Lightened Up Chicken Spaghetti

In the past, I've made some delicious chicken spaghetti that had Rotel tomatoes with green chilies and loads of Velveeta cheese. It's really good. But it's really bad for you, too. As I've mentioned, I'm doing Weight Watchers, so I'm not eating much by way of Velveeta these days. Actually, I haven't had Velveeta in almost a year.

Anyway, Weight Watchers eTools has something really cool that I've been playing with, called Recipe Builder. You tell it what you're putting into your recipe, and it tells you how many POINTS value are in each serving. I can't share those values with you, because it's copyrighted material. I just love that feature. It helped me plan today's dinner. Here it is:

Chicken Spaghetti
serves 6

What You Need:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded or cut into chunks (I did a combo of the two, just quickly cutting it up)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup sliced bell peppers
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 lb dry spaghetti, cooked and drained
• 2 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (use less if you don't care for it that much. We love it.)
• 2 gloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup of cheese (I used Weight Watchers brand 4 cheese Italian blend, made with 2% milk)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided

How it's Done:

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a 2 quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or mist with oil.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pepper and onions, stirring until soft and fragrant. Stir in sauce, basil, garlic, chicken, and spaghetti, mixing well. Stir in half of the Parmesan cheese.
• Pour spaghetti mixture into the prepared dish. Top with the remaining cheeses.
• Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Let the dish sit for five more minutes before slicing and serving.

Incidentally, I had my third weigh-in on Wednesday, and have lost a total so far of 10.8 pounds, eating stuff like Chicken Spaghetti, and putting cream and sugar in my coffee. It works, and it's sound, and it promotes whole foods eating. I love it.

Harvest Chicken Salad

After several days of nothing new, I finally have a great new recipe to post. This one has been whirling around in my head for a while now, just waiting for the right name and the right weather. It uses leftover cooked chicken. A roasted chicken is perfect. I used leftovers from a home-cooked rotisserie lemon-pepper chicken.

Harvest Chicken Salad

What You Need:

• 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped roughly
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries or cherries
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 2 green onions, diced
• 1/2 of a large green apple (tart), diced (for color and texture, I leave the peel on)
• the juice of 1/2 a lemon
• a dash of salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt

How it's Done:

1. Simple: combine everything. Stir it up and serve on bread or with crackers. Store in the fridge tightly covered.

Using up Leftovers

My mother came to visit last weekend, and while she was here, she bought us a cooked rotisserie chicken from my grocer's deli department. It was $3.99 for a whole, cooked chicken! I can't do much better on raw chicken! I created this recipe to use up the rest of the chicken leftover from her visit. Also, she takes 1/2 & 1/2 in her coffee, so I had leftovers of that as well. Feel free to use milk in its place in this recipe.

Chicken & Pepper Pasta

What You Need:

• 2 cups leftover, cooked chicken, skin and bones removed
• 2 cups pepper strips (I used sweet banana peppers, but bell peppers would add more flavor)
• 1 large onion, sliced into thin strips
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup 1/2 & 1/2
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 cups cooked pasta (I used torchiette)
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions for serving (optional)

How it's Done:

1. Heat oil over medium heat on stove top. Add peppers and onion and saute until the vegetables are soft and fragrant. Add the garlic and chicken. Salt and pepper to taste. Once heated through, stir in the 1/2 & 1/2 and shredded mozzarella. Cook and stir until melted and thickened.
2. Serve over pasta, topping with scallions if desired.

This post is linked to Tuesday Tag-Along and Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays.

A Week of (Healthy) Bare-Bones Meals: Day 4

Welcome, Tuesday Tag-Along friends and welcome to all of my wonderful readers. :)

Today's day 4 in my week of meals that cost very little but provide lots of taste and nutrition. On today's menu: a sandwich that uses up the leftover chicken from the past two days' menus.


Day 4

Breakfast: scrambled eggs & biscuits with jam
Lunch: Leftover Fried Rice or Soup
Dinner: Chicken Burgers on Soft Rolls with Lettuce, Tomato, and Onion

Chicken Burgers on Soft Rolls
Makes 6 chicken burgers and 16 rolls

What You Need:

• 1 lb cooked, boneless, skinless chicken
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 to 3/4 cups bread crumbs (just toss the heels of your homemade bread into the food processor for this)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tsp minced garlic (or 1 tsp garlic powder, if that's cheaper or easier to get)
• 1/2 an onion
• 1 Tbsp oil plus more for cooking
• rolls for serving (recipe follows)

How it's Done:

1. Combine chicken, eggs, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and 1 Tbsp oil in your food processor or blender. Process until smooth, adding tiny bits of water if needed.
2. Form the mixture into 6 patties.
3. Fry in oil over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes per side. They're already almost completely cooked -- you just need to heat them up completely and brown both sides.
4. Serve on rolls with your choice of toppings.

Yummy, Cheap, and Easy SOFT Rolls for Sandwiches

What You Need:

• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup sugar (I used honey, but for cost purposes, I'm listing sugar. Use honey if you have it.)
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 Tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp honey or sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 tsp sea salt

How it's Done:

1. Heat milk on stove or in microwave until steaming (about 4 minutes in microwave for me). Add oil and 1/4 cup sugar or honey. Let this cool down.
2. Meanwhile, combine yeast with 1 tsp honey or sugar AND 1/4 cup warm water in a large mixing bowl. I used my KitchenAid stand mixer. Let sit for 10 minutes.
3. After 10 minutes, pour the milk mixture into the large mixing bowl. Turn beater on or stir by hand. Add 2 cups of flour and 1 tsp salt. Stir briskly 2 minutes. Then, let this sponge sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.
4. Now, add in 3 cups of flour, slowly, beating all the time. You want to form a soft, smooth dough. Add additional flour as needed.
5. Knead for five to eight minutes on a lightly floured surface.
6. Move the dough to a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled, about an hour.
7. Punch the dough down and divide into 16 roughly equal bits. Roll out into ropes, then spiral them around themselves like snail shells, pinching the ends securely. Cover and let rise 30 minutes.
8. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden in color.
9. Brush with melted butter if desired.

Frugal Tip #4: Use your time and energy wisely. Why make only 6 buns for one meal, when you can make 16 and use the rest over the next few days? Baking in large batches saves time, effort, and energy cost.

Who says livin' cheap has to mean eatin' junk?

This post linked to:

Winging It

Day 165.

The Hubs got a nummy lunch yesterday. See, it's low carbing right now, so most of his meals are Hunk O' Meat and Raw Salad Vegetables or Egg with or without Meat, Cheese, and Veggies. BORING.

I surprised him with some chicken wings yesterday for lunch. They were really easy to make, low-cost, low-carb, and he loved them.

Chicken Wings
Amounts shown are for 18 wings

What You Need:

• chicken wings (rinsed and patted dry)
• oil for deep frying
• 1/2 cup hot sauce
• 1/2 cup butter

How it's Done:

1. This is so easy if you have a deep fryer. We just happened to score one for cheap at a yard sale a few weeks ago. Heat the oil to 375 degrees.
2. Cook wings for 14 minutes or until cooked through. They will be nice and crispy.
3. While the wings are cooking, combine melted butter and hot sauce in a large bowl.
4. As the wings finish cooking, drop them into the sauce. Stir them around in the sauce so that they get coated nicely.
5. Serve right away with blue cheese dressing and celery.

Aren't those little dishes cute? They're from Pier One. I found the whole set at a thrift shop for $9.00 :)

How to Feed a Meat-a-Tarian

Day 138.

Were you around when I talked about my husband's decision to do Atkins to lose some weight? It's been a challenge to get him properly fed while also properly feeding the kids and me, but I've done okay so far. Many times, this means making two meals. Thankfully, my husband isn't terribly fussy, and some fried eggs and bacon have passed his lips on numerous occasions. Sometimes, I get lucky and make something that I don't mind eating, too. Yesterday, for lunch, was one such occasion.

The cheese crackers are simple to make and satisfy the need to crunch without adding many carbs. They taste a lot like CheezIts.

Chicken Spread with Cheese Crackers

What You Need:

for the spread:

• 1 lb cooked chicken breast (bones and skin removed)
• 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
• a handful of fresh dill
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup cheese (I had cheddar out, so I used it)
• 1/2 a large onion, cut into chunks

for the crackers:

• cheese
• that's it

How it's Done:

1. In your food processor, combine all ingredients for chicken spread. Process two minutes, or until smooth. Scoop into serving dishes and top with a sprig of dill.
2. For the crackers: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Pour a tablespoon of shredded cheese onto the hot skillet. Cook until the bottom is browned and the top is all bubbles. Carefully scrape the "cracker" off the skillet and flip it over. Cook it another 30 seconds or so. Move to plate and continue with the cheese, until you've made enough crackers.
3. Serve the crackers with the spread.

Okay, I Can Compromise. (aka Chicken Nuggets, Revisited)

Day 116.

Way back in January, I made some yummy chicken tenderloin "nuggets" with an almond crust. They were kid friendly and adult approved. They were a hit around here. But they aren't the most frugal thing I could have made, so it's time to revisit them. We are looking at a probable move by this time next year, probably to Germany! So I need to start stashing extra money away now. Anywhere I can cut corners, I will. And where's the easiest place to do that? In the kitchen.

I wanted to make chicken nuggets. They had to meet several criteria:

1. They had to be wholesome.
2. They had to taste delicious.
3. They had to be made from what was sitting around the house, because it's "use it up" week and we're running out of things fast. That meant no egg, no dairy, no oil.

When I made the almond-crusted tenderloin, I was going for breaded chunks of chicken. This time, I was going for the texture of premade chicken nuggets. That meant lots of additives. Just Like Store-Bought! Except that you can pronounce all of MY additives. And they're all real foods.

Think of this recipe like a whole tray of tiny meatloaves. Tiny, chicken meatloaves. Just like meatloaf is only partially meat (lots of fillers), these are partially chicken. But completely wholesome.

One suggestion: If I had olive oil, I would have pan-fried them in it instead of oven-baking. They would be ten times tastier in olive oil. But they were delicious as written.

"Real" Chicken Nuggets

What You Need:

for the chicken mixture:

• 2 lb cooked chicken, removed from bones and skin
• 1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato
• dash of hot sauce
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup oat flour (process oats in a food processor until they resemble flour)
• 2 Tbsp corn meal
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 large onion, minced
• 1/4 cup water or broth

for the breading:

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 Tbsp dried minced onion
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/3 cup water

How it's Done:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Dump all the chicken ingredients in the food processor and process until it looks like chicken paste. ;) If it frightens you to look at it, smell it. You'll feel better because it will smell very, very tasty.
3. Set out two pie plates. In one, mix together the flour, cornmeal, dried minced onion, oat flour, sea salt, and parika. Whisk together the mayonnaise, tahini, and soy sauce until smooth. Stir in the water. Pour this into the other pie plate.
4. Form the chicken paste (sorry, don't know what else to call it. You'll understand when you make them!) into nuggets. Dip them in the tahini-mayo mixture, then the breading mixture, coating both sides.
5. Spray with olive oil cooking spray and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, turning the nuggets over after the first 15 minutes.

On the side, I served sliced kiwis, and mini cheese ravioli with sauteed butternut squash. Picky Eater ate EVER-EE-THING, and exclaimed that I had found the meal she loves. I was so pleased. :)

(P.S. I gave up the Diet Coke a while ago and have been doing really well without it. I weaned myself onto Iced Tea with sugar, then slowly reduced the amount of sugar in it until I was drinking unsweetened iced tea, and I find it refreshing now. I tried some Crystal Light yesterday for a change of pace and was unable to finish a glass. I found it sickly-sweet. No headaches, no withdrawal, since I switched to iced tea right away. And I love the money I'm saving!)

Southern Cookin' Sundays #3

Day 80!

Today, I made another Southern Cookin' Menu. On today's plate: Chicken Fried Chicken (LoL), Lima Beans & Corn, Southern Style Biscuits, and Sweet Potato Pie for dessert!

Here are some recipes...

Chicken Fried Chicken (Why do they call it that? Wouldn't Fried Chicken do it?)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/5 lb chicken (I used boneless, skinless breasts)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• peanut oil for deep frying

How it's Done:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet with high sides over medium heat.
2. Meanwhile, combine flour, salt, and pepper in a pie plate. In another pie plate, combine beaten eggs and milk.
3. Dip chicken in flour, then egg, then flour, then egg, then flour and egg again. THREE dips each dish.
4. Fry 8 to 10 minutes, then flip chicken and fry another 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Serve with gravy if desired.

Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potato
• 1 can evaporated (PET) milk
• pie crust for a single crust pie

How it's Done:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a deep dish pie plate with your crust. Set aside.
2. In your food processor, combine eggs, butter, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Add sweet ptoatoes. Process until smooth.
3. With food processor running, slowly add milk.
4. Pour into pie crust.
5. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until almost set. Let pie cool completely before serving.

For a fabulous southern style biscuit recipe, visit Food Network's Alton Brown's recipe here.

How to Save Money on Food (and still eat ridiculously well)

Day 63.

There are plenty of people who eat better than my family and me. However, I think we eat pretty well. We often have steaks. We always have fresh fruits and vegetables. We have dessert at least once a week, including decadent cheesecakes and decorated cookies. We eat fancy, restaurant-style breakfasts like Butter-Pecan Waffles, Banana Bread French Toast, and Orange-Pineapple Pancakes. Our dinner menus include such basic staples as Meatloaf and Soft Tacos, but we frequently dine on fancier meals, like Fettuccine with Toasted Walnut Cream Sauce and Pesto-Stuffed Chicken.

And we eat all of that for under $400 a month.

Let me repeat that. I cook all of our meals (save for the occasional treat when we go out to eat, maybe once a month) and snacks from scratch, using great, fresh ingredients, for under $400 a month. And I don't use coupons. And I don't shop multiple stores.

So how do I do it? Of course, your local economy is going to dictate what you spend, but here are a few hints:

1. Make a plan. Don't go to the store without a plan.
2. I shop monthly. I go back mid-month for a freshen-up trip for more milk, eggs, and a few veggies.
3. Plan your meals around similar ingredients. Take green onions, for example. It's wasteful to buy a bunch of green onions and only use one or two of them. Instead, plan meals for the whole week that will use up those green onions.
4. Buy cheese in blocks, not preshredded. Do you have a food processor? It takes me five minutes to turn 3 pounds of cheddar into about 12 cups of shredded cheese. I pay $4.99 for 3 pounds of cheddar. Twelve ounces of the preshredded stuff costs me $2.99. See the savings?
5. Know a good deal when you see one. Learn your store's sale cycle and prices. Stock up when you see a good deal. For example, peanut butter goes on sale about 4 times per year. I try to buy enough to last my family until the next sale.
6. Store leftovers properly and use them up. Eat them for lunch, or freeze them for another day. But if you don't eat your leftovers, if you throw away your leftovers, you're throwing away money. If you're going to do that, I will send you my address and you can mail me a check instead. ;)
7. Buy seasonally. Pumpkin goes on sale in the fall. Strawberries go on sale in the summer. Corned beef is cheap in March. Hot dogs, hamburger buns, and watermelon are all great buys near Labor Day. Plan your menus accordingly.

There are many little money saving tips that I use. I'll write them as I think of them. All of my tips work together to lower my grocery bill substantially. It is my opinion that having a low grocery budget doesn't mean eating Hamburger Helper and drinking reconstituted powdered milk. I think that having a low grocery budget is fun and challenging, and it is possible to eat decadently and to be able to enjoy cooking on any budget. It's all in the planning.

Chicken Kiev (adapted from Alton Brown's recipe)
serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 stick salted sweet cream butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp dried tarragon
• 1 tsp dried parsley flakes
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper
• 2 1/4 cups panko bread crumbs
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs, beaten with a splash of milk or half & half
• oil for frying

How it's Done:

1. Using your mixer or food processor, combine butter with tarragon, parsley, 1 tsp sea salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
2. Mold into a log and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Place in freezer.

3. Pound chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic to a thickness between 1/8" and 1/4".

4. Cut four sheets of plastic wrap, one for each breast. Position breast in center of plastic.
5. Divide butter log into 4 pieces. Place one piece on each flattened chicken breast. Place 1 tbsp panko bread crumbs on top of butter.

6. Using the plastic wrap to assist, tightly roll chicken, tucking in ends, fully encasing butter and crumbs. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

7. Set three pie plates on your counter. In the first, beat your eggs and milk. In the second, pour 2 cups of panko bread crumbs. In the last, pour your flour combined with garlic powder.
8. Heat oil over medium heat. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x11" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
9. Remove plastic wrap from chicken. One at a time, dip chicken first in egg, then in flour. Coat well, being sure to coat the cracks.
10. Dip the chicken in the egg again. Next, coat with panko crumbs. Repeat until all breasts are dipped.

11. Fry in hot oil 3 minutes per side. Don't crowd the pan.
12. Remove chicken to prepared baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

13. Let chicken stand 5 minutes before serving.

An Open Letter to Helicopter Moms (and a yummy meal)

Day 55.

Dear Helicopter Mothers,



I'm writing to address a number of issues that your overflowing love for your child has presented to the rest of us average moms. For starters, would you please consider spending less time in the classroom? We know you want to be involved in your child's education. We know you want to show your support of the teachers. We know you want to spend more time with Junior. We know you want to make sure your child has the best education possible, and by making yourself a presence in the classroom, you're ensuring your little Junior will succeed. We all want the same things. But becase you're there, day after day after day, the teacher doesn't need the rest of us. We'd love to be there for our little Juniors, too, but you're hogging all the volunteer time. Please think about how the other children feel knowing that only Junior's mom comes in to read to them. We want to read to the kids, too.


There's also the issue of Girl Scouts. When little Jenny's snack time rolls around, please let her serve the cupcakes that you painstakingly decorated to match the plates and napkins you also provided. We appreciate your contribution. But wouldn't it serve Jenny better to be able to perform her duties as Snack Person instead of you performing them for her? Also, do you have to stay and watch every meeting? It's okay if Jenny has a cookie crumb on her chin. It'll probably still be there when you pick her up. You really don't need to lick the napkin and wash your seven year-old's face every few bites of snack. It's a crumb, not a disease. You'll note the other children with happy frosting mustaches aren't dropping like flies around your precious Jenny. Additionally, your constant prompts to get Jenny to answer questions and volunteer are detracting from the group's natural rhythm and flow. The rest of the girls keep looking at you. Please stop interrupting our leader. Her time is valuable with our children.


On the sports field, please do cheer for Johnny. But don't run to him and pick him up if he falls down. Let him learn how to stand up after he falls. And for heaven's sake, stop booing the opposing team. It's not a very nice thing to do. Don't be so concerned with grass stains. Do you really need that Tide to Go on the soccer field? Really? Do you KNOW how ridiculous you look running out to the sidelines to dab Johnny's bottom with Tide? We wear grass stains as badges of honor out there.

I do so hope you'll bring Jenny over for cookie baking with my child on Saturday. You're welcome to stay, too. But I'll probably try to usher you away from the kitchen while the girls decorate their cookies. Your daughter wants to express herself, not eat your perfect cookie. Who knows? Maybe I can teach you how to enjoy a latte in a separate room.


Sincerely,

Free Range Mom

******************************************************************************
With that said, let the feasting begin!

Slow Cooker Honey-Nut Chicken over Vanilla Rice
serves 4

Ingredients:

for Honey-Nut Chicken:

• 4 chicken breasts (I used frozen ones)
• 2 Tbsp white vingear
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil

for the Vanilla Rice (adapted from Public Aprons Menu):

• 4 cups water
• 2 cups Basmati rice
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp sugar

for dessert (gingerbread from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book):

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon (I had none and subbed pumpkin pie spice)
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger (I used a full tsp)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup light molasses
• 1/2 cup water

How it's Done:

1. Dump chicken, vegetable oil, vinegar, honey, cayenne pepper, and almonds into slow cooker. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours. After 7 hours, proceed with step 2.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" square baking dish. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the gingerbread (flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
4. Beat shortening on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg and molasses.
5. Alternately, add flour mixture and water, scraping sides of bowl frequently.
6. Pour into prepared pan.
7. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.
8. After putting gingerbread in the oven, set a pot of 4 cups of water to boil.
9. When it's boiling, add the scraped-out insides of a vanilla bean, vanilla extract, sugar, and rice. Return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook on low 20 minutes. Fluff with fork.
10. Serve chicken over rice. Spoon sauce over chicken and rice. Serve gingerbread warm from the oven for dessert. I dusted mine with pink and blue sugar for fun. A lemon or orange glaze, simple vanilla glaze, or plain are all good, too.

Now go devour some more eye candy and gain a few new slow cooker recipes at Dining with Debbie!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad

Day 43.

This recipe was born of use-it-up necessity. Here's what I had that needed to be used up:

• a whole cooked chicken, which I had stored in the fridge a couple days ago, intending to cut up and use in several recipes. I finally cut it up this morning and it's ready for about 4 recipes.


• a package of bacon. Yeah, this stuff lasts a long time, but it's begging to be used Right Now.


• cheese. Not in need of being used up before an expiration date, but I needed a reason to get it shredded.


• sour cream and mayonnaise and chives. For the dressing.


• bagged salad and some arugula.

It was pretty obvious what I needed to do. I needed to make a salad with chicken and bacon and ranch dressing. So here it is.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad

servings depend on amount of ingredients used.

Ingredients:

• cooked chicken (diced into bite sized pieces)


• cooked bacon (2 strips per person ought to do it)


• shredded cheese (I used cheddar)


• lettuce/greens for salad (about 2 cups per person)


• ranch dressing (recipe follows)
  
  

How it's Done:

1. Simple! Place greens on a plate. Toss chicken with ranch dressing. Put chicken and bacon on bed of greens. Top with cheese. Serve with more dressing on the side. Tomatoes and onions are optional add-ins.

Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sour cream


• 1 cup mayonnaise


• 1 cup buttermilk


• 1 tsp sea salt


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice


• 3 tbsp finely minced chives


• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley


• 1 tsp dried dill


• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  
  

How it's Done:

1. Whisk all ingredients together. Store in the fridge, tightly covered.

This Recipe Will Make Your House Smell Good

Day 23.

Time to get the slow cooker out. It's a cold, dreary Georgia day. It's the perfect weather for slow cooked food.

Citrus Chicken in the Slow Cooker

serves 6

Ingredients:

• 6 pieces of chicken (I used 3 individually quick frozen -IQF- chicken breasts and 3 IQF chicken thighs)



• 1 cup sherry



• 3/4 cup dried fruit (I used dried cherries)



• 1/3 cup orange marmalade



• 1/4 tsp ground cloves



• 1 vidalia onion, sliced into thin rings



• 1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds (remove seeds)



• 1 orange (I used honey bells, which are in season now), sliced into thin rounds



• the juice of one orange

How it's Done:

1. Place the chicken in the slow cooker. Top with sliced onions. Pour sherry over top of chicken and onions. Dot marmalade on top. Slice orange and lemon and arrange the rounds on the chicken and onions. Sprinkle ground cloves on top of that, then pour the orange juice over everything.



2. Cover and cook on low 8 hours.



3. Serve over brown rice.

Comfort Food

What would you say if I said that I have a recipe to share with you that is delicious, cheap (this meal is practically free!), and quick -- under 20 minutes start to finish?

You'd say, "Stop yer yappin' and get to typin'" wouldn't you? Mmm hmm.

Here you go!

Chicken & Dumplings

serves 4

Ingredients:

• leftover chicken (I used about 2 cups from a rotisserie chicken I cooked a couple days ago)


• 4 cups chicken broth


• fresh, chopped parsley (I used 1/4 cup chopped)


• salt and pepper to taste


• 2 cups flour


• 1 tsp baking powder


• 1/2 tsp sea salt


• 2 Tbsp shortening


• 1 cup milk


• 1 cup 1/2 & 1/2 or milk

How it's Done:

1. Put chicken and broth on to boil in a large pot.


2. Meanwhile, mix flour, baking powder, and sea salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or fingers. Add in milk. Knead until smooth, then roll to 1/4" thickness. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into 2" x 1" rectangles.


3. Add dumplings to the broth a few at a time, moving then around and pressing gently to submerge in broth. Don't add any extra water or broth. You won't have much room for dumplings, and that's okay. Keep moving them around and making sure they all get wet.


4. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.


5. Uncover and stir in 1/2 & 1/2 or milk and parsley. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Even More Food Merging: Snack Time Edition

One husband + One televised sporting event = Snack foods.

I don't know about you, but my husband often reaches for chips & salsa. He loves spicy foods. Chips. Spicy. Fun. Different. Crock Pot. Oh yes...

Hot & Spicy, Creamy & Tangy Buffalo Chicken Dip

serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/3 cup hot sauce
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing

How it's Done:

1. Simple! Spray a small slow cooker with non-stick spray. Combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low 3 hours. Stir. Serve with tortilla chips and celery.

Cheesy Pesto-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Day 16.

Dear Readers,

If there is a cooking technique or a recipe or an ingredient you'd like to see me play around with here, please leave a comment and let me know. I love trying new things and would appreciate suggestions.

Now, on to dinner.

Stuffed chicken really isn't difficult to pull off, and it has an impressive presentation. This recipe is very rich, so I'd recommend pairing it with light sides.

Cheesy Pesto-Stuffed Chicken

serves 6

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup pesto (homemade or store-bought)

1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt

1/4 cup shredded cheese (mozzarella is a good choice)

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs, beaten

How it's Done:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a baking dish with non-stick spray. Set aside.


2. Pound chicken breasts to a 1/4" thickness. I do this between pieces of plastic wrap with a meat mallet. Hit gently so the chicken doesn't break apart!


3. In a medium bowl, combine pesto, sour cream or yogurt, shredded mozzarella (or other cheese), and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Mix well.


4. In another bowl, combine bread crumbs, flour, salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan cheese. Mix well.


5. Divide the pesto mixture between the 6 flattened chicken breasts. Roll each up jelly roll style. Dip into egg then bread crumbs. Place in baking dish. Continue until all the chicken is rolled and covered.


6. Cover dish with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Confetti Spaghetti

Day 14.

We didn't get home from a meeting until after 8:00 this evening. Dinner had to be quick.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb thin spaghetti noodles, cooked 5 minutes



• 2 cups cooked diced chicken



• 1 stalk celery, diced



• 3 green onions, sliced into 1/4" rounds



• 1/4 of a large onion, diced



• 1/2 a green bell pepper, diced



• 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies



• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (I make my own, a recipe I'll share another day)



• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese



• 2 Tbsp butter



• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs



• salt and pepper

How it's Done:

1. In a large, microwaveable bowl, combine chicken, pepper, onions, soup, tomatoes with green chilies, and celery. Microwave on high for 3 minutes.



2. Combine with drained spaghetti noodles.



3. Pour this mixture into a greased 9x11" baking pan. Sprinkle cheese over top.



4. Melt butter. Combine with bread crumbs. Spread evenly over casserole. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.



5. Bake for 25 minutes at 425 degrees. Cut into squares and serve.

Wholly Guacamole!

Day 12.

On the menu tonight: chicken chalupas from scratch. Thanks to the handy dandy slow cooker, the chicken filling will be ready when the homemade chalupa shells and guacamole are ready, too.

This was my first time making chapulas. They aren't as pliable as Taco Bell's and are best served flat. But WOW! They're delicious. Well worth the effort.

Chicken Chalupas with Guacamole

Ingredients:

For the chicken filling:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast (my preference. It would be more frugal to use other parts, or even leftover roast chicken. Just remove the skin and bones first.)
• 
  
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (stay with me)
• 
  
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 
  
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 
  
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 
  
• squirt of lime juice

How it's Done:

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Shred with two forks before serving.

For the chalupas:

2 cups masa harina

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp vegetable shortening

1 1/2 cups warm water

oil for fying

How it's Done:

Combine masa harina, flour, salt, and baking powder. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or two knives, or your fingers. Add warm water. Knead until the dough feels like play dough and it easily forms a ball.

Divide into 12 pieces and form each into a ball. Using a tortilla press (WISH I had one!), a rolling pin, or your hands, press or roll each ball into a 5" diameter circle.

Heat a dry skillet to medium-high. Cook each chalupa on the dry skillet for about 3 minutes per side, until lightly browned.

Next, heat vegetable oil in your skillet. You want about 1/4" deep of oil. Heat to medium and fry each chapula until golden -- about 2 minutes total, flipping over halfway through. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and continue until you've fried all the chalupas. Fill as desired and serve.

For the guacamole:

3 large avocados, pitted and chopped

1 large tomato, seeded and chopped

2 green onions, chopped

2 Serrano peppers, seeded and diced

splash of lime juice

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

How it's Done:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir it up roughly to combine the ingredients, as well as mash up the avocado a bit. Chill until serving time.

Anyone Can Cook

Day 10.

Did you ever make "potions" in your bathroom sink, with the door locked so Mom didn't know what mischief you were making? Did you ever make your kid sister taste ingredients blindfolded? Did you ever enter a science fair and do all the work yourself? You're an inventor. Inventors can cook. All cooking boils down to is experimentation. You throw in a little of this, a dash of that. You taste your creation again and again, playing with it. You make a potion. Only this time, it's on your stovetop instead of your bathroom sink. Chef Gusteau knew what he was talking about. Anyone can cook.



So go on! Take one of my recipes and change it up a little or a lot. Make it your own. That's what makes cooking fun! And when you're done, come back and tell me all about YOUR new creation. I'd love to hear about it.





Honey-Orange Chicken over Garlic Brown Rice

serves 4



Ingredients:


2 Tbsp butter

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

1 cup brown rice, uncooked

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 minced onion

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 chicken breast halves, cut into 1" strips

1 shallot, chopped

1/2 cup orange marmalade

1/3 cup honey*

1 tsp grated ginger

2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp each sea salt and black pepper


How it's Done:



In a saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp butter. Add your rice and garlic and toast for a few minutes until lightly browned and aromatic. Add chicken broth and diced onion. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 50 minutes.



Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in your skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken strips until no longer pink. Transfer to a plate.



Add the shallot to the skillet and cook five minutes. Stir in marmalade, honey, ginger, soy sauce, salt, and pepper.



Return the chicken to the skillet and stir to coat with sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.



Plate each portion over rice. Garnish with thinly sliced oranges and fresh parsley.



*Tip for measuring honey, peanut butter, molasses, or any other sticky ingredient: first spray your measuring cup with non-stick spray. Your ingredient will slip right out!