flour mixture, stirring to combine. Stir in coffee until it forms a batter. Fold in chocolate chips.
•Place 1 tablespoon batter into each prepared muffin cup. Transfer muffin pans to oven, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack before unfolding.

Continue reading...

Lemon Cookies

Cookie Ingredients:

1 lbs. butter
1 c. powdered sugar
1 ¼ c. cornstarch
2 c. Flour


Icing Ingredients:

2 c. powdered sugar
1 lemon juice (approx. 1/3 c.)
Zest of 1 lemon


Directions:
•Butter and Powdered sugar together, then add cornstarch and flour.
•Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.
•To make icing stir sugar and lemon juice until syrupy consistency, then add lemon zest.
•Put on cookies when they are cooled.

Continue reading...

Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

By: BYU Cooking Network

Ingredients:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling dough
36 mini peanut butter cups, chilled and unwrapped


Directions:
•Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer, cream peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar; beat until combined, scraping down bowl as needed. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until incorporated.
•In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture in two batches.
•Scoop off dough by the tablespoon; roll into balls. Place granulated sugar on a plate; roll balls in sugar, coating completely. Place 2 inches apart on a nonstick insulated baking sheet.
•Bake until cookies begin to puff up slightly, about 7 minutes. Remove from oven. Press one peanut butter cup in center of each cookie. Return to oven; continue baking until cookies are golden brown and chocolate has begun to melt, about 6 minutes more. Let cool at least 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring cookies to rack to cool completely.

Continue reading...

Favorite Chocolate Mousse Pie

By: Terre Covington

Ingredients:

½ c. milk

20 large marshmallows

1 extra large Hershey’s With Almonds Graham cracker crust

2 small box whipping cream

Directions:

· Melt milk & marshmallows over low heat. Add the mellows one by one.

· Slowly add in the Chocolate bar one piece at a time.

· Refrigerate mixture.

· Mix one box of Whipping cream till Firm. Fold into chocolate.

· Pour mixture into graham cracker Crust.

· Mix more whipping cream until firm. Add in powder Sugar and vanilla to taste. Top on pie.

· Serves 8.

Continue reading...