Category: Ethnic – Regional

Categories
Casseroles Italian Main Dish Vegetables Vegetarian

Eggplant Parmesean – Light Version

Use whole-wheat panko in this recipe; the regular type became soggy in a test.
Eggplant:
2  large eggs, lightly beaten
1  tablespoon  water
2  cups  whole-wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2  (1-pound) eggplants, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Cooking spray
Filling:
1/2  cup  torn fresh basil
1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
1 1/2  teaspoons  minced garlic
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1  (16-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1  large egg, lightly beaten
Remaining ingredients:
1  (24-ounce) jar premium pasta sauce
1/4  teaspoon  salt
8  ounces  thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
3/4  cup  (3 ounces) finely grated fontina cheese
Preheat oven to 375°.
To make eggplant, combine 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon water in a shallow dish. Combine panko and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a second shallow dish. Dip eggplant in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere and shaking off excess. Place eggplant 1 inch apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden, turning once and rotating baking sheets after 15 minutes.
To make filling, combine basil and next 6 ingredients (through egg).   To assemble, spoon 1/2 cup pasta sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of eggplant slices over pasta sauce. Sprinkle eggplant with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Top with about 3/4 cup pasta sauce; spread half of ricotta mixture over sauce, and top with a third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Repeat layers once, ending with about 1 cup pasta sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Remove foil; top with remaining third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese melts; cool 10 minutes.
10  Servings
Categories
Casseroles Italian Main Dish Vegetables Vegetarian

Eggplant Parmesan

4 eggplants, sliced 1/2″ thick
dash salt
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups spaghetti sauce
2 cups low fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Sprinkle salt on slices of eggplant.  Let sit for 30 minutes, blot moisture from eggplant slices. Dip each slice of eggplant in egg then in bread crumbs.  Fry in a small amount of oil until browned on both sides.  Drain on paper towels. Put one cup of sauce on bottom of 13×9″ baking dish.  Layer eggplant slices, top with sauce then cheeses. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 or until cheese is bubbly.
8  Servings
Categories
Asian Chicken Main Dish Slow Cooker

Crock Pot Thai Chicken Thighs

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 (16 ounce) jars cilantro salsa (or any salsa you prefer)
1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
2 teaspoons ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons lime juice
Put all ingredients in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours.  Garnish with cilantro, scallions, and peanuts.  Serve with jasmine rice made with half coconut milk and half water (1 cup raw rice, 1 cup water, 1 cup coconut milk).
     
8  Servings
Categories
Asian Chicken Main Dish Make Ahead

Spicy Sweet Glazed “Dump” Chicken

Thumbs up for this easy recipe!  Served it with Jasmine rice and steamed broccoli.  I omitted the Tabasco for the sake of the kiddo and just sprinkled crushed red pepper on my serving.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic
2/3 cup Apricot Preserves
1/3 cup Soy Sauce
1/3 cup Ketchup
1 Teaspoon Tabasco

For immediate cooking: Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Place all ingredients into a large baking dish, turn chicken to coat. Bake until chicken juices run clear (45-60 minutes for chicken pieces, or 20-30 minutes for chicken breasts).

For freezing: Place all ingredients into a 1 Gallon freezer bag. Lay flat in freezer.

To thaw and cook: Take the bag out of the freezer the night before, make sure the baggie is completely closed. Place the Bag on a shelf furthest from the freezer (It works best if the bag is laying flat, although this may not be the best option with a side-by-side fridge/freezer). Preheat the oven to 350 F. Empty the contents of the bag into a large baking dish and bake until the juices run clear (45-60 minutes for chicken pieces, or 20-30 minutes for chicken breasts).

Categories
Casseroles Chicken Main Dish Mexican

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
6 ounces cream cheese, cubed
2 tablespoons butter
1 package flour tortillas
1 large can green enchilada sauce
8 ounces Monterey jack cheese, grated
Salt to taste
In a wide frying pan over medium heat, cook the onions in butter, for 20 minutes. Stir frequently to keep onions from burning. Remove from heat and add chicken, red bell peppers, and cream cheese; stir gently to blend, and season with salt. Pour a little green sauce in bottom of 9×13″ baking pan. Spoon about 1/3 C of filling down center of each tortilla and roll. Set enchiladas, seam side down in baking pan. Continue until pan is full. Cover with remaining sauce and top with grated cheese. At this point you may cover and refrigerate. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. If refrigerated, bake for 30 minutes, 15 minutes covered, remove foil and bake 15 minutes more. If not refrigerated, bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
Makes approximately 12 enchiladas.
Categories
Beef Chicken Main Dish Make Ahead Mexican Pork

Chimichangas

1 lb cooked beef or cooked pork or cooked chicken (3 cups)
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chili peppers
1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelope burrito seasoning mix or taco seasoning mix
16 flour tortillas (7- or 8-inch)
16 ounces monterey jack cheese or cheddar cheese, cut into sixteen 5 x 1/2 inch sticks
salsa (optional)
sour cream (optional)
Using two forks, shred cooked meat or chicken (should have about 3 cups).  In a large skillet combine meat or chicken, salsa, beans, undrained chili peppers, and seasoning mix.    Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through.    In another skillet heat tortillas, one at a time, over medium-low heat about 30 seconds per side.   For each chimichanga, place 1/3cup meat mixture atop a tortilla, near one edge.   Top with a cheese stick.    Fold in sides; roll up, starting with cheese side.   Bake, covered, in 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes.   Uncover and bake 10 minutes more or until heated through.  Serve with salsa, dairy sour cream.    
To prepare, wrap frozen chimichangas individually in foil.   Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 50 minutes or until heated through.  (Or, thaw chimichangas in refrigerator overnight. Bake about 30 minutes.) Unwrap.  Bake 10 minutes more or until tortilla is crisp and brown.  Or, heat about 1/4-inch depth of oil in a skillet.   Cook desired number of frozen chimichangas, uncovered, in hot oil about 25 minutes (about 18 minutes if thawed) over medium-low heat or until golden, turning often.   Make-Ahead Tip: To freeze, place chimichangas in freezercontainers.   Seal, label, and freeze for up to 6 months.
 8  Servings
Categories
Appetizers Asian Chicken

Chicken Satay

3 limes
2/3 cup bottled Thai peanut sauce
12 chicken tenders (about 1 lb 4 oz)

Heat outdoor grill or ridged grill pan over medium-high heat. Squeeze 1 to 2 limes to get 2 Tbsp juice. Mix with peanut sauce. Pour all but 1/4 cup into a small bowl. Thread 1 chicken tender on each of twelve 10- to 12-in. wooden skewers. Brush both sides of chicken with the 1/4 cup sauce, then lightly coat with nonstick spray. Grill 2 to 3 minutes per side until chicken is cooked through. Serve with lime wedges and remaining sauce for dipping. Garnish with sliced scallions, if desired.

Categories
Chicken Main Dish Mexican

Chicken Relleno

6   skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 pounds total)
1/3 cup  cornmeal
1/2 of a 1-1/4-ounce package (2 tablespoons)  taco seasoning mix
1 4-ounce can  whole green chili peppers, rinsed, seeded, and cut in half lengthwise (6 pieces total)
2 ounces  Monterey Jack cheese, cut into six 2×1/2-inch sticks
2 tablespoons  snipped fresh cilantro or fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon  black pepper
1/4 teaspoon  crushed red pepper
1 8-ounce jar  taco sauce or salsa
1/2 cup  shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese (optional)
Fresh cilantro sprigs (optional)

Place each chicken breast half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Pound lightly into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Remove plastic wrap.

In a bowl combine cornmeal and taco seasoning mix. Place egg in another bowl; beat lightly.

For each roll, place a chili pepper half on a chicken piece. Place a cheese stick atop chili pepper near an edge. Sprinkle with some of the cilantro or parsley, black pepper, and red pepper. Fold in sides; roll up jelly-roll style, starting from edge with cheese .

Dip rolls into egg and coat with cornmeal mixture. Place rolls, seam sides down, in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Heat taco sauce. If desired, sprinkle chicken with shredded cheese. Serve with taco sauce or salsa. If desired, garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Makes 6 servings

Categories
Chicken Italian Main Dish

Chicken Marsala – Carrabba’s

Marsala Sauce:
1/3 cup butter
1 slice prosciutto, diced
2 teaspoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 4-ounce can mushrooms, drained
1/4 cup marsala wine
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Chicken Spice:
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 chicken breasts ( small butterfly cut double breasts or large single breasts)
olive oil
Melt butter over low heat in a medium saucepan.Turn heat up to medium/high to saute the prosciutto in the melted butter forabout 2 – 3 minutes (be careful not to burn butter), add shallots and garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Add marsala wine, simmer for another 30 seconds or so, then add mushrooms (drain off liquid) and black pepper. Simmer over medium/high heat for 5 minutes. Dissolve corn starch in chicken stock. Add stock to the saucepan and simmerfor an additional 5 minutes.  Add parsley and cream to the sauce and simmer for 3 – 4 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat, cover until needed.
Preheat barbecue grill on high heat. Combine ingredients for the chicken spice in a small bowl. Use your thumb and fingers to crush the spices in thebowl to make a finer blend.  Brush each chicken breast generously with olive oil. Sprinkle spice blendover both sides of each chicken breast and grill for 6 – 8 minutes per side or until done. Give chicken a one quarter turn on each side while cooking tomake the crisscross grill marks. Serve entree by arranging each chicken breast on a plate. Spoon one quarter of the marsala sauce over each serving of chicken and serve.
 4  Servings
Categories
Chicken Italian Main Dish

Chicken Marsala 2

4 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
1/2 cup flour
Salt & Pepper to taste
Dried oregano to taste
4 Tbsp oil
4 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup Marsala wine
Pound chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap until about 1/4″ thickness.   Combine flour, salt, pepper and oregano in a mixing bowl. Dredge chicken pieces in the flour, shaking off any excess.   Heat oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken breasts on medium heat for about 2 minutes on the first side, until lightly browned. Turn breasts over to cook other side, then add mushrooms to skillet. Cook breasts about 2 more minutes, until both sides are lightly browned. Continue to stir mushrooms. Add Marsala wine around chicken pieces.   Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.   Transfer to serving plate. 
4  Servings