Chicken Pot Pie

photo coming soon

Chicken Pot Pie
(Thank you Melanie)

1 rotisserie chicken
1 lb. carrots
2-4 leeks
1 onion (I use red)
5 red potatoes
4 gold potatoes
1 bulb fennel, chopped
1 whole bulb garlic, peeled (yup, the whole thing)
rosemary, to taste (I like fresh)
⅛ - ¼ c. olive oil
salt/ pepper
1-2 c. chicken broth
¾ Tbsp. cornstarch
1 pkg. Pepperidge Farm Pastry Sheets



Line a cookie sheet with foil. Spray cooking spray on foil. Preheat oven to 400˚-425˚, depending on how hot your oven cooks. Chop carrots, potatoes, onion, leeks and fennel into bite size pieces. Add garlic and rosemary. Toss with olive oil and salt/ pepper. Spread vegetables on foil and roast, turning every 15 minutes, for about 45 minutes or until they start to brown.

While vegetables are roasting, pull meat off rotisserie chicken and chop into bite size pieces. Place in a large skillet or saucepan and combine with broth. Add cooked vegetables and use cornstarch to thicken. Put mixture in a casserole dish and top with pastry sheets. Brush egg white on pastry sheet bake at 400˚ for 25 minutes or until pastry is golden. Serve warm.

Spiced Chicken Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes

This is one of my family's favorites and it's pretty fast and easy
I adapted it from the Body For Life cookbook. (I added all the fat back)

10-12 oz. pasta (your choice)

4 chicken breasts

3 Tbsp. cajun seasoning (I use my own, posted below)

1 c. milk

¼ c. parmesan

¼ c. romano

1 bag Baby Spinach

12-16 oz. fresh mushrooms

2 Tbsp. Butter Buds

1 tomato, diced

I like to use frozen chicken because it's easy to cut once half thawed. I cut it lengthwise, so as to make a thinner, yet still wide breast. It also cooks faster.

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large skillet, saute mushrooms in butter then set aside. Use the same skillet for the chicken. Reheat skillet. Sprinkle cajun seasoning on chicken breasts and cook in 1-2 Tbsp. oil in. Cook breasts, turning only once, until no longer pink in center. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate. Add milk to chicken drippings along with pasta, mushrooms, cheeses and spinach. Combine and cover just until spinach wilts. Serve chicken on top of pasta and garnish with more romano and diced tomatoes.

Bacon Covered Cornish Game Hens

So I tried this recipe from http://www.crockpot365.blogspot.com/ and the hens were delicious! I made mashed potatoes with a little cream cheese and a little sour cream and topped them with gravy made from the juices the hens left. The gravy had a really nice herb flavor. We'll make these again. They were great.

--2 cornish game hens, thawed

--8 slices of bacon

--1 tsp kosher salt

--1 tsp thyme

--1 tsp rosemary

Use a 6 quart crockpot. In a small bowl, mix your dry spices. Rub the spice mixture all over the birds, inside and out. Lower the birds into the crockpot. Take your strips of bacon, and wrap two one way and one the other on each bird. See if you can tuck an end inside of the cavity.Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5. Discard the bacon before serving.

Pineapple Chicken

Pineapple Chicken
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips & pieces
1 egg, beaten
1 c. cornstarch (more if needed)
salt & pepper to taste

¾ c. sugar
½ c. red wine vinegar
¼ c. pineapple juice
3 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
¼ c. chopped green onion
canned pineapple, (sliced, chunks or tidbits)

Combine sugar, vinegar, pineapple juice, ketchup, soy sauce and green onions in a bowl and set aside. Dip chicken in egg mixture and roll in cornstarch. Brown both sides in 2 Tbsp. oil. Reduce heat and cook until centers are no longer pink. Remove from pan and set aside. Pour sauce into hot pan and cook until thickened. Mix cooked chicken and sauce in a large bowl until combined. Serve over rice.

*For frying chicken, I like Peanut Oil because the chicken won't burn and turn dark. To get a little color in, mix peanut oil and vegetable oil.

Southwest Lime Chicken

This is such a great dish if you're having company because almost everything is done ahead of time so you have time to sit and visit with your guests.

Southwest Lime Chicken
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Marinade:
1 c. water
1/3 c. teriyaki
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ginger

Dressing:
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. sour cream
1 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. minced tomato
1 1/2 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. jalapeño
1 tsp. minced onion
1/4 tsp. parlsey
1/4 tsp. Tabasco
1/8 tsp. each salt, dill weed, paprika, cayenne, cumin, chili powder

Marinate chicken 3-4 hours in refrigerator. Grill or bake chicken until fully cooked. Place in oven safe dish; top with dressing and cheese and heat in 350° oven or under broiler until cheese is melted. Place each finished breast on top of rice and garnish with a sliced lime. Serve with black bean salsa and fried corn tortilla strips or Fritos.

I like to serve with a mixture of brown and wild rice. Add a little lime juice at the end to give it some kick.

Black Bean Salsa
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1-2 avocados, diced
4-5 roma tomatoes, diced
small bunch cilantro, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
juice from 1 lime


This lime dinner finishes nicely with Lime Pie

Lime Pie
Graham Cracker Crust:
1 pkg. graham crackers
⅓ c. sugar ( less if you can manage)
½ - ¾ cube butter, melted
Mix, press in pie tin and cook for 10 minutes at 350°.

Filling:
½ pt. Whipping cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
juice from 2-3 limes
Whip cream until thick. Add remaining ingredients. Put in prepared graham cracker crust. Let set in refrigerator 2-3 hours before serving. Decorate with sliced limes.

Speed it up-use an 8 oz. container of Cool Whip rather than the whipping cream.