Chicken, Corn and Potato Chowder with Corn Muffins

A perfect cold weather dinner!









Corn Muffins

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk

Technique
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 12 cup muffin pan, or use muffin cups. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the honey, eggs and salt. Mix in flour, cornmeal and baking powder. Stir in milk until batter is smooth. Spoon into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes.  Yield 12 muffins.



Chicken Corn Soup

Ingredients
1-2 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts chopped into bite size pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cans or one large box or chicken stock
2 tablespoons dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 potatoes, washed and diced
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels or 2 cans fresh corn
Half pint heavy cream

Technique
Pour olive oil into large pan or stock pot, place chicken in and sauté until almost cooked through. Add onions and cook until onions are soft. Add chicken stock, and stir in parsley, salt, pepper, potatoes and corn. Simmer 15 minutes, until potatoes are cooked and corn is tender. Remove from heat and stir in cream. Serve with corn muffins! Buon appetito!



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City Chicken

Ingredients

2 lbs of cubed pork, threaded onto skewers
½ cup of flour
1 tablespoon Garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 package onion soup mix
1 can chicken broth
1 cup water

Technique

Combine the flour, garlic powder, and black pepper on a plate. Roll skewers of pork around in the flour until fully coated. Melt butter and heat oil in a large skillet. Brown skewers on both sides for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle soup mix over pork, add water and chicken broth and simmer for 1 hour or until tender. Reserve the liquid in the pan as juice for potatoes or rice. I serve mine over mashed potatoes! Buon appetito!




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Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups bite-size pieces chicken
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (9-inch) pie crust, in a pie pan
1 prepared pie crust top


Techinque

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large heavy skillet. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour. Cook for 1 minute. Add broth slowly, while stirring, and bring to simmer. Stir until thickened, then add chicken, cream, and salt and pepper.

Using a slotted spoon, fill pie crust with chicken and vegetable filling. Pour in any remaining liquid until crust is almost filled to the top. Moisten edge of pie crust with water and arrange pie crust top on top, sealing the edges with a fork. Cut slits into the top of the pie. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until pie crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Set aside to let rest for 10 minutes, then serve. Buon appetito!



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Sausage, Tomato & Eggplant Sauté

Ingredients

4 links Chicken, Mozzarella, and Basil sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 to 6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro
1 pound zucchini or eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper

Technique

In a large pan add olive oil and garlic and sauté on medium. Since the sausage is fully cooked add that and the eggplant to the pan. Sauté for 5-8 minutes or until warm. Add tomatoes and cook until they are warm not wilted. Remove from pan and sprinkle with salt, pepper and cilantro. I served mine with ditalini pasta to satiate the children. Buon appetito!



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Leftover Turkey Nacho Casserole

Ingredients

1 bag slightly crushed tortilla chips
4 cups cubed cooked turkey or chicken
2 16-ounce jars salsa
1 10-ounce package frozen whole kernel corn
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup (do not add water)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese or cheddar cheese

Technique

Preheat the oven to 350. Pam a 9x13 casserole dish. Layer half the tortilla chips on the bottom of the dish. In a large bowl combine, turkey, salsa, corn, sour cream, and soup. Layer evenly into dish. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove from oven layer on remaining chips and cheese. Bake uncovered for another 5 min or until cheese is bubbly. Buon appetito!


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Leftover Turkey Sandwich with Cilantro Sauce

This was delicious!!







Ingredients
Ciabatta Bread
Mixed Greens
Sliced Cheddar
Cooked Turkey

Sauce:
1/4 cup Mayo
Splash white wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Technique
Mix all the ingredients for the sauce together in a small bowl. Spread half the sauce onto the roll and layer on the other ingredients. Buon appetito!


Yield: 2 Sandwiches





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Chicken Mushroom Quesadillas

This is light dinner fare that is quick and easy!

1 T. oil
1 large onion, chopped
8 oz. mushrooms, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked diced chicken
1 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder
1 t. oregano
2 cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper
4 10" tortillas
1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Cook mushrooms and onions in oil, about 5 min. Add garlic, cook and stir about 1 min. Add the chicken and seasonings, until all is well mixed in. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 min.

Lay out the tortillas. Spread half of each tortilla with about 2 T. of cheddar cheese. Spoon 1/4 of chicken mixture on top, then cover with 2 more tablespoons of cheese. Fold over tortillas.

Place in nonstick pan sprayed with cooking spray, and cook for about 3 min. on each side, until browned and cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream.

Adapted from So Easy by Ellie Krieger
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Stuffing

This is an old fashioned traditional stuffing recipe that has been handed down through generations.



1/2 c. margarine

1 1/2 c. chopped onions

1 1/2 c. chopped celery

10 cups homestyle bread, toasted and cubed

salt and pepper

1 t. poultry seasoning

1/2 t. sage

1/2-3/4 c. chicken broth

2 eggs, well beaten





Saute onion and celery in margarine until tender. Add mixture to bread cubes. Combine seasoning and eggs and beat. Pour broth and egg mixture over stuffing. Toss to mix.



Will stuff a 12 - 14 lb. turkey



This can also be made in a crockpot. Place mixture in crockpot, set on high for 45 minutes, then on low for 3 to 4 hours.


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Beans and Pasta

My kids loved this! It was delish and made great leftovers.













Ingredients

1 package medium shell pasta
1 can cannelloni beans, drained
2 cups red, green, yellow peppers, chopped
½ cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
Parmesan cheese for sprinkling
Pepperoncini’s chopped *optional*

Technique

Boil pasta according to package directions. In the mean time sauté the peppers and onions in some olive oil until they’re soft. Pour beans into a large bowl, add the pepper and onion mix and add 1/2 – 3/4 cups of the pasta water, and then the pasta. Stir with some salt and pepper, spoon into bowls. Sprinkle cheese on top, for more adventure add chopped pepperoncinis!








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Easiest Salmon Ever!

This is the easiest salmon I've ever made. Brendan and I are both big fans and with the Omega 3's, it's good for the baby, too!

Ingredients:

6 oz. salmon fillets, one for each person you're serving

garlic salt

white cooking wine

store bought (or homemade if you're up to it) pesto

How:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and place fillets on it. Sprinkle each fillet with a little garlic salt and then pour a tiny amount of white wine over each. Next, spread a thin layer of the pesto over each fillet. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes and is done.

I like to turn the broiler on for the last two minutes to really get the pesto to crust up.
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Anna's Meatloaf

One of my moms' classics! I served it with mashed potatoes.




Ingredients

1 package of mixed ground beef, veal, pork
1 cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 onion finely chopped
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon Worchester sauce
2 cloves garlic finely chopped

Topping:
3 tablespoons BBQ sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Technique

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. PAM a loaf pan and put the meat mixture inside. Mix the ketchup, BBQ sauce and brown sugar together and spoon over meatloaf. Bake at 350* for 1.15 hours.



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Brendan's Mom's Oh Henry Bars

A long time favorite of Brendan, I received a request to make this for his "birthday week"

Ingredients:

2/3 c. Crisco, melted

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. corn syrup

3t. vanilla

4 c. oats

1 c. chocolate chips, melted

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

How:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 13x9 glass baking pan. Mix the first five ingredients and press into the baking pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Meanwhile, combine melted chocolate chips with peanut butter and stir until smooth. You may need to heat the peanut butter to assist in the mixing. Spread over the top of the oat mixture after it comes out of the oven. Let cool.

Enjoy!

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Whole Foods's Orange and Fennel Salad

While searching for higher fiber foods I stumbled across this gem. So yummy and it tastes like "restaurant food", or so says my husband. Follow the link for the ingredients and instructions.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=692

What I changed:

I used very little red onion, no almonds, and baby lettuces instead of arugula. I portioned it so that it made three servings instead of four. I made the same amount of dressing as the recipe called for and divided it up between the three.

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Ravioli Dinner Salad

This is delicious, quick and extremely simple to make

2 cups chopped plum tomatoes
12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained, rinsed, and chopped
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 t. red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper
1 lb. frozen cheese ravioli
5 c. arugula leaves, coarsely chopped, (5 ounces)


Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit while you cook the ravioli. Cook ravioli according to package instructions. Drain and add to bowl along with the arugula. Toss and serve.

adapted from So Easy by Ellie Krieger

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Mary's Italian Lasagna

This recipe makes two full lasagnas, you can freeze one or give it to a friend! I like to jazz mine up with a little more spice.











Ingredients

1lb Italian sausage
1 package Barilla no-bake lasagna noodles
1 white onion chopped
4-6 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 bunch parsley finely chopped
2 eggs
1 (32 oz) container ricotta cheese
8 cups shredded mozzarella
2 spaghetti sauce


Technique

>Preheat oven to 375*

Prepping the ingredients: Cook the sausage until no pink remains, cut into bite size chunks, or I like to put it in the food processor! Set it aside. In the same pan you cooked the sausage in sauté onions and garlic, until soft, add to meat and set aside. In a separate bowl whisk eggs, add parsley and ricotta and mix well.

Building the Lasagna: PAM the whole pan if you’d like to keep your sanity. On the bottom of the pan spoon out enough sauce to cover the entire bottom.
Layer 1: Sauce, Noodles, Ricotta Mixture, Cheese, Meat Mixture
Layer2: Sauce, Noodles, Ricotta Mixture, Cheese, Meat Mixture
Layer3: Noodles, Sauce, ALL the rest of the cheese.

Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 30 min or until bubbly around the edges. Remove the cover and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is starting to brown. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

*If you’re giving your second lasagna to a friend I would recommend not cooking it, let them bake it up, this increases the yummy factor! :)

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Veggie Stuffed Hummus Pitas

This was a huge hit with my kids, so easy, yummy, and healthy.
Would make a nice appetizer too!

Ingredients
1 package of small pitas
1 container of hummus, any flavor
1 package cherry tomatoes sliced
2 carrots, sliced in thin sticks
1 cucumber sliced in thin sticks
1 avocado seeded, and sliced
4-5 green onions sliced thin
1 bag baby spinach

Technique
Cut the pitas in half, so that you form a pocket. Scoop in 1 tablespoon hummus and spread across entire pocket, add desired veggies. Enjoy!

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Jack-o-Lantern English Muffin Pizzas

My husband’s childhood favorite, I jazzed it up for Halloween.












Ingredients
1 (6 count) package Thomas’ English Muffins
1 (15oz) can pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 package pepperoni
Other veggies if you like!

Technique
Split English muffins and lay on cookie sheet. Spread about one tablespoon of pizza sauce on each muffin half. Sprinkle cheese on top of sauce. Cut pepperoni into triangle shapes and arrange to look like a jack-o-lantern. Low-broil on the top rack until cheese is melted, about 3 min.

**Mom likes to make hers without pizza sauce subbing olive oil and some Italian spices.

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Sesame Noodles

My kids loved this easy veggie meal and it only took about 20 minutes start to finish!












Ingredients
1 (8oz) package whole wheat spaghetti
1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons smooth almond butter or peanut butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste
1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil or olive oil
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds


Technique
Cook pasta until al dente. Drain pasta thoroughly.

In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, almond butter, vinegar, lemon juice, and oil. Add pasta, cabbage, carrots and green onions. Toss to coat noodles thoroughly with sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

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