Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Calzones

I am on the hunt for good freezer meals, with the birth of baby #4 approaching. I realized that Calzones are a great meal that I had forgotten about so I made a big batch and put half in the freezer for later. I also froze half of the sauce so I won't have to worry about that either!

Traditional calzones are stuffed with cheese and sausage or similar meats but I wanted something a little different. These were delicious and I can't wait to pop the rest out of the freezer!

DOUGH

4 cups flour

1 T yeast

1/2 T salt

2 T olive oil

1 1/2 cups water

Add yeast to warm water. Let it begin to foam. in food processor fitted with plastic blade mix flour, salt, oil and yeast mixture. Pulse until dough forms a ball and is smooth and elastic. Put dough aside to rise in a covered bowl for 1 hour. Roll dough into golf ball size balls and let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 F.

FILLING

2 cups ricotta

8 ounces mozzarella, shredded

1 cup grated parmesan

1 egg yolk - or whole egg

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 T olive oil plus 2 T for brushing calzones for baking

1 yellow or red pepper cut into small chunks

3/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes

2 cups broccoli, either frozen or fresh that has been cooked

4 slices thick cut ham, diced

While the dough is rising, prepare the filling and the sauce. For filling, mix the cheeses, egg, oregano, salt and pepper. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat the oil, then add the peppers and cook for about 3 minutes until they are beginning to soften. Add the garlic, broccoli, ham and dried red pepper flakes and saute for a few minutes. Set aside cheese mixture and vegetable mixture.

Roll each ball of dough into an 8 or 9 inch circle. Fill with a few spoonfuls of cheese and top with a few spoonfuls of veggies, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges. Fold dough over and seal, either crimping with your fingers or smashing with a fork.

Brush tops with egg yolk and stick those babies in the oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with sauce 

TO FREEZE: Once the Calzones are formed, wrap in plastic wrap, put them in a ziploc bag and stick them in the freezer! To reheat later, cook at 450 for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

SAUCE

1 T olive oil

28 ounces crushed tomatoes in puree

2 medium crushed garlic cloves

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp sugar

1/2-1 tsp salt (to taste)

1/2 tsp pepper

For sauce, heat oil in a small sauce pan. Add garlic and cook only until fragrant - don't let it brown. Carefully add tomatoes. This will spatter if you add the tomatoes too fast, so guard your clothes and stove. Add oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. continue to cook very slowly to thicken a bit while you finish the calzones.

Stuffed Breadsticks

A few weeks ago we went out to Magleby's Fresh for lunch here in Provo. My husband got the stuffed breadstick...and about passed out. It was delicious. I of course went in search of a comparable recipe on line and found this beauty. They are really really yummy and a fun alternative to pizza with the same ingredients. You could also shape these into larger personal-sized breadsticks if you wanted to be just like Magleby's. We opted for the smaller puff versions (more kid-friendly).

Stuffed Pizza Rolls

1 recipe pizza dough
marinara/pizza sauce
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil or melted butter
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t dried Italian seasoning
mozzarella cheese
Pizza toppings of your choice: ie, ham and pineapple, pepperoni slices, sausage, etc.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it’s about 12″ by 8″. Cut it into squares about 2" by 2", or however big you want your puffs to be.

Place cheese and desired toppings on each square. (Note that you’re not putting the marinara sauce on the dough- it’s for dipping after) Just eyeball how much. You just need to be able to enclose the toppings in the dough so keep that in mind.

When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish).

Brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil or melted butter (I’ve used both and there’s not much difference in result) and then sprinkle with the garlic and Italian seasoning and top with Parmesan cheese.

Cook them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Serve with your favorite marinara sauce for dipping!

{as found on Our Best Bites.com}

Honey-Mustard Salmon

I know that fish is usually a love it or hate it thing. I love it. And you might hate it. That makes me feel sorry for you, because this salmon was delicious. And so easy!!


Honey-Mustard Salmon

1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 salmon fillets, 6 ounces each

Preheat the oven to 400F. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, until they have melted together. Stir in the mustard, honey, and soy sauce.

Heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet over high heat. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and add to the pan flesh-side down. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until fully browned and flip. Brush with half of the glaze and place the pan in the oven until the salmon is firm and flaky (before the white fat begins to form on the surface) about 5 minutes. Remove, brush the salmon with more of the honey mustard and serve!

{From Cook This, Not That}

Stovetop Chicken Fajitas

2 tsp canola oil

2 red bell peppers,stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin

1 red onion, halved and sliced thin

salt and pepper

4 (6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed, pounded if necessary

1/2 cup orange juice

3/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1 TB Worcestershire sauce

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce

1 tsp yellow mustard

1 tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped, medium

3 scallions, sliced thin

8 whole-wheat flour tortillas, warmed

1. Heat the oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add the bell peppers and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and well-browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cover to keep warm.

2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Combine the orange juice, 1/2 cup of the cilantro, Worcestershire, garlic, and chipotles in the skillet. Add the chicken and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, about 5 minutes. When the liquid is simmering, flip the chicken over, cover and continue to cook until the chicken registers 160 to 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes longer.

3. Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred it into bite-sized pieces when cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, continue to simmer the sauce over medium heat until slightly thickened and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes.

4. Off the heat, stir in the mustard, tomato, scallions, remaining 1/4 cup cilantro, and shredded chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with the pepper-onion mixture and warm tortillas.

From America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Sauteed Pork Cutlets with Mustard-Cider Sauce

This was incredible.

I was interested in this recipe because of the mustard/cider combination. America's Test Kitchen knows what they are doing. It was the perfect combination of sweet and interesting flavors that paired perfectly with the pork.

Just wait until you see what we had for dessert (I'll post it tomorrow!!)


Sauteed Pork Cutlets with Mustard-Cider Sauce

Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 pounds boneless country-style pork spareribs, cut lengthwise into 2 or 3 cutlets about 3/8 inch wide each
4 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter cut into 6 equal pieces
1 small shallot, minced
1 teaspoon flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup chicken or beef broth
1/4 cup apple cider (or I used apple juice and it worked great)
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh sage (or dry)
Pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard

1. Dissolve 1 tablespoon salt and the sugar in 2 cups water in a medium bowl. Gently pound each pork cutlet until 1/4 inch thick (I had a hard time getting mine this thin, so I had to adjust the cooking time accordingly in steps 3 & 4). Submerge the cutlets in the brine, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes (DO NOT OVERBRINE!).

2. Meanwhile, melt 2 pieces of the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in the flour and dry mustard and cook for 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in the broth, smoothing out the lumps. Stir in the cider and sage, bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and set aside.

3. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 200 degrees. Remove the cutlets from the brine, dry thoroughly, and season with pepper. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 more piece butter, let it melt, then quickly lay half of the cutlets into the skillet. Cook until browned on the first side, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Using tongs, flip the cutlets and cook until browned on the second side, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the cutlets to a large plate and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining cutlets and 1 more piece of butter.

5. Return the empty skillet to medium heat, add the reserved broth mixture, and bring to a simmer. Cook, scraping up the browned bits, until the sauce is slightly thickened and has reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 2 minutes.

6. Off the heat whisk in the whole-grain mustard and remaining 2 pieces butter. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste, spoon it over the cutlets and serve immediately. It is delicious with mashed potatoes!!

{The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2011 Cookbook}

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli, and Mozzarella

This fit the bill for dinner tonight - I could make it ahead and stick it in the fridge, pop it in the oven when we were ready and it turned out delicious.

I have a love/hate relationship with sun-dried tomatoes. Sometimes they are yummy. Other times they really turn me off. I added them this time, but this would still be really good without them.

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli, and Mozzarella

{serves 4}

Topping:

3/4 cup bread crumbs (store-bought or make your own)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

1 bunch broccoli (about 1 pound), stalks cut off, florets trimmed into 1-inch pieces

8 ounces penne pasta

1 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 medium onion, minced

3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half worked fine for me)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2), trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces

3 ounces mozzarella, grated

4 ounce jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped into pieces (optional)

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and butter and set aside. Lightly grease an 8X8-inch baking dish and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and make sure the oven rack is placed in the middle of the oven. In a large pot, bring the water for the pasta to a boil. Stir in some salt and the broccoli. Cook the broccoli for 1 minute, until it is bright green. Quickly remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon to a plate. Return the water to a boil and add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than how you would eat it normally (it will cook a bit more in the oven while baking). Drain the pasta in a colander and toss with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Leave it in the colander and set it aside.

Wipe the pot dry. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking often. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes.

Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce; stir to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the cheese and the bread crumb topping. Bake until the casserole is bubbling and the crumbs are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

*The casserole can be prepared in advance with the following steps: after the broccoli is removed from the boiling water, plunge it into a bowl of ice water and cool completely. Assemble the casserole following the directions in the recipe. After the casserole is spread in the prepared baking pan, let it cool for 5-10 minutes before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating for up to 8 hours. To bake, preheat the oven to 375 and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

{Modified from Mel's Kitchen Cafe}

Tomato Sauce with Butter

This is another family recipe, created by one of my uncles. It is amazing and really not hard to make! The veggies are delicious.

A bonus? This freezes and reheats well.

Tomato Sauce with Butter

2 lb ripe plum tomatoes (or 2 cups canned work as well)

1/4 lb butter, cut into 8 pieces

1 med. onion, peeled and quartered

1 med. carrot peeled and quartered

1/4 tsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

If using fresh tomatoes, wash and cut in half and cook over low heat in a covered pan for 15 minutes. Put through a food mill to have a fine puree. If using canned tomatoes, measure 2 cups into a food mill along with about 1/2 cup of the juice and process for a fine puree (or press through a sieve to puree and remove seeds).

In a medium saucepan, put butter, onion, carrot, sugar and salt. Add tomato puree. Simmer over low heat for 40 minutes uncovered. Stir frequently and make sure it doesn't turn to a boil. Add more salt if needed and serve over pasta.

Ricotta and Spinach Calzones

I have been too intimidated to try this recipe. But now that I'm living with my mom for awhile she showed me the ropes. It was surprisingly easy and very very delicious. We added sausage to some calzones and that was delicious.

DOUGH

4 cups flour

1 T yeast

1/2 T salt

2 T olive oil

1 1/2 cups water

Add yeast to warm water. Let it begin to foam. in food processor fitted with plastic blade mix flour, salt, oil and yeast mixture. Pulse until dough forms a ball and is smooth and elastic. Put dough aside to rise in a covered bowl for 1 hour. Cut dough into 6 pieces, roll each into a ball, and then cover to keep warm for up to 1/2 hour. Preheat oven to 500 F.

FILLING

2 cups ricotta

8 ounces mozzarella, shredded

1 cup grated parmesan

1 egg yolk - or whole egg

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 T olive oil plus 2 T for brushing calzones for baking

1 yellow or red pepper cut into small chunks

3/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes

4 cups chopped frozen spinach or 1 pound fresh, washed/dried baby spinach

SAUCE

1 T olive oil

28 ounces crushed tomatoes in puree

2 medium crushed garlic cloves

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp sugar

1/2-1 tsp salt (to taste)

1/2 tsp pepper

While the dough is rising, prepare the filling and the sauce. For filling, mix the cheeses, egg, oregano, salt and pepper. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat the oil, then add the peppers and cook for about 3 minutes until they are beginning to soften. Add the garlic, spinach, and dried red pepper flakes. Cook until the spinach is just beginning to dry. Set aside cheese mixture and vegetable mixture.

For sauce, heat oil in a small sauce pan. Add garlic and cook only until fragrant - don't let it brown. Carefully add tomatoes. This will spatter if you add the tomatoes too fast, so guard your clothes and stove. Add oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. continue to cook very slowly to thicken a bit while you finish the calzones.

Preheat oven to 500F.

Roll the balls of dough into 9 inch circles. Keep each of the circles separated from each other with plastic wrap or parchment paper. To form each calzone, cover half a circle with 1/6 of cheese mixture, leaving a 1 inch edge. Cover the cheese with 1/6 of the vegetable mixture. Fold the dough over the filling, this time leaving a 1/2 inch edge, sealing the top dough to the bottom. Form each remaining calzone the same way. Cut a few air vents in the top of each calzone, brush with olive oil, and bake for 12 minutes.

Serve with the tomato sauce either hot from the oven or after cooling for 30-60 minutes.

Oven Fried Chicken

I have a confession: I love fried chicken. KFC is a slight weakness of mine...of course, it is a real blessing that up here in Canada they don't have the biscuits (love that hot, crumbly goodness) which means we never go. My waistline thanks me.

In an effort to assuage my craving I have been trying a few baked, or oven-fried, chicken recipes. I tried a few with bread crumbs which were good, but just didn't compare with the taste of fried chicken.

Then Rookie Cookie pulled through (like always).

Her recipe uses cornflakes which stay crispy and help fake out your mouth to thinking you are crunching away on fried chicken.

I also love the idea of having the cornflake/spices mixture already mixed up so dinner can be thrown together quickly.




OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

3 1/2 lb chicken, legs or thighs or both

Kosher salt and pepper

3 cups corn flake cereal

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

3 Tbsp butter, melted

Set oven to 350 degrees.

Pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine corn flakes, basil, thyme, oregano, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Process until corn flakes are coarse crumbs. Pour corn flake crumbs into a pie plate and set aside.

In another pie plate, combine eggs and milk. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.

Set up your breading station. In order, line up seasoned chicken, egg mixture, corn flake crumbs and a greased rimmed cookie sheet. With one piece at a time, dip the chicken in the egg, then into the crumbs (coating well) and then onto the sheet pan. Repeat until all chicken is breaded. Drizzle each piece with a little bit of the melted butter.

Bake for 45-60 minutes or until the chicken's internal temperature is 165-170 degrees.

{Recipe from Rookie Cookie}

Chicken Corn Chowder

We ate this for dinner tonight and were scraping the bowl by the end. Delicious. Such great flavors and so great for a chilly winters day. Or any day if you live in Canada. I'm so ready for winter to be over.

Chicken Corn Chowder

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I found that the olive oil all rose to the top when the soup was done and made it look more unappetizing, hence no picture, so I would try less)
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped, seeds and membrane removed (this is important for flavor - but doesn't add heat because the seeds and membranes are removed and it is cooked with the other veggies)
1/4 cup thinly sliced or cooked chopped ham
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14-oz.) cans chicken broth
3 tablespoons flour
3 ears of fresh corn kernels or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
4 oz. softened cream cheese
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Place olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute celery, bell pepper, onion and jalapeno until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ham; cook for another 3 minutes. Whisk the broth with the flour in a liquid measuring cup or bowl and then stir into the soup. Stir in the corn and chicken. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat.

Whisk together the cream cheese and milk in a large bowl until smooth (I had a difficult time getting my cream cheese to completely whisk into the milk so my soup had some minor small lumps but next time, I'll soften the cream cheese until almost melted in the microwave). Whisk the cream cheese/milk mixture into the soup along with the salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. Simmer on low until ready to serve.

{recipe from My Kitchen Cafe}

Lemon Chicken

Looking for an easy main dish? That is delicious? This fits the bill. Of course, I am a lemon nut. But my husband, who thinks my obsession is a little over-the-top, loves these as well.

Lemon Chicken

2 chicken breasts, cut in 1/2 to make thinner
1/3 cup flour
salt and pepper
2-4 T butter
1 lemon

Once chicken breasts are cut, pound to make as thin as you can. Pound in the flour and salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a pan. Add the chicken. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side and remove from pan. Pour out all but 2 T. of the butter/juice (I like to leave any bits of chicken/flour in that may have come off). Add juice of 1 lemon to pan. Stir. Bring to boil. Add the chicken back in. Flip and cover with the sauce. Serve. And enjoy.

Thanksgiving Turkey

Wow does cooking a turkey intimidate me. But guess what? I've done it successfully for 2 years. Yahoo!

I loved this recipe. The meat was really moist and delish.

Now we just need to work on learning how to carve that darn bird.



Aunt Marilyn's Incredible 2-Hour Turkey

{From My Kitchen Cafe}

1 18-22 pound turkey (I used a 14-pound turkey with great results)
carrots, celery (cut into large chunks), onion (peeled and cut into large chunks), garlic cloves (peeled and smashed)
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
butter
brown paper bag

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and let it heat for one hour. Meanwhile, remove giblets and neck and wash the turkey. Fill the cavity of the turkey with carrots, celery, garlic and onion. Combine the lemon juice, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning in a small bowl. With your hands, rub the entire turkey with the lemon juice mixture.

Place the turkey breast down (this is opposite of how a turkey is normally cooked - so just flip the turkey upside down) in a large roasting pan. Place the roasting pan in the hot oven for as many minutes as the turkey weighs (ie. 19 lb. turkey = 19 minutes). Bake for the allotted time.

Meanwhile, grease a large brown paper bag with butter on both sides. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and carefully (because the turkey and roasting pan are HOT) make a tent out of th paper bag and drape it over the turkey, taking care to tuck the sides of the bag into the roasting pan (you can see pictures at My Kitchen Cafe if you need a visual). Turn the oven down to 400 degrees and cook the turkey for two hours.

Remove the roasting pan and turkey from the oven and let turkey sit for 20 minutes. Remove turkey from the roasting pan and pour the drippings into a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil. Make a slurry from flour and water (to the consistency of thick, heavy cream) and add to the drippings until desired consistency is reached.

Baked Potato Soup

I got this from my sister in-law and have made it a few times already. We really like it! It makes quite a bit, so I usually take dinner to someone when I make it to share some. I LOVE coming home from work to dinner all ready to eat!!!

6 large russet potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped
3-14 oz. cans chicken broth
1/4 c. butter
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. pepper
1 C. whipping cream
1 c. (4 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 Tbs. chopped fresh chives (I omit these)
1-8 oz. container sour cream
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (or be lazy like me and use the fresh bacon bits)
shredded cheddar cheese

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a 5 qt. slow cooker
2. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours or until potatoes are tender
3. Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped/mashed and soup is slightly thickened; stir in cream, cheese, and chives.

Top with sour cream, bacon, and cheese
If desired, serve with half sandwiches

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

Well, I just finished the last one and totally told myself I was going to take a picture before I started eating it. I just totally forgot and snarfed it down...it's good!

1 1/2 - 2 C. cooked rice (I use brown rice), warm or at room temp.
1 C. cooked, shredded chicken
1/2 red or green pepper, diced (I used a little of each)
1/4 C. fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
3/4 C. corn, cooked
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
2 C. shredded cheese
sour cream (optional)
Flour Tortillas (of course, I only use the costco ones!)

Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin, and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for the cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas then dot sour cream down center. Arrange chicken mixture down center. Roll stuffed tortillas. Arrange wraps seam side down on skillet (med-high heat) and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Recipe adapted from mykitchencafe

Chicken Curry

One of my dear friends gave me a collection of her favorite recipes for our wedding. As a mother of 5 kids, she definitely knows what it means to make a fast, easy, and delicious meal. So this is one of those recipes.

This recipe was perfect when I wanted something exotic, but not as time-intensive as this dish. Because... lets be honest. We make Indian food in our house once a week. We just can't get enough. And I feel like when you make Indian food you just have to have Naan bread. And a strawberry lassi is such a cool, refreshing contrast to the spice, so you have to have that. Sooo if I want to cut down on time prep, I go with an easier main dish. This was perfect.

Curry Chicken

4 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon slat
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup sour cream
2-3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
cilantro (optional)

Melt butter and saute onions. Stir in flour and spices. Cook 5 minutes. Add broth and cook until it thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in chicken and sour cream. Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.

Note for Next Time: I thought the sour cream made it a little too....sour creamy. Next time I would substitute at least half of the sour cream with plain yogurt.

Chicken and Black Bean Salad

This meal fits right into my mantra of "yummy meals, fast and easy." My mom made this salad growing up and it is flavorful, beautiful, and filling.

Chicken & Black Bean Salad

Dressing

1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, to taste

Mix all together.

Salad

1 can black beans
1 can corn or Mexicorn
1 red bell pepper
1/2 bunch green onions
1 chicken breast
lettuce
cilantro
lime wedges

Combine black beans (rinsed and drained) and corn (drained). Marinate in dressing.

Cook chicken breast in drizzle of olive oil. Slice into chicken strips. Slice red pepper and green onions.

Mix lettuce with black beans, corn, and chicken. Top with red pepper, onions, lime wedges, and cilantro.

NOTE: I usually find that this is enough dressing, but if you need more, drizzle some Italian dressing on your salad.

Chicken Enchiladas

I love enchiladas. Might be because I life up in the frigid north where there is no such thing as Mexican food (ok I may be exaggerating a little, but not much).

I love using this recipe and splitting it into two pans, freezing half for later.




2-3 Chicken Breasts
1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can chopped green chiles
1/4 cup chicken broth from chicken just cooked (or to your preference...depending on how saucy you like it)
1/4 cup cream cheese, diced
1 cup sour cream
8-10 flour tortillas (have you tried the uncooked tortillas at Costco? We buy like 5 bags every time we are down in the states. So yummy)
1/2 pound Monterey Jack Cheese, grated

Place chicken breats in saucepan and cover with water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until chicken is done (about 30 minutes). Shred chicken and save the broth.

Saute the onions and green chiles in the oil until golden brown. Drain off any excess fat. Add broth, cream cheese, and sour cream. Heat through.

Lay out tortillas one at a time. Put in each about 1/3 c. of filling, 2 T. chicken, and a sprinkle of cheese. Roll up. Line up each enchilada in a 13x9 inch casserole pan (or two smaller pans). Spread remaining sauce and cheese over top.

Bake uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake

This is oh-so similar to Ryan's favorite dinner that I made our first Valentine's as a couple, with some delicious changes. Sentimental? Just a little.

Another great easy to throw together freezer meal. I served this over rice and it was the perfect sauciness.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake

1 package stuffing mix

1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp pepper

3-4 thick slices of deli ham, cubed
2 cup combination of swiss and cheddar cheese, shredded

2 cooked chicken breasts ( I used shredded)

Prepare stuffing mix according to directions on box. Meanwhile in a bowl, combine soup and milk. Put chicken in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with pepper. Layer with ham, half of the cheese, soup mixture and stuffing. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer.

To make into a freezer meal, I would recommend preparing this in two separate smaller pans (especially if you are a small family like ours...this was plenty for two meals). Prepare both pans until ready to bake in oven and then stick one in the freezer for later!

{Recipe, with adaptations by me, from Sister's Cafe}

Ham and Broccoli Cheese Soup

It has been raining every day this week and we were in need of a nice warm dinner. This little number did just the trick.

You will be surprised how yummy this is...the swiss cheese gave it a really unique flavor from other similar soups I have tried.

This is definitely the recipe we will be using in the future. I am not one to eat the same thing for days in a row (I'm a little OCD about it, my husband says), but I ate this for three days straight. It was just that good.


Ham & Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 can chicken broth
1 small onion, diced

1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. butter
Pepper to taste

2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. shredded swiss cheese
steamed chopped broccoli (I like lots of broccoli so I used about 3 cups...but use to your preference)
ham (again, use as much as you want. I used about 1/2 cup)

Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15-20 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft. Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes. In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour and pepper. Cook together for a couple of minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium-high heat until soup starts to thicken. Next add chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended. Add cheeses, steamed broccoli, and ham. Serve immediately.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I know we have already posted a few recipes for Sweet and Sour Chicken, but this recipe is a little-bit different. It is baked in the oven and more like what you would get in a Chinese restaurant (as in not saucy, more breaded). It was fast, easy, and yummy. Definitely a good stand-by for those nights you are out of ideas.


Sweet and Sour Chicken

Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced - about 6-8 minutes.

{Found on My Kitchen Cafe}