Lemon-Spinach Chicken

Oh, Wow!  This was an amazing dish. Jud and I both loved this dish.  The recipe calls for a tomato slice on top of the swiss cheese, but I didn't realize until the last minute that I was out of tomatoes.  I substituted the avocado, but next time, I will use a tomato and an avocado.  I might also put the spinach in with the juice at the same time I add the chicken back in the juice and cook for 5 minutes.


Printable Version:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingsherry/lemon-spinach-chicken
Ingredients:
4 (5oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1- 1/2 tablespoons each, butter and olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
4 tomato slices
1/4 cup reduced-fat Swiss Cheese
4 cups fresh baby spinach
slices of fresh avocado
Directions:
1. Place chicken breasts between double layer of plastic wrap. Pound, with meat mallet, to 1/4-inch thickness.
2. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in mixture.
3. Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet; add chicken and cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove chicken from skillet, reserving drippings in pan.
4. Add garlic to hot skillet and saute for 1 minbute. Stir in broth, wine, and lemon juice. Looseng browned particles in skillet; bring to a boil. Return chicken to skillet.  Add the zest on top of each chicken breast, reduce heat and top each chicken breast with swiss cheese and a tomato slice. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Place 1 cup spinach on each plate; spoon chicken and sauce over spinach and serve. (Spinach will wilt when covered with hot chicken.)
5.  Remove chicken from skillet and top with avocado if desired.

Honey-Pecan Chicken

This is another recipe from Healthy Meals for Hurried Families. When I am choosing recipes for the week, I tend to look in 1 cookbook or recipe file. So most of my recipes this week have been from this cookbook.  I only made 3 chicken breasts and they were really small so I only cooked it about 17 minutes.


Ingredients:
2 tablespoons lite soy sauce                                              1 teaspoon salt
2 talblespoons honey                                                         1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups wheat cereal squares, crushed                                6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans                                          vegetable cooking spray

Directions:
1. Stir together soy sauce and honey; set mixture aside.
2. Combine cereal crumbs, pecans, salt and pepper
3. Arrange chicken breasts on an aluminum-foil lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. prinkle remaining crumb mixture on top of the chicken.
5. Bake 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes


Ham and Swiss Capellini With Mushrooms

I got this cookbook for Christmas and have been enjoying trying new recipes. I wasn't crazy about this dish, but Jud really liked it.  Left-overs were even better.  What I really liked about it is that dinner was ready from start to finish in about 20 minutes.





Ingredients:
6 ounces whole wheat angel hair pasta
2 slices center cut bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
1 cup diced celery
1 medium zucchini, diced
4 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese
1 1/4 cup milk (I used 1%)
1 cup reduced-fat Swiss cheese shreds
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese shreds
1 cup 97% lean ham, cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Prepare pasta as directed on package; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, saute bacon in a large non-stick skillet. Add onion, mushrooms, celeri and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add cubed cream cheese and stir constantly over low heat. Add milk, cheeses, ham, salt and pepper.
hrough until all cheese is melted. Stir in pasta and serve. (May add additional milk if mixture is too thic
Makes 4 servings

Moroccan Chicken Tajine with Coconut Rice

This was a great dish, but it pretty labor-intensive. I would make it
again, because I loved the sauce. Well worth the time and effort.

Printable Version:

https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingsherry/moroccan-chicken-tajine-w-coconut-rice

Ingredients:

1. 6 cloves garlic, minced
2. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
3. 1 teaspoon ground ginger
4. 1/2 teaspoon paprika
5. 1 tablespoon Kosher sea salt
6. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
7. 1 large Spanish onion, grated
8. 2 tablespoons canola oil
9. 1-2 preserved lemons ( recipe follows)
10. 8 chicken thighs with bone and skin
11. Stems from parsley and cilantro tied with twine
12. 1 cup pitted Greek olives
13. 1/2 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
14. 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
15. 1/4 teaspoon saffron or 1/4 teaspoon tumeric
16. 1 1/2 cups water

In a large mixing bowl, mix garlic, cumin, ginger, paprika, salt and pepper, 1/2 of the grated onion, and oil. Rinse preserved lemons you plan to use, then remove the pulp. Reserve lemon peel for later. Add lemon pulp to bow. Add chicke. Mix well and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Don't worry if you forgot to marinade overnight, it will still be good. In a large stock pot place the chicken and marinade; add stems from the parsley and cilantro, the other 1/2 of the grated onion, saffron, and water. Bring to a boil then turn the heat to low. Partially cover the pot and cook 30-45 minutes. Remove cover and stir. Cook another 15 minutes. Remove chicken and then with aluminum foil. Contine to cook the sauce to reduce. Slice lemon peel and add to pot. Add olives, parsley, cilantro and cook until reduced to nice sauce. Remove skin from the chicken thighs and pour sauce over the chicken.

Recipe for preserved Lemons:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Cut each lemon into six pieces. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons salt. Cover with water and cook 3 hours. Cool and refrigerate until needed. They will last 2 months. I put mine in a canning jar.

Coconut Rice:

Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 2 cups uncooked basmati rice; saute' 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups fat-free, less-socium chicken broth, 1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk, and 1 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped green onions. I forgot to put in the green onions. It would have been a nice addition with the Chicken Tajine.

Chicken Cacciatore Soup

I really liked this soup, but next time I will add the pasta each time I warm the soup. By the time we had warmed it a third time, the pasta was a little mushy for my taste. I took it with us to the beach for Spring Break with the kids and grandkids.  It comes from my Big Book of Soups and Stews by Maryana Vollstedt



Printable Version:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingsherry/chicken-cacciatore-soup

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces medium mushrooms, sliced
2 boned and skinned chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 cup chicken stock or broth
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup uncooked rotini
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese for topping
In a large soup pot over medium heat, warm oil. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic and saute' 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and chicken and saute' until chicken turns white and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes longer. Add stock, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and rotini. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until rotini is tender, about 7 minutes. Add tomato sauce, wine, and parsley and cook uncovered, until flavors are blended, about 10 minutes longer. To thicken, mix flour and water in a bowl and stir into soup. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Chocolate Malteser Cake

The Martyak's are coming on Thursday so I made this cake for us to have. Hopefully, there will be some left by the time they get here. Jud tried it for me. He said I wouldn't want to serve something that wasn't good. It passed his inspection. I think Bodie will like it.
Nigella used superfine sugar, but I just used regular sugar. She also used Horlicks malted milk powder, but I just used what my grocery stor had, which was Carnation.  From Nigella Lawson - Feast


Printable Version:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingsherry/chocolate-malteser-cake


Ingredients for the Cake:
3/4 cup lighty brown sugar                                        2 T. malted milk powder
1/2 cup superfine sugar                                             1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs                                                                        1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted
3/4 cup milk                                                              1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon butter                                                    1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Ingredients for the Frosting and Decoration:
2 cups confectioner' sugar                                         1 stick plus 1 tablespoon soft unsalted butter
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa                                  2 tablespoons boiling water
1/3 cup malted milk powder                                      2 ounces Malted Milk Balls for decoration

Tkae whatever you need out of the refrigerator so that all ingredients can come to room temperature (though it's not so crucial here, since you're heating the milk and butter and whisking the eggs).
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and line two 8" round cake pans with parchment paper. Whisk together the sugars and eggs while you measure out the other ingredients; I use a standing mixer here whilch explains why I can do two things at once. Heat the milk, butter, and horlicks powder in a saucepan until the butter melts, and it is hot but not boiling. When the sugars and eggs are light and frothy, beat in the hot Horlicks mixture and then fold in the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda. Divide the cake batter evenly between the two pans and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, but which time the cakes should have risen and will spring back when pressed gently. Let them cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes and then turn out of their pans.
Once the cakes are cold, you can get on with the frosting. I use a food processor just because it makes life easier; you don't need to sift the confectioners' sugar. Put the confectioners' sugar, cocoa and Horlicks malted milk powder in the processor and blitz to remove all lumps. Add the butter and process again. Stop, scrape down, and blitz again, pouring the boiling water down the funnel with the motor running until you have a smooth buttercream.
Sandwich the cold cake layers with half of the buttercream, and then ice the top with what is left, creating a swirly top rather than a smooth surface. Stud the outside edge, about 1/2 inch, with a ring of Malted Milk Balls or use them to decorate the top in whichever way that pleases you. I do not ice the sides. (I didn't either)