adventures in the kitchen
Friday, September 12, 2008 Chicken Pot Pie



Found this recipe in the Sept. 2008 issue of Parenting magazine (can you tell that I really like the recipes in Parenting mag?) :) This is the first homemade chicken pot pie I've ever made and I was super happy that it turned out well. The only thing I'll change the next time I cook this is I'll skip the thyme...a bit too strong for our liking. Other than that it was great.

Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 35 minutes
Yield: 6 servings


Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
3 carrots, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breast, cubed
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 (12-oz) jar chicken gravy
1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust (I used two crusts--one underneath the filling and one on top.


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray (if you use a second pie crust to line your pie dish, you do not need to use cooking spray).
2. In a large skillet, melt half the butter with half the oil. Add carrots and celery, and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with half the salt and pepper. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Heat remaining butter and oil in pan; add chicken. Add salt, pepper, and thyme. Brown on all sides. continue to cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until done.
4. In prepared pie dish, combine chicken, peas, carrots, celery and gravy. Top mixture with crust, crimping the edges. Cut slashes in the middle, and bake for 35 minutes, or until filling is bubbling.

per serving: 395 calories, 19 g fat (7 g saturated), 683 mg sodium, 79 mg cholesterol
Posted by kristy :: 12:11 PM :: 1 comments

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Sweet and Sassy BBQ Chicken Pizza


I found this recipe on a coupon for canned chicken in Sunday's paper. I already had a can of chicken (and the other ingredients), so I decided to make it for lunch Thursday. I'm a big fan of BBQ Chicken pizza, so naturally I enjoyed this one. I used a whole wheat crust to try and make it a bit more healthy.

Ingredients

1 can (10 oz.) Hormel Chunk Chicken, drained (go figure, the recipe was printed beside a Hormel coupon...I'm sure you could use any brand of canned chicken)
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3/4 c. barbecue sauce
1 (12 in.) prepared pizza crust
3/4 c. shredded Pepper Jack cheese

In a large skillet, saute onion slices in olive oil until caramelized. Spread barbecue sauce on pizza crust. Top with chicken. Sprinkle with cheese and caramelized onions. Bake at 450 degrees F for 12-15 minutes, or until heated through and cheese has melted.

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Posted by kristy :: 12:05 PM :: 1 comments

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Monday, September 8, 2008 Peachy Pork Medallions

This recipe came from the August 2008 issue of Parenting Magazine. I had some nectarines that needed to be eaten, so I used them instead of peaches and the recipe turned out just fine. In fact, it was quite a hit, especially with Will who rarely eats meat. Oh yeah, and instead of polenta, I just made Jiffy corn muffins. The nectarine sauce over the corn muffin was delicious!

Prep: 8 minutes
Cook: 12 to 16 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into 8 slices, flattened to 1/4 inch thick
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
8 slices (1/2 inch thick) precooked polenta (I made jiffy corn muffins in the oven)
2 tsp olive oil
2 2/3 cups sliced peaches (I used nectarines)
1/4 cup reduced-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
6 tbsp. seedless raspberry all-fruit spread
1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp ground ginger


Directions:

1. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and set on medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper, and saute 2 minutes on each side, or until fully cooked. Remove from pan and cover with foil to keep warm.

2. Brush polenta slices with oil. Cook in skillet on medium-high heat, 3 to 4 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Remove and set aside. Reduce heat to medium and cook peach slices, stirring frequently, until barely tender.

3. Add broth to peaches and bring to a simmer, stirring regularly. Add preserves, vinegar, and ginger. Stir until preserves melt.

4. Serve pork, drizzled with sauce, with peaches and polenta.


(I forgot to take a picture of the finished product, but trust me, it is aesthetically pleasing) :)

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Posted by kristy :: 6:59 PM :: 0 comments

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Sunday, September 7, 2008 Chicken Spinach Lasagna Casserole


I stumbled across this recipe in the Sept. 2008 issue of Redbook magazine while getting my hair cut last Friday. It looked good so I asked my stylist if I could tear out the page; thankfully, she said yes :)

My mom and I prepared the lasagna casserole last night, kept it in the fridge over night and then cooked it for lunch today. I highly recommend this dish if you're cooking for a large group (the recipe serves 12).


Ingredients:

1 (10-oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 (10-oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 1/2-oz.) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1/3 cup mayonnaise
6 lasagna noodles, cooked
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped pecans


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine spinach, chicken, cheddar cheese, onion, cornstarch, salt, pepper, soy sauce, soup, sour cream, mushrooms, and mayonnaise. Put a layer of noodles in the bottom of a greased (9x13x2-inch) lasagna pan. Spread half of the spinach mixture over noodles. Place another layer of noodles on top and cover with the remaining spinach mixture. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese, then pecans on top, and bake for 1 hour. Serves 12.

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Posted by kristy :: 1:59 PM :: 0 comments

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Friday, September 5, 2008 Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps



I picked up this recipe from the produce dept. at Publix and was very pleased with the finished product. Super easy, yummy and pretty healthy; a great combination, right?

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 6 minutes


2/3 cup bottled peanut sauce
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp. apple juice
1 lb. chicken tenderloins 3/4 cup matchstick or shredded carrots
1/2 cup sliced sugar snap peas
1/4 cup chopped green onion
6 large iceberg lettuce leaves

Combine peanut sauce, soy sauce and apple juice in small bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup. Pour remainder in resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, seal bag, and toss to coat. Set aside.

Coat grill rack with nonstick cooking spray (I cooked my chicken in a skillet on the stove over med. heat). Preheat grill to medium direct heat. Grill chicken 3 minutes per side or until no longer pink. Remove from grill and shred with fork.

Combine shredded chicken, carrots, sugar snap peas, onion and reserved peanut sauce mixture in large bowl; mix thoroughly.

Place chicken mixture evenly in 6 lettuce leaves and serve.

Serves 6

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Posted by kristy :: 3:41 PM :: 1 comments

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