Pesto Tortellini Bake

This recipe comes from Six Sisters and you can find it Here
I made it just like the recipe, but next time I will make two changes that I will add to the recipe I put on my blog. That way, I will remember to make the changes next time.
1. Less tortellini
2. More pesto cream sauce



Printable Version Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups milk
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup pesto
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
10 oz. cooked tortellini
1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 cup shredded and cooked chicken
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped into small pieces
1 cup shredded mozzarella
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Simmer 1 1/2 cups milk, pesto and garlic in a skillet on medium heat. Remove from skillet and stir in grated Parmesan
3. Dump in tortellini, tomatoes, chicken, artichoke hearts, zucchini, and mozzarella. Mix until combined
4. Pour pesto butter sauce over the top of mixture until everything is covered. Add salt and pepper to taste. I added extra mozzarella cheese on top.
5. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes.

Drunken Noodles

I could not find the Thai Chilies so I used 1/2 of a large jalapena. Again, I forgot to take a picture until the dish was almost totally gone. Here is what was left of a large wok filled with pure goodness.  My daughter-in-law loves Thai food so for her birthday I tried to make one of her favorite dishes. I was a little uncomfortable so my daughter came and helped me with the dish. She is the real cook of the family.  Love cooking with that girl. Find the recipe Here

Ingredients

• 1 package chinese noodles
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• ¼ cup tequila
• 2 tbsp black soy sauce
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 chicken breast cut in small thin pieces
• ½ green bell pepper, cut in thin long pieces
• Thai Chiles to taste, chopped
• Thai basil leaves, for garnish
• 2 small tomatoes cut in wedges
• green onions for garnish

Instructions

1. Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, stirring frequently. Drain.
2. In a small bowl whisk together black soy sauce, tequila, light soy sauce, fish sauce and brown sugar.
3. In a large skillet melt the butter then add sesame oil. Add garlic and Thai chiles and saute for a few seconds. Add raw chicken and cook until no longer pink. Then add green bell pepper and the soy sauce mixture and cook for a couple minutes.
4. Add cooked noodles, tomatoes and toss to coat noodles. Transfer to a big bowl or plate and garnish with green onions, and basil. Serve warm. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

I have had some Orzo in my pantry for at least a year so I decided it was time to make a dish using the orzo. Here is what I found.

I would probably double the homemade tomato sauce. I did not have marjoram, so I used fresh basil.




Printable Version Ingredients
8 ounces orzo
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, (not oil-packed) divided
1 plum tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, peeled
3 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram, divided
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground pepper
1-9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed---I used canned
1/2 cup finely shredded Romano cheese, divided
Method:
1. Cook orzo in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender, 8-10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Make the tomato sauce--Mix 1 cup water, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomato, garlic, 2 teaspoons marjoram, vinegar and 2 teaspoons oil in a blender. Blend until just a few chunks remain.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden outside and no longer pink in the middle, 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
4. Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Measure out 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the orzo, artichoke hearts and 6 tablespoons cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates.
5. Slice the chicken. Top each portion of pasta with sliced chicken, 2 tablespoons reserved tomato sauce and a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and marjoram.

Coconut Curried Chicken

I know you will be surprised to hear that I did not make this according to the recipe.  You can find that recipe Here. They use the microwave to cook this. I used the stove-top. The following will be how I made it.





Ingredients:
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
1 T. tomato paste (I forgot this in my recipe)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons curry powder (The recipe calls for 2 Tablespoons)
1/2 cup canned light coconut milk (I used the whole can)
1 small onion, chopped
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Method:
1. Pour canola or vegetable oil into skillet on medium heat. Add chicken, curry powder, garlic, onion, ginger, and cayenne pepper. Cook until almost cooked through, about 5 minutes.
2. Add coconut milk and tomato paste and cook until sauce is slightly thickened and the chicken is cooked through.

Pecan Chicken

I found this in my recipe box and I cut it out of the paper. It says that the source is Nancy Leonard, Big Valley Orchards/Knight Ridder.

We really like it on Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Shells. I used them the two nights ago and forgot to take a picture. So today I toasted some hamburger buns and put it over them. Love this recipe. Great way to use left-over rotisserie chicken.
Italic is what I do;  normal is like the recipe states.
Printable Version

Ingredients:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
3 teaspoons chicken bouillon (granules or powder)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
Hot toast, biscuits, or Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Shells, for serving.
Whole pecans, for garnish (optional)
Method:

Melt butter and mix in bouillon. At this point I cooked my celery for about 2 minutes just to soften it.  It is probably not necessary, especially is you like the crunch. Blend in flour and poultry seasoning. Gradually add milk and lemon juice; cook over medium heat , stirring constantly, until thickened.
Stir in celery, chopped pecans, and chicken and cook 2-3 minutes. Serve over hot toast, biscuits or Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Shells and garnish with whole pecans, if using.

Note from Author:  Makes 4-5 servings. Approximate nutritional values per serving, based on 4 servings: 520 calories, 39 g fat, 16 g carbohydrate, 28 g protein, 131 mg cholestrol, 641 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber.

Quick Chicken Braciole

Another recipe from Eating Well. You can find it Here , but you have to sign-up for their website.







Ingredients:
2 cups prepared marinara sauce
2- 8-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
4 thin sliced prosciutto
1 cup finely chopped chard leaves (without stems) I went to the grocery store, but they didn't have chard so I bought spinach
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
1. Add sauce to a large skillet, cover and place over medium heat to start warming.
2. Cut a horizontal slit along the long, thin edge of each chicken breast, cutting nearly through to the opposite side. Open each so it forms two flaps, hinged at the center. Cover with a large piece of plastic wrap and pound with the smooth side of a meat mallet to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Layer 2 slices of prosciutto, 1/2 cup chard and 1/4 cup mozzarella on each breast. Starting from the long side, roll closed. Tie the ends with kitchen string and tuck them in to keep the filling from falling out. Sprinkle each roll with pepper
3. Add the rolls to the warm sauce; cover and simmer, turning occasionally until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the rolls registers 165 degrees F, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a clean cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Remove the string and slice the rolls crosswise. Serve with the sauce. I made some pasta to serve with it.

Cheesy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

My recipe looks very different from the recipe picture. Here
The recipe calls for 2 cups of wild rice and 2 cups of white rice. We do not care for that much rice, so I only used 1 cup of rice and I did not prepare my rice before I added it to the casserole. We really liked it this way, but you might want to try Picky Palate's version. I will add ( ) to my version.



Printable Version
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 stalks celery, finely diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 Tablespoons fresh minced garlic
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast ( I used rotisserie chicken from grocery store)
2 cups steamed white rice (I used 1 cup of raw rice)
16 oz prepared wild rice (I did not use this)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
----------------
Ingredients for Cheese Sauce
4 Tablespoons butter (I used 3)
1/4 cup all purpose flour (I used about 3 T)
1/4 teaspoon each of kosher salt and black pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Top with 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
-------------------
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil into a medium dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Saute onions, celery, and carrots until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in chicken, both rices,( I added the cup of raw rice at this point) salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Reduce heat to low. You just want to cooked long enough to coat the rice.
2. To prepare cheese sauce, melt butter into a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk in flour, salt, and pepper. Then slowly pour in chicken broth whisking continuously. Whisk until thick and nearly boiling. Then stir in cheese until melted. Pour cheese sauce into rice mixture then transfer to a 9 X 13 inch baking dish. Top with additional cheddar cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

This recipe came from The Express News in San Antonio, TX. It was submitted by Chris Dunn.

Printable Version

Ingredients:
1-2 tablespoons peanut or other high temperature oil, divided use
1 1/2 cups shitake or button mushrooms, chopped
1 - 5-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
2 rotisserie chicken breasts, bones and skin removed, small diced
3 green onions, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2-3 cloves)
salt and pepper to taste
8 large whole iceberg lettuce leaves
Stir Fry Sauce:
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Directions:
1. When the pan is very hot, add mushrooms and saute for about 30 seconds.
2. Add additional 1 tablespoon oil, if needed; then add water chestnuts and saute, while stirring for 30 seconds longer.
3. Add chicken, green onions, and garlic to pan and saute for a few seconds.
4. Add Stir-fry Sauce to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stirring constantly until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Transfer to a warm bowl.
5. Place the bowl with the chicken filling on a platter surrounded by lettuce leaves. Let each person take a lettuce leaf, top it with filling and drizzle with desired amount of Sriracha sauce. Roll up and enjoy.
Note: If using shitake mushrooms, discard the woody stems before chopping.
For Stir Fry Sauce: Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and seasme oil together in a small bowl.
I did not use the Sriracha sauce:

Crispy Chicken with Honey Mustard and French Fried Onions

This recipe comes from Six Sisters.   Crispy Chicken with Honey Mustard and French Fried Onions
This is a great recipe. These chicken breasts were big enough that I just gave Jud one and cut the other in 1/2. Now we have enough for another meal.  I absolutely love when that happens.

Crispy Onion Chicken Recipe:

(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup honey mustard (I didn't have honey mustard so I used Dijon Mustard w/ a little mayonnaise and honey. 
2 cups French's French Fried Onions, crushed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Dip each chicken breast in honey mustard then coat in crushed French fried onions.  Place in a baking dish lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Cook for 30-35 minutes, or until cooked through.

Eleanor's Chicken and Rice

This is what it looks like before placing it in the oven.  I got this recipe from "Talk about Good" by Le Livre de la Cruisine de Lafayette. That is the Junior league of Lafayette.







Printable Version
Ingredients:
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup cream
1 teaspoon salt
2 cup cubed, cooked chicken
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 3/4 cup chicken stock
3 cups hot cooked rice
1 jar pimento, diced
1/2 cup blanched split almonds
Directions:
Cook mushrooms lightly in 2 1/2 tablespoons butter. Stir in flour; add chicken stock. Cook and stir constantly over low heat until thickened. Add cream and salt. Mix rice with pimento in a buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole. Add chicken and cover with sauce. With a fork, lift chicken and rice lightly so sauce will run down. Brown almonds lightly in 1/4 cup butter; drain; sprinkle almonds over top of casserole. Bake in 375 degree oven 20-30 minutes.

Chicken in Creamy Tomato Sauce

Some day I will learn to write where I got a recipe.  None of the recipes are my own creation. but when I was collecting recipes, I never dreamed I would be writing a blog and needed to know where I got the recipe.  I had some left-over uncooked fresh tortellini in the refrigerator and used it with this dish.  I just put the cooked pasta on the bottom, added a chicken breast and then spooned some sauce over the whole thing.





Printable Version

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1- 15oz can tomatoes
3 Tablespoons mascarpone cheese
Handful of fresh basil,
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts. Brown chicken breasts over high heat in 3 T. olive oil. Cook 2 minutes on each side. Remove chicken breasts- Does not have to be cooked through. Turn heat to medium/low and add onion and garlic.  After two minutes, stir in tomatoes and simmer 10-15 minutes. Stir in mascarpone and basil. Add chicken back to the pan immersing in sauce. Place the chicken in the oven and bake uncovered 20 minutes, flipping 1/2 way through the cooking process.