Lemon Herb Zucchini Fettuccine

This is a recipe from my favorite cooking blog as of late - Our Best Bites. You can find them at www.ourbestbites.com
Seriously, in just about any pinch you can find a fabulous recipe from them!

LEMON HERB ZUCCHINI FETTUCCINE

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 lemons
2 T Red Wine Vinegar
Olive Oil
1/2 lb Fettuccine (that's just 1/2 of a normal box like in the picture)
2 medium zucchini
1 C shredded parmesan cheese (about :)
5-6 cloves garlic
Fresh Basil (about 1/2 C)
Fresh Oregano (about 1/4 C) If you don't have fresh oregano, just add a little dried.
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Prepare grill. You could also do this on the stove top in a skillet, or a grill pan.

Place chicken in a zip-lock bag with the juice of one lemon, a couple tablespoons of olive oil, and a couple tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Marinate for 15 to 30 minutes while you are preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Put the pot on the stove to boil water for the pasta. While you're waiting for the water to boil, slice the zucchini in half length-wise. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Press, or finely mince garlic cloves. In a small sauce pan on the stove, place 1/4 C olive oil and add garlic. Turn burner onto low-med heat. It shouldn't be popping and frying, it should just slowly warm, infusing the oil with the garlic and removing that zing fresh garlic has.

When water boils, add pasta and a spoonfull of salt

Remove chicken from bag and salt and pepper both sides. Place chicken, and zucchini on grill.

While chicken and zuchs are grilling and pasta is boiling, chop herbs and get out cheese. Zest both lemons and juice the one that hasn't been juiced.

See, now you're all ready. When everything is done cookin' you can throw it together! Keep an eye on that garlic. You DON'T want it to get brown and crispy. It should still look nice and white. Give it a stir. If it starts really cooking, just take it off the heat and set aside.

When zuch and chicken are done take them off the grill and chop 'em up.

Reserve about 1/2 C pasta water. Drain pasta and immediately place in a big bowl. Place chopped zuch and chicken on top. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, cheese, herbs, and garlic-olive oil mixture. Just pile it all in there. Then stick your face up real close and inhale. Ahhhh, heaven.

Honestly, this is amazing and tastes like Olive Garden or something better. Go make it tonight!

(photo courtesy to Our Best Bites)

Jody Wright

Chicken Avacado Pitas

4 whole pita breads (I used whole wheat)

2 tablespoons light olive oil

2 medium ripe avacados peeled and pitted

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons finely chopped onion 

2 cups shredded monterrey jack cheese

2 tomatoes chopped / about 2 tablespoons divided

2 - 4 cooked chicken breasts thinly sliced

lightly brush each pita on both sides with olive oil and put in the oven on an ungreased cookie sheet for 5 - 10 minutes at 350 so they are crisp.  Meanwhile, mash avacado with lime juice, salt, garlic powder, and onion and the 2 tablespoons of tomato.  Spread avacado mix on each pita, then layer chicken, cheese and tomatoes on top.  Top with a little extra salt/pepper to taste and bake for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  

(I make double the amount of Guacamole/Avacado mix and then use our tip we learned in Ensenada to keep the avacado pits in the container you store the Guacamole in so that it doesn't turn brown.  I put half on this dinner and then we have chicken fajitas the next night and use the rest of the Guac then - simple!  Recipe from the Taste of Home magazine but I altered it a bit :)

Jody

Chicken Stir Fry with Ham Fried Rice

This is an old standby but why not put it on here since I cook it about every 10 days :)

STIR FRY:

4 Chicken Breasts (diced)

1 Green Pepper cut in strips

1/2 Onion cut in strips

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

2 TBS Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil

1 TBS Sesame Seeds

1/4 to 1/2 cup of your favorite Oriental Sauce or Glaze (I use Iron Chef Orange Sauce Glaze with Ginger, I don't go cheap on the sauce because I mix it with a little water and make it last about 6 times or more)

Saute onion in oil in a hot skillet, add chicken, salt, and pepper and cook until chicken is no longer pink in center.  Add the sauce or glaze and green pepper strips or sugar snap peas.  Reduce heat and let cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, more if you don't like crunchy peppers or peas.  Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.    

HAM FRIED RICE:

3 Tbs Oil

2 Tbs Soy Sauce

1 Tbs Sugar

1 Cup Diced Ham

3 Tbs Green Onion chopped

2 Eggs, beaten

1/2 Cup Frozen Peas

2 Cups Cooked Rice

Heat oil and saute onion and ham in a hot skillet.  Add rice and peas then soy sauce and sugar.  Once all is cooked through add in the beaten eggs, stir until cooked through.  When I make more I usually just eyeball the recipe and add more of everything to go with more rice...

Jody

Oriental Chicken Salad YUM!

This is way easy and kind of a no-brainer but we make it at home once a week all summer.

1 Briannas Ginger Mandarin Salad Dressing

1 can La Choy Chow Mein Noodles

1 bag slivered almonds

cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes

red cabbage (we don't usually throw this in there but you can to look pretty)

romaine or iceberg lettuce enough to feed all

sliced up carrot (again, to look pretty and add another veggie)

6 or 7 chicken tenders (we buy the Tyson bredded tenders and use them so it's EASY) but you could totally grill some chicken breast too.

Make the salad, throw the chicken on top and try not to use the WHOLE bottle of Ginger Mandarin dressing I dare you.  It's so good, it's hard not to use a ton.  Also, if you were feeding kiddies, you could wrap this up in a tortilla and call it a chinese chicken wrap!

~Jody

Chow Mein Chicken (or Pork)

This is easy and quite tasty. Works with either chicken or pork. You could probably substitute beef broth and hamburger or left over roast beef or use cut up and browned steak.

2 celery ribs, chopped ( I used 4-6)
1 medium onion, chopped (I did slices and cut them in quarters)
1/4 C butter
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 C chicken broth (I used closer to a cup since I used more celery)
1 Tbs soy sauce (I used 2-3 T)
3 C cubed cooked chicken (I didn't measure & used what I had left over)
1/2 C sliced fresh mushrooms (not me, no way!!)
1 3 0z can chow mein noodles
1/3 C salted cashew halves

In large sauce pan or frying pan, saute celery and onion in butter until tender. Stir in soup, broth and soy sauce. Add the meat (and mushrooms should you choose to). Heat through. Let it simmer down if it is too juicy.

Transfer to a greased 2 qt + baking dish. sprinkle with chow mein noodles and cashews. Bake uncovered at 350 for 15-20 min or until heated through. Serves 4. (What I made served 8)

I also cooked up a big pot of white rice and we served it over the rice. Good extender.

Grandma Linda (Taste of Home, The Best of Country Cooking)

Chicken a la Can Can

This is a really quick, easy meal. I got this recipe not long after we got married.
Make it on top of your stove in a large frying pan or similar pan.

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 soup can water
1 1/2 soup can Minute Rice (or use 3 C cooked regular rice)[recipe calls for one can, but not enough to suit me!]
2 cans or 1 1/2 C cooked chicken (boned) or tuna or turkey

Mix together and simmer 10 minutes (might take a little more till it thickens up). Stir occasionally.
Top with French fried onions to serve.

Grandma Linda

Wowie Maui Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 1/2 C chicken broth
1 1/2 C canned pineapple tidbits, undrained
1 1/2 C uncooked long grain white rice
3/4 C finely chopped carrots
1/2 C ketchup
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C chopped green onion
1/2 C red or green pepper
2 T each of brown sugar, soy sauce, and white vinegar

In a large skillet, cook chicken over medium high heat until no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients to skillet, except green onions. Stir well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, until rice is tender. Stir in green onions during last 5 minutes of cooking time.

Chicken Pot Pie

Filling:
4-5 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (or shredded)
Carrots (use canned or frozen)
Peas (1 C frozen)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 C (1 can) chicken broth

Crust:
2 C buttermilk (buy the powdered kind that you keep in fridge and mix some up)
1 C butter, melted
2 C self-rising flour (or use regular flour and add 1/2 t salt and 1t baking powder for every cup of flour)

9x13 pan Put filling in then pour over crust mixture. Bake for 30 minutes at 425 degrees.

Kim Eastman

Chicken Breasts Diane

This is quick, easy and really has a nice flavor. Have all your stuff measured, chopped and ready because it goes really fast!

*4 boneless chicken breasts (I used larger chicken tenders). If using chicken breasts pound slightly between sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap. (I didn't with the tenders)
*Salt & pepper them
*Heat 1 T each of oil and butter in large skillet
*Cook chicken over high to medium high heat for 4 minutes on each side. (It only took 2 min each side with tenders) Watch out! It splatters! Do not cook longer as they will become too dry & over cooked.
*Remove to serving plate (warmed is nice)
*Add 3 T green onions or chives, Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon, 3 T chopped parsley and 2 tsp Dijon mustard to drippings in frying pan. Whisk constantly for about 15 seconds.
*Whisk in 1/4 - 1/2 C chicken broth. Stir until smooth.
* Whisk in 1 T butter.
Pour sauce over chicken. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Grandma Linda

EASY TOMATO BAKED CHICKEN

I made this for dinner last weekend. Mike said that he felt like he was at the Olive Garden. It was super yummy and smelled super good! And to top it off, it was super EASY!

1 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 chicken breasts
1 can diced tomatoes (I use the kind that is seasoned with basil and garlic)
1/4 cup light Basalmic Vinaigrette Reduced Fat Dressing (I used Italian)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup grated parmasan cheese

Preheat oven to 425. Place onions in bottom of 9x13 baking dish; top with chicken.

Combine tomatoes, dressing, and garlic; pour over chicken; sprinkle with cheese.

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Serve with your favorite pasta (Mike suggests an alfredo) and vegetables, and crusty bread. Mmm, mmm, good!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg saltine crackers finely crushed
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour
4 slices swiss cheese
4 slices ham (thin)
3 TBSP oil

SAUCE-
mix together:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream

Put chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a meat tenderizer until flattened out and tender. Arrange a piece of ham and a slice of swiss cheese on each chicken breast. Roll up and secure with 3 toothpicks or string. Dip in the flour first, then the egg, then into the cracker crumbs which the parmesan cheese has been mixed into. Brown in hot frying pan fast, turning to get golden brown on all sides. Remove from frying pan, remove toothpicks, and arrange in a 9x13 baking dish. Cover with sauce mixture and bake, covered tightly with foil at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Don't overbake.

If you'd like to do this ahead, then prepare to the stage where you brown them, then they can be frozen or put into your refrigerator. If you freeze them, then thaw them out before baking and always allow about 10-15 more minutes baking time for the cooler temperature of the meat.

Enjoy!
Lolo

BBQ Chicken Salad

I am not going to put portion amounts because it varies on the number of people you want to feed...

Lettuce
Tomatoes
Jiciama
can of corn
can of black beans
Bar-B-Que Sauce
Ranch Dressing
Chicken

Cook chicken in Bar-B-Que sauce on stovetop and cut into bite size pieces. Mix in the remaining ingredients and toss in desired amount of Ranch Dressing. Very simple dinner and really healthy depending on the amount of ranch & bbq you put in there.

Jody

Mom's Chicken and Rice Casserole

This really is very easy to make and way tasty!!
Grease 9x13

1 whole chicken, cooked, deboned and cut into chunks
(Reserve 2 cups of broth)

Celery Mixture - Saute:
1 square butter
1 bunch celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped

Soup Mixture
5 cups water....bring to a boil
1/8 tsp. curry powder
2 pkgs. Lipton Noodle Soup Mix
Boil 5 minutes; add the reserved 2 cups of chicken broth

Sprinkle in 2 cups on uncooked rice. Salt rather generously. Put a layer of boned chicken, cut into chunks. Top with layer of the celery mixture then a layer of the soup mixture.

Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Top with sauce when served. Serve with snakes.

Sauce
In blender combine:
1 cup vinegar, 1 large onion.
Flip on and off to chop, but not liquify. Put in shaking container and add:
2 cups oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 pint Heinz Chile Sauce
1 8oz can tomato sauce

(or do what we do..... and use Russian Dressing)

Kristen