Chicken & Stuffing Bake

I normally do not like stuffing. I just don't like the consistency. I, however, don't mind it when it is in a casserole of some sort. I was excited to try this recipe as it was super easy, but it wasn't excellent. It seemed a little dry to me, and I would honestly probably add another can of cream of mushroom soup to it and mix that with the stuffing instead of putting the stuffing on the bottom of the dish, and chicken on top.  I did add cheese, bread crumbs, and onions which only added to the dish. I'll probably play around with this and try it again!

Chicken & Stuffing Bake

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon margarine
• 4 cups herb-flavored stuffing mix
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 10 3/4 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

Bring water and margarine to a boil in a large saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in stuffing mix. Spoon mixture across center of a lightly greased 3-quart casserole dish. Arrange chicken on each side of stuffing. Sprinkle with paprika; set aside. Combine soup, milk and parsley; pour over chicken. Bake, covered at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake for an additional 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Steak au Poivre

I had no idea what 'au Poivre' meant, so I looked it up on Wikipedia.  The recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook is almost exactly the same!  I thought it was very simple and tasty.  I wish I would've bought some Peppercorn, because I think it would've added more flavor, but regular black pepper was good too.  I used all beef broth instead of the brandy, just because I didn't want to spend more money than I had to!  I also added some onions to the sauce, and they only added to the flavor!  I wish I would have let the sauce reduce a little bit more for the consistency (maybe boil for 8 minutes instead of 5), but like I said, it still tasted good!

Steak au Poivre

•  1 tablespoon cracked black pepper (peppercorn)
• 4 beef tenderloin steaks 
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup brandy or beef broth
• 1/4 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup whipping cream (no substitutes)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard

Use your fingers to press the pper onto both sides of the steaks. In a large skillet cook steaks in hot butter over medium heat to desired doneness, turning once. Transfer steaks to a serving platter, reserving drippings in skillet; keep warm.

Remove skillet from burner and allow tos tand for 1 minute. For sauce, combine brandy and beef broth (or all beef broth); carefully stir into drippings in skillet, scraping up crusty browned bits. Stir in whipping cream and mustard. Bring to boiling. Boil gently, uncovered, over medium heat for 5-6 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup, stirring occasionally. Spoon sauce over steaks to serve.

Chicken with Asparagus

When I was younger (probably middle school aged), my parents made some protein for dinner and had couscous as a side. From the first time I tried it, I told them I hated it and never wanted to eat it again. I even remember one time when I made my mom make a side of mashed potatoes especially for me because I didn't want the couscous. This recipe calls for couscous as a side dish, and I hestitated to buy it, but decided to do it. If I still didn't like it, I would know and never buy it again. I simply cannot figure out why I didn't like couscous as a kid!  It's fantastic and easy to make!  I also tagged this as gluten-free as long as you don't make the couscous!

Now for the rest of the recipe: I've never cooked asparagus before. This was super simple and it turned out great. I probably would've seasoned it a little bit, but I still can't complain.  The sauce is very simple, and I added mushrooms and onions.  Next time I might add a clove of garlic too.  This is super easy and quick and I would highly recommend it to ANYONE!

Chicken with Asparagus

• 1 pound fresh asparagus spears
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 cup water
• 10.75 ounce can condensed cream of chicken or cream of asparagus soup
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 cups hot cooked couscous

 Snap off and discard woody bases from asparagus. Set asparagus aside.

Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; reduce heat to medium. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until no longer pink, turning occasionally to brown evenly. Remove chicken from skillet; cover to keep warm.

In the same skillet combine asapargus and water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 3-5 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine chicken soup, chicken broth, and lemon juice. Cook and stir until heated through. Serve sauce with chicken, asparagus and hot couscous.

Chicken Burritos

This recipe is the second meal of Salsa Chicken, which I made a few weeks ago.  The chicken is absolutely amazing, which is probably part of why I loved these burritos so much.  I followed the recipe pretty much to a t, except I added some cheese ('cause it's always better with cheese!) and served them with sour cream.  Next time, I might make some guacamole too! I'll definitely make the salsa chicken again, and these burritos again as well!!  And you should try them too--they're both FANTASTIC!

Chicken Burritos

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 container Salsa Chicken, thawed if frozen
• 2/3 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/4 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 6 flour tortillas (8-10 inches in diameter)
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups salsa, if desired

Heat oven to 500 degrees. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic in oil about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is crisp-tender.

Stir in chicken broth, chili powder, salt and pepper; reduce heat. Cook about 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Spoon about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture onto center of each tortilla. Fold one end of tortilla up about 1 inch over mixture; fold right and left sides over folded end, overlapping. Fold remaining end down. Place seam side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with butter.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until tortillas begin to brown and filling is hot. Serve with salsa.

Ranch Coleslaw

I am normally not a coleslaw fan, so I was hesitant to try this dish. I found it absolutely delicious!  The flavor combinations are amazing and it is super easy to make!  Just buy some coleslaw at the grocery deli and the rest, you probably have in the pantry (with maybe the exception of the jalapeno).  I only used one half of a jalapeno because I am not a huge fan of them, but if you enjoy the spice, I would recommend a whole one!

R

Ranch Coleslaw

• 3 cups coleslaw mix
• 1/4 cup Mexicorn, drained
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
• 1 tablspoon minced fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup ranch salad dressing
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the salad dressing, lime juice, and cumin. Pour over the coleslaw, toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving.

Grilled Fish with Bruschetta

So I don't have a grill, but I got the Taste of Home Best Barbeque book as a trial offer, so I try to make as much as I can anyway.  The fish cooked fine on the griddle, but the Bruschetta did not turn out whatsoever. I'm still putting the recipe here, as I still think this would be very good!  It is also gluten-free if you don't make the bruschetta!


I was not particularly fond of the flavor of the fish-it was just too sweet for me. But I decided to post it as someone might have another idea. You may like it anyway, it wasn't terrible, just not my taste!

Grilled Fish with Bruschetta-adapted from Taste of Home
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Serves 4

• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 6 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 3 red snapper fillets (6 ounces each) I used Tilapia
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 8 slices French bread (1 inch thick)
• 8 ounces Havarti cheese, sliced 
• 2 cups salsa

In a small skillet over medium heat, cook and stir the onion, lime juice, brown sugar, butter and mustard for 4-5 minutes or until onion is tender and liquid is almost evaporated.

Place each fillet on a double thickeness of heavy-duty foil. Top with onion mixture. Fold foil over fish and seal tightly. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Meanwhile, brush oil over both sides of bread. Grill for 30-60 seconds on each side or until lightly browned. Top each slice of bread with a slice of cheese; grill 1 minute longer or until the cheese is melted. Top with salsa.

Open foil packets carefully to allow steam to escape. Serve fish with bruschetta.