Stir-Fry Chicken with Green Peppers

1 (8 oz.) can pineapple
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tbsp. corn oil
6 green onions, chopped
1 med. pepper
3 servings of rice

Directions
Drain pineapple. Blend 1/3 cup with cornstarch and soy sauce. Add chicken. Marinate 30 minutes. Drain, reserving syrup marinade.
Heat wok. Add corn oil. Stir-fry chicken 3-4 minutes. Push chicken to one side. Stir-fry onions 1 minute. Add peppers. Stir-fry 1 more minute.
Mix chicken and add marinade and pineapple in wok. Cook 1 minute. Serve over rice.

My thoughts: Stir frys are SUPER quick and easy to make. The short list of ingredients also make it super inexpensive (sometimes I don't even add the onions). This is my go to recipe when I have some chicken breast around and don't have a lot of time to cook. I love the crispness of the peppers with the sweetness of the pineapples. The marinade is awesome.

Orzo, Pine Nut, and Feta Salad

1 pound orzo
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 1/4 cups feta (6 ounces), crumbled
1 cup thinly sliced scallion greens

Directions
Cook orzo in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until tender, then drain well in a colander.
Whisk together lemon juice, oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl, then add hot orzo and toss. Cool orzo, then toss with pine nuts, feta, and scallion greens. Season with salt and pepper.

My thoughts: A nice alternative side dish to the usual instant mashed potatoes or rice I typically make. This is great for summer. I added halved cherry tomatoes and sliced black olives. To toast pine nuts, place in a shallow baking pan in a 350°F oven until golden, 5 to 10 minutes. It was light and refreshing, but I think it needed a touch more salt. Be forewarned, a pound of orzo makes a lot! We had a ton of leftovers. Cutting this recipe in half would probably be enough for dinner for two plus leftovers for lunch the next day. Mix in some roasted chicken and it’s a complete meal.

Danish Puffcake

4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
4 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
1/2 cup whole milk
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup (6 oz) blackberries

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a 12-inch ovenproof skillet with 4 tbsp butter in the oven (you can also use a 10-inch skillet, but bake pancake for 20 to 22 min).

2. In a blender, combine eggs, flour, salt and milk until a thin batter forms, about 30 sec.

3. Remove pan with butter from oven and pour in batter. Return to oven and bake until pancake is puffy, golden and set, 18 to 20 min.

4. Serve from skillet or transfer pancake to a plate. Drizzle with more melted butter, if desired, and lemon juice; dust with sugar. Serve immediately with fruit. Makes 4 servings.

My thoughts: This beautiful dish is perfect for a light brunch. It is quick to make and requires minimal prep. The recipe only calls for blueberries, but I also added strawberries. I soaked the berries in the lemon juice before adding it to the puffcake instead of drizzling it directly on. It stuck to the bottom of the pan a little bit so using Pam instead of butter might help.

Chicken Cobbler Casserole

6 tablespoons melted butter, divided
4 cups cubed sourdough rolls
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 medium-size sweet onions, sliced
1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup white wine
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup drained and chopped jarred roasted red bell peppers
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken

Directions
Toss 4 tablespoons melted butter with next 3 ingredients; set aside.

Sauté onions in remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat 15 minutes or until golden brown. Add mushrooms, and sauté 5 minutes.

Stir in wine and next 3 ingredients; cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until bubbly. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 9-inch square baking dish; top evenly with bread mixture.

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

My thoughts: If you're looking for a chicken casserole recipe, this one is excellent. I really like it cause it doesn't require a lot of prep. I usually add more ingredients than what the recipe calls for so I use a large rectangle baking dish instead of a 9" square. Also when I don't have white wine around, I substitute with chicken stock.

Smothered Chicken . . .

4 skinned and boned chicken breasts
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
1 teaspoon olive oil
18 to 20 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water

Directions
Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle both sides of chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Dredge in breadcrumbs. Set aside.

Sauté mushrooms in 1 teaspoon hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until edges are browned. Remove from skillet. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; set aside.

Sauté garlic in 1 tablespoon hot oil over medium heat 5 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned and soft. Remove from skillet, and mash lightly with a fork or potato masher; set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1/2 tablespoon oil in skillet over medium heat; add 2 chicken breasts, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken to a wire rack in a jellyroll pan. Keep chicken warm in oven at 225°. Repeat with remaining butter, oil, and chicken.

Stir chicken broth and next 3 ingredients into skillet, and cook 2 minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Stir in sautéed mushrooms and garlic. Stir together 3 tablespoons flour and 1/4 cup water; whisk into broth mixture over medium-high heat. Cook 3 minutes, whisking constantly, or until thickened. Serve with chicken.

My thoughts – Got this recipe from the internet (in my opinion, don’t waste money buying cookbooks – there’s a ton of free recipes out on the web). It is from Southern Living (one of my fave magazines). Mushrooms ($1.25/8oz.) and chicken breast (buy 1 get 2 free) are on sale this week at Harris Teeter. Didn’t need to buy much else since all the other ingredients are stock pantry items which is one reason I love this recipe. Typically I like to use fresh herbs, but the dried oregano and basil worked fine. I sauteed the chicken in olive oil instead of butter and didn't waste my time keeping it warm in the oven. I used only 1 tbsp of flour since the hubby didn’t want the sauce to be too thick and heavy. Served it with plain instant mashed potatoes and some fresh tomato slices. The dish turned out great. The sauce is the stand out in this recipe. The husband especially loved the garlic. Next time I’ll probably add more mushrooms. It took me a little longer to make than expected since my son wasn’t in the mood to watch Mommy cook today and so I had to stop and entertain him at times, but otherwise it should take less than 30 minutes from start to finish. Since chicken breast is so cheap, I’ll definitely be trying more chicken recipes this week. Stay tuned!