King Ranch Chicken Casserole

1 Rotisserie Chicken (or boil your own)
2 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium sized green bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can cream of chicken
2 cans rotel, drained
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
3 cups cheddar cheese
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch strips

preheat oven to 350
melt butter in large skillet on medium high heat. add onion, and saute 6-7 minutes or until tender. add bell pepper and garlic, and saute 3-4 minutes. stir in 3/4 cup broth, cream of mushroom and cream of chicken and next 4 ingredients. cook stirring occasionally 8 minutes.
shred chicken into bite size pieces. layer half of the chicken on the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. top with half of the soup mixture and 1 cup cheese. cover with half of the corn tortilla strips. repeat layers once. top with remaining 1 cup of cheese.
bake at 350 for 55 minutes or until bubbly. let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

warm chocolate melting cake

very easy and very delicious!!
serve with vanilla ice cream

WARM CHOCOLATE MELTING CAKE

8 oz. dark chocolate (i used 1 1/3 C. semi-sweet choc. chips)
8 oz. butter (i used one stick salted, one unsalted)
5 eggs (room temperature)
5/8 C. sugar
2/3 C. flour

Melt chocolate & butter over low heat. In mixing bowl, mix eggs and sugar, then add flour. Slowly whisk into the melted chocolate mixture. Pour into greased (i used Baker's Joy) ramekins. (i tried 4 oz. & 7 oz. -- 7 oz. is just too big!) Bake at 400 F for 12-14 minutes. Yield: 36 oz. unbaked batter; 8 servings if you use a 4 oz. ramekin.

Adjust times according to the size ramekin you use, and the texture you prefer. In a 4 oz. ramekin for 13 min., the texture on the inside of the cake was a little heavier than pudding, kind of like a loose fudge. I also did some in my convection oven at 350F. 13 minutes in a 4 oz. ramekin yielded a smooth, hot fudge sauce-like center. In the 7 oz. size, 16 min. at 350F in the convection oven produced a pudding-like texture in the middle. Regular oven, 7 oz. size, at 400F, smooth, heavy sauce-like texture resulted after 14 min.

Morning Glory Muffins

these are in the oven baking right now so i can't say how great they are yet, but they sound yummy (and they smell good too!) i replaced the dates with raisens. there isn't any fat in these! wow!



Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 cup whole wheat flour (about 4 3/4 ounces)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
1 cup regular oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon wheat bran
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2)
1 large egg
1 cup chopped pitted dates
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped dried pineapple
3 tablespoons ground flaxseed (about 2 tablespoons whole)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.

Place 18 muffin cups liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray.

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flours and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine yogurt, banana, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in dates, walnuts, and pineapple. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle evenly with flaxseed. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.

Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Roll Ups

Another Rachel Ray Wonder:

2 eggs, beaten
1 c seasoned bread crumbs
1.5 c ricotta cheese
1 c oil packed sundried tomatoes, drained and chopped
8 chicken breast cutlets (1.5 lbs)
1/2 # deli sliced provolone cheese
1/4 c olive oil

1. preheat oven to 400. cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease the foil.

2. place beaten eggs and bread crumbs into separate shallow bowls. in a nother bowl mix the ricotta and sundried tomatoes. dip the chicken cutlets into the egg, then coat with the bread crumbs and place on a work surface. place a slice of provolone cheese and a heaping tablespoon of ricotta mixture on each cutlet. roll up and secure with toothpicks.

3. place the chicken roll ups side by side on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. bake until the chicken is golden and the cheese is bubbling, about 25 minutes.


** this was good. eric really liked it. it was a little heavy for me. my stomach can't handle sundried tomatoes packed in oil very well, and the ricotta was rich too. but it was an easy meal and really very tasty. i'd make it again

hearty pancakes

Buttermilk-Oatmeal Pancakes


Start your day in a hearty, high-grain way with these buttermilk-oatmeal pancakes. Maple syrup is a perennial favorite atop a stack of these pancakes; sliced bananas would also complement their oat flavor.


2 1/2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
Maple syrup (optional)
Combine buttermilk and rolled oats in a small bowl; let stand for 20 to 30 minutes to soften oats.

Stir together flours, wheat germ, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Mix together egg, egg whites and 1 teaspoon oil in another bowl with a whisk or fork. Add the oat mixture and the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.

Lightly brush a large nonstick skillet with a little of the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and place over medium heat. Using 1/4 cup batter for each pancake, pour batter onto the pan and cook until the underside is browned and the bubbles on top remain open, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the pancakes over and cook until the underside is browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and keep warm in a 200°F oven. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing the pan with a little of the remaining oil as needed. Serve hot, topping with maple syrup if desired.


**i added about 1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries to it and it was delicious!

a hearty, warm you up delicious soup!

- this is simple, wintery goodness. i made the meal tonight just as the magazine (cooking light) recommended with the toasts and cheese and it was perfect!!!! very very good

Golden Winter Soup

2 tbspn butter
5 c cubed peeled butternut squash
2 c cubed peeled russet potato
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 c sliced leek (about 2 medium)
4 c chicken broth
1 c halfnhalf
baguette
gruyere cheese
chopped chives (for garnish)
freshly ground pepper (for garnish)

1. melt butter in large dutch oven over medium high heat. add squash, potato, salt and pepper to pan. saute 3 minutes. add leek, saute 1 minute. sitr in broth, bring to a boil. reduce hat and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, sitrring occasionally. place half of potato mixture into a blender. remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape), secure blender lid on blender. place a clean tower over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). blend until smooth. pour into a large bowl. repeat procedure with remaining potato mixture. sitr in half and half. cover and keep warm.

2. arrange sliced baguette on cookie sheet. place slices of gruyere cheese on top. broil slices until slightly toasted and cheese is melted. ladle soup into bowls, garnish with ground pepper and chives (the chives are necessary by the way- soooo good!) serve with toasts.

**gruyere cheese is expensive for sure, but wow, the taste of the cheese went so well with the soup it was well worth it. and i love broiled toast with cheese! this was filling and tasty yet fairly low fat. i will definitely make this again. it would serve probably 4-6 people.

morning goodness

I've found two muffin recipes recently that have both turned out delightful. i got 3 cooking magazine subscriptions for christmas- rachel ray, cooking light, and everyday food (martha stewart). i'm really excited about them!

Orange Cranberry Wheat Germ Muffins

1 1/2 c flour
1/2 c raw what germ
1/2 c sweetened dried cranberries
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c canola oil
1 tsp grated orange rind
1/2 c fresh orange juice
2 eggs

1. preheat oven to 375
2. combing flour and next 7 ingredients (through nutmeg) in large bowl, stir with a whisk.
3. combine brown sugar, oil, rind, juice and eggs. stir with a whisk. add egg mixture to flour mixture, stir just until combined. spoon batter into 12 muffin cups either sprayed with cooking spray or lined with muffin liners. sprinkle tops with brown sugar
4. bake at 375 for 17 minutes.


Jumbo Coffee Cake Muffins
struesel:
1 c packed brwn sugar
1 c flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c cold butter, cutinto small pieces

muffin:
1/2 c butter room temp
1 3/4 c flour
2 tsp baking p owder
1 tsp baking soda
1 c sour cream
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs


1. make streusel: in med bowl sitr together brn sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. with a pastry cutter cut in butter until mixture resembles large coarse crumbs. refrigerate until ready to use
2. muffins: preheat oven to 350. in small bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and baking soda. set aside.
3. using an eletaric mixer, beat together butter, sour cream, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. beat in eggs one at a time until well combined. beat in flour mix just until combined.
4. divide half the batter among muffins cups- as in, only fill the cups half way- (i used a 12 cup muffin tin with liners. however there was too much dough, so really it could make 2 tins of 6 jumbo muffins or maybe fill up 1 12 muffin cup tin and then part of another), top with half the streusel. cover with the remaining batter, top with remaining streusel. bake until toothpick comes out clean 25-30 minutes.

i had left over streusel so i made an apple crisp with the leftovers.

these were both really yummy and we had them for breakfast the whole week!

Seasoned White Beans and Rice

1 1/2 cups rice
pinch of salt and pepper
1 lime
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup loosely packed fresh parsely leaves
1 cup loosely packed baby arugula leaves
2 garlic cloves
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cans cannellini beans, drained

prepare rice according to directions with a pinch of salt and pepper

meanwhile, grate rind from lime into a blender. cut lime in half and squeeze juice into blender.

pulse cilantro, next 3 ingredients, lime rind, and lime juice in a blender until combined. gradually add olive oil, salt, and pepper, and process just until blended, stopping to scrape down the sides.

Microwave beans in a large microwave safe bowl on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until heated. Stir in hot cooked rice. Add cilantro mixture and toss to combine. serve warm.

Roasted Apples and Sweet Potatoes

This is DELICIOUS!!

3 lb sweet potatoes, peeled (about 5)
2 large granny smith apples, peeled
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp. grated orange rind
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp coarsely ground pepper

Cut peeled sweet potatoes into 1 inch cubes, cut peeled apples into 1/2 inch thick slices

stir together melted butter, brown sugar, and grated orange rind in a large zip top plastic freezer bag until blended. Add cubed sweet potatoes and sliced apples. Seal bag, and toss to coat

Place potato mixture in a single layer in a lightly greased aluminum foil lined 15x10 jelly roll pan. sprinkle with salt and pepper

Bake at 400 for 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes and apples are tender and lightly browned.

the perfect snack

i just found a really great food for me after night shifts. my stomach is often upset and confused after working nights, but i do get hungry. this is just a simple smoothie, but it's healthy and i thought you might like it too or even adrian might like it!

in a blender:
1 individual sized container yogurt (i used a good organic brand and i can taste the difference! yum)
1 banana
1 cup frozen whole strawberries
1 cup orange juice


blend! no added sugar, fruit, and yogurt. it's really filling too.

the most wonderfulest, delicious-est, incrediblest, delectablest CHICKEN SALAD ever!!!!

okay, i really mean it. this one is for keeps forever. you HAVE to make this ASAP!! i got it from my friend lauren from our bible study. her sister actually owns a bakery here in salt lake and serves up this chicken salad for her customers and they can't get enough of it either! after making it tonight, i'm sold!

Lauren's Favorite Chicken Salad

ingredients:
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
juice of 1 lemon or 1 tbspn lemon juice
1/2 c mayo
3 c cooked chicken (i used a rotisserie chicken from costco)
1 c celery thinly sliced
1/4 c toasted almonds
red grapes

1. infuse curry powder in olive oil over low heat, remove from heat
2. mix oil/curry mixture, sugar, salt, pepper, and lemon juice in small bowl; add mayo
3. stir together chicken, celery, almonds and grapes
4. add sauce mixture and toss to coat

** i just added all the ingredients one by one into a large bowl, but afterwards i thought it would be better to make a sauce out of the little ingredients so they get mixed more thoroughly and then top the veggies and chicken with it. i also did not have any red grapes as they are completely out of season right now so i used cherry tomatoes cut in half. it was delicious! i spooned about a cup over some spring salad mix and sliced some fresh pear on the side. we had slices of french country bread with goat cheese on the side. it was definitely enough to fill us up and looked really pretty too. i could eat this at least once a week!!**

i am cooking up the carcass from the costco rotisserie chicken right now to make my own broth. the birds are only $5 and the flavor of the meat is outstanding. i hope you like it!

Marie calendar's corn bread recipe

1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup oil

mix dry ingredients together
mix wet ingredients together in a separate bowl
combine.
pour into ungreased 8x8 and bake 20-25 min at 400

Savory baked chicken

10 garlic cloves
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp grated lime rind
1 (4 1/2 pound) whole chicken
3 fresh cilantro sprigs
vegetable cooking spray
1 /2 tsp coarsely ground pepper

process garlic and 1 tsp salt in a food processor 2 seconds until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. remove and reserve 1 Tbsp garlic mixture. stir together remaining garlic mixture, yogurt, and lime rind.

if applicable, remove giblets from chicken and reserve another for use. Rinse chicken, and pat dry. loosen and lift skin from chicken with fingers. do not detach skin. spread reserved 1 Tbsp garlic mixture evenly underneath the skin. Place cilantro sprigs underneath skin. carefully replace skin, and secure with wooden picks. spread yogurt mixture evenly over chicken and inside cavity. cover and chill 8 hours.

preheat oven to 375. wipe excess yogurt mixture from outside of chicken with paper towel. place chicken on a lightly greased wire rack in an aluminum foil lined broiler or jelly roll pan. coat chicken with cooking spray and sprinkle with pepper and remaining 1/2 tsp salt.

bake at 375 for 45 minutes; cover loosely, and bake 25 more minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 165. let chicken stand for 10 minutes before slicing.



Using left overs from this savory baked chicken:


SPICY CHICKEN-RICE BOWL

1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup light coconut milk
3 Tbsp red curry paste
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 Savory baked chicken, shredded (about 3 cups)
1 1/2 cups fresh steamed green beans cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

prepare rice according to package instructions

melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. cook, whisking constantly 1 minute. gradually whisk in chicken broth, milk and coconut milk. cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and bubbly. stir in curry paste and next 3 ingredients. stir in chicken, green beans, and red bell pepper strips into curry mixture; cook 2 more minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro. serve chicken mixture over rice. sprinkle with remaining cilantro. serve with lime wedges.

Peanut Broccoli Stir Fry

1 (16oz) package firm tofu
2 cups uncooked brown rice
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 Tbsp light brown sugar
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
3/4 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
1 tsp dark sesame oil
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 cup carrot sticks
2 Tbsp chopped peanuts
lime wedge garnish

Place tofu between 2 flat plates. weight the top with a heavy can. Sides of tofu should be bulgins slightly but not cracking. let stand about 45 minutes; discard liquid. cut tofu into 1/2 inch cubes

prepare rice according to package directions, adding 1/2 tsp salt.

meanwhile, combine vegetable broth and next 7 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well. Add tofu, and toss to coat. let stand 10 minutes. remove tofu from marinade.

heat oils in nonstick skillet or wok over high heat for 1 minute. add tofu, and stir fry 4-5 minutes or until browned. remove tofu. add broccoli and carrot sticks; stir fry 2 minutes. add reserved marinade, and bring to a boil. cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until thickened; stir in tofu. serve over hot cooked rice. sprinkle with chopped peanuts. garnish.

Slow cooker veggie chili

2 large carrots diced
2 celery ribs diced
1 medium sized sweet onion, diced
vegetable cooking spray
2 (8 oz) packages sliced fresh mushrooms
1 large zucchini chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp seasoned pepper
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
3 cups tomato juice
2 (14 1/2 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
4 (15 oz) cans pinto, black, great Northern, or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen whole kernal corn

Saute first 3 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium high heat 10 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add mushrooms, zucchini, and squash; saute 3 more minutes. Add chili powder and next 2 ingredients, and saute 5 more minutes

stir together tomato sauce and tomato juice in a 6 quart slow cooker until smooth. stir in diced tomatoes and next 2 ingredients, and carrot mixture. cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Smokin Macaroni and Cheese

1 lb uncooked cellentani pasta
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
2 cups smoked cheese (gouda or other)
1 (3 oz) package cream cheese, softened
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground red pepper, divided
1 (8 oz) package chopped cooked smoked ham
2 cups cornflakes cereal, crushed
2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. prepare cellantani pasta according to directions. Transfer hot pasta to a large bowl

Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. gradually whisk in flour until smooth; cook whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and evaporated milk; cook whisking constantly, 3-5 minutes or until thickened. Whisk in Gouda, cream cheese, salt and 1/4 tsp ground red pepper until smooth. remove from heat and stir in ham.

combine pasta and Gouda cheese mixture, and pour in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Stir together 2 cups crushed cereal, 2 Tbsp melted butter, and remaining 1/4 tsp ground red pepper; sprinkle over pasta mixture.

bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Three Cheese Pasta Bake

1 (8oz) package penne pasta
2 Tbsp butter
2Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese divided (swiss cheese may be substituted)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
pinch of ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350

prepare pasta according to instructions

melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. whisk in flour; cook whisking constantly 1 minute. gradually whisk in milk and half and half; cook whisking constantly , 3-5 minutes or until thickened. stir in cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, and 1/2 cup gruyere cheese, and next 3 ingredients until smooth.

stir together pasta and cheese mixture, and pour into 4 lightly greased 11x7 inch baking dishes (if using 8 oz backing dished, place in a jelly roll pan for easy baking and proceed as directed.) top with remaining 1/2 cup gruyere.

bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

dinner on wednesday

my friend katie gave me some left over pesto from a camping trip so i looked for recipes requiring pesto. both of these are from rachel ray's website. i am making both of these dishes for dinner on wednesday. hopefully they are good!





Tomato-Vegetable-Pasta Stoup

Rachael Ray
From Every Day with Rachael Ray
October 2007

SIX SERVINgs

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 zucchini, grated using the large holes of a box grater
2 carrots, peeled and grated using the large holes of a box grater
1 onion, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
One 15.5-ounce can chickpeas
2 jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
1/2 pound whole wheat penne rigate
1/4 cup store-bought pesto


1. heat the 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, carrots, onion, celery and bay leaf, then season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes. Have your GH help you stir in the broth, tomatoes, chickpeas and red peppers; cover the pot and bring it all to a boil.
2. When the broth begins to boil, remove the lid. Then add the pasta and cook until al dente, 15 to 20 minutes. turn off the heat, then stir in the pesto. If the stoup gets too thick, stir in a little water to thin it out. Taste the stoup and season with more salt and pepper if you like; discard the bay leaf and serve.





Kids - Not-Your-Mama's Tuna Salad

Rachael Ray
From Every Day with Rachael Ray
June-July 2006

4 SERVINGS

Ingredients

1 tub (1 cup) store-bought pesto sauce, such as Buitoni brand
Juice of 1 lemon
Two 6-ounce cans water-packed tuna, drained
4 scallions, cut into thin strips with kitchen scissors or chopped

1 jarred whole roasted red pepper, cut into small pieces with kitchen scissors or chopped
Handful of grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 pound medium shell pasta—cooked al dente, rinsed under cold water and drained well
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Place the pesto in a large bowl and stir in the lemon juice. Add the tuna and flake it with a fork. Add the scallions, roasted red pepper, tomatoes and pasta, and toss the salad to coat evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2 great recipes

i made these two recipes the past week and they were delicious! they are both from the Rachel Ray 30 minute meals magazine i found at work.

Chicken and Veggie Pie

2/3 c rice
3 tbspn olive oil
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1 large egg, beaten
pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 10 oz package frozen whole leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed dry ( i used fresh)
2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
salt
1 store bought rotisserie chicken ( i used the other half left over from the curry soup
shredded
9 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

1. preheat oven to 425. in a small saucepan combine the rice with 1 1/3 c water. cover and simmer over medium heat until water is absorbed. let cool


2. brush sides of a 9 in pie pan with 1 tbspn olive oil. in a medium bowl, combine the cooled rice, parm cheese, egg and pinch of pepper. using lightly oiled fingers or a rubber spatula press the rice mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. bake for 10 minutes. set aside to cool.

3. in a large skillet, heat remaining 2 tbpsn olive oil. add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and cook stirring occasionaly until golden and tender. stir in the spinach and rosemary, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes more. remove from heat and let cool slightly. stir in the chicken and 1 c cheddar cheese.

4. lower the oven to 375. fill crust with the chicken-veggie filling, leaving 1 inch border at the top of the crust. sprinkle the remaing 1 1/4 cup cheddar cheese on top. bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

yumm!!!









Fire Roasted Manhatten clam Chowder

6 slices thick cut bacon, cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick
3 tbspn olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 ribs celery with leafy greens, stalks and leaves finally chopped separately
1 large baking potato
one 28 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes
one 14.5 oz can chicken broth
two 10 oz cans baby clams or chopped clams packed in water, liquid reserved
salt / pepper

1. in a large saucepan over medium heat cook the bacon stirring occasionally until the fat renders about 6 minutes. discard the fat. add the olive oil and garlic and cook stirring until golden 2-3 minutes. add the onion and celery stalks and cook, stirring until softened, about 6 mintues. stir in the potato, the tomatoes and their juice and the chicken broth and bring to a boil. reduce the heat and simmer until the potato is tender 15-20 minutes.

2. stir in the clams with their liquid and cook to warm through. stir in the chopped celery leaves and season with salt/pepper.

***very delicious!!! serve with red lobster biscuits.****

simply the best

i have found one of the best soups ever!!! it is a curry soup and tastes just like a restaurant!! if you like curry at all, or want to try something more ethnic you should definitely try this!


Curried Chicken Soup

2 tbspn butter
1 bunch scallions, white and green portions thinly sliced seperately
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 tsp curry powder (i used yellow)
1 32 oz container chicken broth
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 large baking potate, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded and meat shredded
1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed
salt/pepper
3/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt


1. in a large saucepan, melt the butter ove medium heat. ad the scallion whites, bell pepper, and curry powder and cook, stirring, until tender about 3 minutes. ad the chicken broth, cauliflower, and potato and bring to a boil. lower the heat, partially cover and simmer until veggies are tender 10-12 minutes

2. stir in the chicken and chickpeas and cook until heated through about 2 minutes. stir in the scallion greens and season with salt and pepper. stir in the yogurt just before serving (i just added a dollop of yogurt to every bowl, that way i didn't spoil the leftovers)


oh my gosh- this is sooooo good! i bought the rotisserie chicken at costco (i just bought a membership today) and used half of it. i saved all the breast meatto make a chicken salad with and it was still plenty of meat in the soup. i got this from a rachel ray 30 minute meals magazine ifound at work. i am asking for the magazine for christmas! we are going to try a fire roasted clam chowder on wednesday from the same magazine. i'll let yoyu know how it goes.