Holiday Chicken Salad

Prep Time:
15 Min

Ready In:
15 Min

Servings (Help)

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Original Recipe Yield 12 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup minced green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise with paprika and seasoned salt. Blend in dried cranberries, celery, bell pepper, onion, and nuts. Add chopped chicken, and mix well. Season with black pepper to taste. Chill 1 hour.

Pulled Pork

Jessica had asked about a non-BBQ pulled pork. I got this one a few years ago from a cooking magazine and have used it a ton! It is good to make ahead of time and freeze, too. Enjoy.

1/4 cup dark-brown sugar, packed

2 tbsp kosher or course salt

2 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 boneless pork butt--3 lbs.

1.5 cups apple juice

1/2 water

1 package plain, white rolls

Note on pork butt: You can buy bone-in or boneless pork butts. Both have their benefits. Cooking bone-in will contribute some flavor (and increase the cooking time slightly). But it you have the butcher take out the bone, rub the spice mix into the incisions where the bone was removed-a great way to get the flavor deep inside the meat.

Mix brown sugar and dry spices together in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the pork, cover, and let sit in the refrigerator for as long as you have time (between 1-hour to overnight).

Preheat oven 300 degrees. Lay pork inside a roasting pan on the rack insert. Rack should be high enough so the entire spiced butt sits above the cooking liquid. (Kathryn Note: I don't have a rack in my pan. My spiced butt sits in the liquid and cooks delish!) Pour in apple juice and water, cover pan tightly with foil, and slow roast for 5 hours. Remove foil and cook for another 30 minutes, until pork is brown on the outside and the meat is very tender, nearly falling apart.

Remove from oven, transfer to large platter, and allow meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While still warm, shred pork into small pieces, using two forks. (Kathryn Note: I shred in the roasting pan so the meat absorbs all the liquid marinade.)

Enjoy--Kathryn

Sausage Pasta

Servings (Help)

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Original Recipe Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound spicy Italian sausage
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and reserve.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil and sausage; cook through until no longer pink. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add onion and garlic to skillet. Add broth, basil and tomatoes with liquid.
3. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes to slightly reduce. Add chopped spinach; cover skillet and simmer on reduced heat until spinach is tender.
4. Add pasta to skillet and mix together. Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.

This was a hit with all of us too. I reheated our left overs for lunch the following day and the meal was even better. The noodles really soaked up all of the flavors.--Kathryn

Angel Chicken Pasta

As I was looking for new chicken recipes, I came across this one a couple weeks back. The sauce for the chicken is WAY YUMMY! I've made it twice in two weeks...Chris asked for it again, and the kids both ate it! Chris is actually making it at the firehouse tomorrow too! It's been a winner around here! ---Kathryn

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Servings (Help)

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Original Recipe Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup
• 4 ounces cream cheese with chives
• 1 pound angel hair pasta

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in the package of dressing mix. Blend in wine and golden mushroom soup. Mix in cream cheese, and stir until smooth. Heat through, but do not boil. Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour sauce over.
3. Bake for 60 minutes in the preheated oven. Twenty minutes before the chicken is done, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta.

Greek Chicken and Barley Salad

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• Salad:
• 2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1 cup uncooked pearl barley
• 2 cups cubed seeded cucumber
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup cubed yellow bell pepper
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat feta cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
• 
  Dressing:
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 garlic cloves, minced

Preparation

1. To prepare salad, sprinkle chicken with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Add 1 cup broth; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until done. Cool; shred chicken. Discard broth.

2. Bring 3 cups broth to a boil in a large saucepan; add barley. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Cool. Combine chicken, barley, cucumber, and next 4 ingredients (through olives) in a large bowl.

3. To prepare dressing, combine 3 tablespoons oil, rind, and remaining ingredients; stir well. Add to barley mixture; toss well. Cover and chill.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 230

Fat: 9.8g (sat 2g,mono 5.7g,poly 1.1g)

Protein: 18g

Carbohydrate: 18.3g

Fiber: 3.2g

Cholesterol: 38mg

Iron: 1.2mg

Sodium: 611mg

Calcium: 38mg

~Deanna

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi

Sautéed asparagus makes a fine accompaniment. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 pound trimmed asparagus spears; sauté 4 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.

1 cup uncooked orzo
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
7 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Place orzo in a medium bowl. Stir in parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cover and keep warm.

2. While orzo cooks, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add half of shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer shrimp to a plate. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in pan. Add remaining shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer to plate.

3. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in pan. Add garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in shrimp, juice, and pepper; cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup orzo mixture and about 7 shrimp)

CALORIES 403 ; FAT 10.4g (sat 4.8g,mono 2.2g,poly 1.4g); CHOLESTEROL 276mg; CALCIUM 97mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.7g; SODIUM 549mg; PROTEIN 40.1g; FIBER 1.7g; IRON 4.3mg

Cooking Light, MARCH 2009

~Deanna

Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

For Cake:

• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter softened
• 1 whole egg at room temp
• 2 egg whites room temp
• 3/4 cup milk preferably low fat
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tbs poppy seeds
• 1 tbs grated lemon or orange peel
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice

For Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbs milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Preparation

For Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. And grease liberally your bundt pan, it can very easily get stuck if you just forget one spot.

2. Beat together the sugar, butter, egg, and egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well blended. Then add the milk and vanilla, again mix until well blended.

3. Add flour. poppy seeds, lemon or orange peel, lemon juice, baking powder, and salt. Beat until smooth, this may take about 2 minutes.

4. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

5. Let cake rest 5-10 minutes before gently loosening cake from pan and turn over onto wire rack. Let cool completely.

For Glaze:

1. In a small bowl mix together the milk, vanilla, and lemon juice.

2. With electric mixer add the powdered sugar and beat to combine.

This is one of Tim's favorite cakes~ Jessica

Homemade Granola

Makes about 9-10 cups

Ingredients

2 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup sliced unsalted almonds
½ cup coarsely chopped unsalted pecans
½ cup coarsely chopped unsalted walnuts
½ cup unsalted sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
½ cup toasted wheat germ (available at organic markets, such as Whole Foods)
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
½ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable oil, such as safflower or canola
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
1 cup dried fruits (such as cranberries, raisins, cherries, chopped apricots, currants, etc.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 13 x 18-inch rimmed baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil.

2. Combine oats, almonds, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, wheat germ, coconut, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl and mix.

3. In a small bowl, whisk honey and oil together until combined. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well. Spread mixture evenly onto prepared baking sheet and bake for about 25 - 30 minutes, stirring and re-spreading a few times with a spatula, until entire mixture is medium golden brown. Watch carefully towards the end…it burns quickly (and will brown first in the corners and on the bottom).

4. Transfer the granola to another baking sheet or heatproof surface to stop the cooking process (simply lift the granola off the baking sheet using the aluminum foil overhang). Toss granola with a spatula and mix in dried fruits. Spread and press into an even layer, then let cool to room temperature. Break into clusters and store in an airtight container (I like it best cold so I keep it in the fridge).

~Deanna

**I've been making homemade granola for a long time but recently switched to this recipe. I use unsweetened coconut and leave out the sunflower seeds. It's great on yogurt, in oatmeal, and mixed with cheerios. I love it myself but my main purpose for making it is the healthy fats I can give my kids. I don't give them sugary cereals...so adding this to cheerios is a good compromise :)

Broccolini, Cherry Tomato, and Butter Bean Udon

Serves One

1 to 1 1/2 Bundles Udon Noodles
Oil, about 2-3 Tbs
3-6 Stalks of Broccolini, depending on size
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Black Pepper
Salt
10 Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
1/2 Cup Butter Beans/Lima Beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 tsp Italian Herbs
Balsamic Vinegar, for drizzling

Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add udon noodles and cook for four minutes (or as long as package directions dictate), then drain and rinse well. Coat lightly with oil to prevent noodles from sticking. I use spray oil for this, I think it’s the easiest and you use the least amount of oil. Set noodles aside.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium high with a little oil. Add broccolini and coat with oil. Season with 1 big pinch of salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Once the broccolini starts to turn bright green and get a little color (just a minute or two), push them to the edge of the pan.

Turn heat up a little and add quartered cherry tomatoes. Stir to coat in any oil/spices leftover from the broccolini, then let cook, untouched, to get a little color and soften up, 1-2 minutes. Once tomatoes are softened, add 1/2 cup of butter beans. Stir everything together and remove to a bowl.

In the still-hot pan, add a 1-2 Tbs more oil. Add cooked udon noodles to the hot pan, seasoning with a pinch of salt and italian herbs. Toss to coat the pasta. Once the pasta is coated and is heated through, add back the broccolini, beans, and tomatoes. Taste and season with more salt or pepper if needed.

Plate, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar if desired.

~ Deanna

I love this recipe! It's light, healthy, and inexpensive. We usually double it at least.

Raspberry-Topped Lemon Muffins

Raspberry-Topped Lemon Muffins
Adapted from Susan Elizabeth Fallon via Bon Appetit, July 2006

Yield: 14 large or 56 miniature muffins

1 1/8 cups sugar, divided
4 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel (from two large lemons)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 1/2-pint containers (about) fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 14 standard muffin cups (or 56 minis) with paper liners. Mash 1/8 cup sugar and lemon peel in small bowl until sugar is slightly moist. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat remaining 1 cup sugar and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg. Beat in buttermilk, then vanilla and lemon sugar. Beat in flour mixture.

Divide batter among muffin cups (the 2/3-3/4 level worked well for minis). Top each large muffin with 4 raspberries (or mini muffins with one each). Bake muffins until lightly browned on top and tester inse

uffins with one each). Bake muffins until lightly browned on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes (baking time was on the shy side of 20 minutes for mini muffins).

~Deanna

Peanut Brittle

Peanut Brittle

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup white corn syrup
1 cup peanuts (raw)
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. soda

Stir together sugar and syrup. Microwave at high for 4 minutes, stir in peanuts. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in butter and vanilla. Cook 2 minutes. Add soda, stir and pour in greased (buttered) pan. (Heat pan while mixing the mix.)

Note: Microwave times may vary.