I feel like I am in a food rut lately but thought I would share some of my go to recipes...

Crispy Chicken

1 1/2 c rice crispies coarsely crushed

2 T flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp poultry seasoning

1/4 c butter melted

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

In shallow dish combine cereal, flour & seasonings. Place melted butter in shallow dish. Dip chicken, both sides, in butter then in cereal mixture. Place in a greased 9 X 13 pan. Drizzle with remaining butter. Bake uncovered @ 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until tender.

Russian Chicken

1 1/2 - 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 - 8 oz Russian salad dressing

1 c apricot jam or preserves

2 tsp curry powder

1 pck dry onion soup mix

Lay chicken in ( X 13 casserole. Mix dressing, jam, curry powder and onion soup mix. Pour over chicken. Bake at 350F for 1 hr 15 min.

Confetti Spaghetti

1 -12 oz package angel hair pasta

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 medium green or red pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes undrained (S&W Italian are the best)

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 T brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp pepper1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook beef, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is well cooked. Drain fat if necessary. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, salt, chili powder, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne. Drain spaghetti: add to beef mixture. Transfer to a greased 9 X 13 baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted. Yields 12 servings.

Chicken Neapolitan

Chicken Neapolitan

8 boneless skinless chicken breast (4 oz each) - I used a 2.5 lb bag of frozen chicken breasts and cut the largest pieces in half so that I had 8 pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
(1 pound mushrooms, quartered) - I left these out because we don't particularly like mushrooms.
2 cans (10-3/4 oz each) condensed tomato bisque soup, undiluted - I just used tomato soup because I couldn't find the bisque
3/4 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Hot cooked rice or egg noodles (we used egg noodles tonight but both would be delicious)
Sliced ripe olives and minced fresh parsley to garnish, optional

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, cook chicken, uncovered, over medium-high heat in oil for 8-9 minutes. Turn chicken, add the onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook 8 minutes longer or until chicken juices run clear.

Using a slotted spoon, remove four chicken breasts and half of the vegetables to a greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oup, broth, basil, and oregano; pour half over chicken in the skillet. Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until heated through. Serve over noodles or rice. Garnish with olives and parsley, if desired.

Pour remaining soup mixture over chicken in baking dish. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months.

To use frozen chicken: Thaw in the fridge overnight. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until heated through. Serve over noodles or rice. Garnish with olives and parsley, if desired.


I'm thinking about experimenting with this to bake instead of cook on the stovetop. I may try sauting the vegetables first in just a little oil - probably 1 Tbsp, and adding them to the sauce, then pouring the sauce over raw chicken breasts in a baking pan and baking at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. This would greatly reduce the oil.

Pasta Salad

Scrapbook Pasta Salad

From the kitchen of: Janan De Silva

1 pk Spiral pasta (colored)
1 pk bow tie pasta
4 cups chicken breast
1 can whole cashews
1 can pineapple T-bits
1 bottle Kraft Colesaw dressing
1 cup REAL MAYONAISE
Grapes

Cook the spiral and bowtie pasta as directed on box. Cook chicken, cut into cubes. In a bowl add pastas, chicken, cashews, pineapple, grapes. Then, add dressing and mayonnaise. Toss until everything is well covered. Place in fridge to chill.

Mostacolli

This is Antigone's favorite meal!

1 lb ground beef
1 box mostacolli pasta (or penne pasta is fine)
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I like Bertolli's)
1 can cheddar cheese soup (you can also use any form of cheese soup, Nacho Cheese, Fiesta Cheese, etc.)
Dried Oregano
Garlic salt
Mozarella Cheese

Boil pasta. Brown and drain the ground beef, season with garlic salt. Mix beef with spaghetti sauce, cheese soup and a few pinches of oregano. Bring sauce to boil and then simmer until pasta is ready (I always cook them simultaneously). Drain pasta and mix with sauce in a large bowl. Place pasta in layers in a 9x13 baking dish, covering each layer with mozarella. Cover the top with mozarella also. Spray one side of aluminum foil with Pam cooking spray, cover the dish and bake for 20 min (or until boiling) at 350 degrees.

Pasta with Cauliflower and Pancetta

This is a low GI food and a big hit at my house. Recipe says it serves 4 but the servings are so filling I'd say it could serve much more than that (I think I eat maybe a quarter of a serving). It's probably at least twice that for us anyway.

Pasta with Cauliflower and Pancetta by Antonio Carlucci from The Low GI Diet Cookbook

6 c. cauliflower florets

14 oz. dried cavatelli or penne pasta

1 Tbsp. olive oil

4 1/2 oz. pancetta, finely diced

1 small red chile, finely chopped

1 1/4 c. aved pecorino or Parmesan cheese, grated

2 Tbsp. roughly chopped parsley

1 tsp. salt

1. Cook the cauliflower and pasta together in plenty of boiling, salted water for 19 minutes, or until the cauliflower is cooked and the pasta is al dente.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan, add the pancetta and chile and fry for 3 minutes, or until starting to brown.

3. Drain the pasta and cauliflower adn palce on a alrge serving plate or in individual bowls. Sprinkle with cheese, then tip the pancetta and chile over the top. Add the parsley and season with salt. Mix well in the bowl before serving.

Per serving (4 total)
510 cal, 14 g fat (5g sat), 24g protein, 71g carbs, 6g fiber, 1180mg sodium