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

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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.

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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.

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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°.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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