Chicken, Craisin, and Cashew Bow-Tie Pasta Salad or 3 C Salad

Thanks Evelyn for this yummy recipe! Sooo good!



4 cups cooked chicken breasts, diced (*Feeling lazy? Use an already-cooked rotisserie chicken from the store. Just pull off the meat and dice it.)
6 cups bow-tie pasta, cooked al-dente (*I think the trick to this salad is to make sure the pasta is really, truly al dente. Cook it until it seems to still have a bit of "crunch" to it in the middle. Trust me. It works!)
1 and 1/2 cups green grapes, sliced in half
1 and 1/2 cups red grapes, sliced in half
2 (5 ounce) cans water chestnuts, drained and quartered (*eh...I would leave this out.)
1 (10 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained (*Leave this out too. Or don't. Whatever.)
2 cups celery, thinly sliced
1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced (green onions)
2 cups cashews, whole and halves
2 cups craisins (dried cranberries)


Dressing

1 (16 ounce) bottle Hidden Valley brand coleslaw dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Miracle Whip

How to:

1. In a large bowl mix all salad ingredients together, except cashews and craisins

2. Whip together dressing ingredients.

3. Toss dressing with the mixture in the large bowl.

4. Mix in cashews and craisin right before serving.

White Chicken Chili

This is one of our very favorites!! Delicious!

1 lb. chicken, cubed
1 med onion chopped
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 T. vegetable oil
3 cans great northern beans
1 can chicken broth
1-2 small cans diced green chilis
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. black pepper
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. whipping cream

Place vegetable oil in cooking pot.  Add chicken and chopped onion and cook
until chicken is no longer pink.  Drain and rinse beans and add to pot.  Add all
other ingredients to pan except for sour cream and whipping cream.  Bring to
boil and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add sour cream and whipping cream and serve.

(Can use canned chicken for the chicken and omit the first step.)

*Top with cheese, tortilla chips and avocado...YUMMY!!

Creamy Spinach & Tortellini

Thanks Melissa for this yummy recipe!

1 lb. fresh or frozen tortellini, uncooked
2 T. olive oil
½ c. onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg. spinach (fresh is best)
1 c. tomato, cubed
¼ c. fresh basil, chopped –OR-
1 ½ tsp. dried basil
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 c. whipping cream
¼ c. Parmesan cheese, grated
½ tsp. red pepper flakes (optional, if you like it spicy)
Chicken breast, cooked, cubed (optional)

Cook tortellini according to package direction; drain. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet. When hot add onion and garlic; cook until brown and tender, about 4 minutes. Add spinach, tomato, basil, salt and pepper and pepper flakes. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in whipping cream and Parmesan cheese. Cook until just boiling. Reduce heat to low, add tortellini and chicken breast. Cook additional 4-5 minutes. Served topped with more Parmesan cheese if desired.

Curried Chicken Fruit Salad

We served this at a baby shower today and it is SOOOOO good!! TRY it!!!

Dressing:

1 C Mayo

1 C Sour Cream

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp curry

*mix together, let sit overnight

Filling:

5 C chicken (shredded or cubed)

1 1/2 C grapes (halved)

1 1/2 C mandarin oranges

1 C finely diced celery

1 C tidbit pineapple

2/3 C cashews

handful chow mein noodles

Mix together, stir in dressing.

Serve in croissant (optional).

Sweet Lime Chile Enchiladas

Riley made this for me for Mother's Day and I LOVED it!! Recipe originally found here.

4 chicken breast, cooked & shredded
1 12-15 oz. bottle salsa verde
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice
1 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream
8-10 flour tortillas
5 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, whick together honey, lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder & salt. add shredded chicken to the lime mixture. let sit 10 minutes.

in a 9x13 pan pour 3/4 of the bottle of salsa verde, just to cover the bottle of the pan. reserve the rest.

2. Take each flour tortilla & fill with a chicken & cheese. a couple of tablespoons of each. Roll up & place, seam side down in the salsa verde. Repeat process until all tortillas are filled.

3. After you remove all of the chicken, there will be remaining lime sauce in the bowl. To that sauce, add heavy cream & the remaining salsa verde. Pour this mixture over the filled enchilada & cover with all the remaining cheese.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until cheese is brown & bubbly.

Serve with this Sweet Pepper Rice.

Coconut Peanut Curry

This is one of Riley's favorites. I asked the chef for this recipe at one of our favorite little restaurants in Provo when Ri and I were going to school. I've also made it with chicken...we just prefer the tofu with it...but either one is soooo good!

Sauce:
2 T peanut butter
1 1/2 -2 cups coconut milk
1 t lemon juice
1 T curry powder
4 T sugar
Dash of chili sauce

Mix sauce in bowl until well combined. Set aside.

Cook 2-3 potatoes in chicken (or veggie) broth until almost done. Stir fry tofu or chicken until browned and cooked through.

Combine all and simmer 5-10 minutes until sauce is hot and has thickened.

Serve over rice (optional).

Cafe Rio {like} Salad

To make salads:

Cook flour tortillas on a griddle with a little vegetable oil until brown.

Put in bowl with meat (pork or chicken), rice, beans (black or pinto), lettuce, fresh diced tomato and top with a sprig of fresh cilantro and some parmesan cheese and avacado (optional).

Top with dressing. Enjoy!

*click on bold for recipes of each.

Cafe Rio {like} Chicken

1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian dressing
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 cloves garlic
5 lbs chicken breast

Cook all together in crock pot for 4 hours, shred meat and cook and additional 1 hour.

*SERVE WITH THIS SALAD.

Sauteed Chicken Paillards w/Cranberry-orange salsa

This is my current FAVE chicken recipe. The salsa is so yummy. Ty likes rice with everything so I made some rice on the side for him to put the extra salsa on.

Cranberry-Orange Salsa
1 can (16 ounces) whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 can (11 ounces) mandarin orange sections, drained
pinch of ground cinnamon

Chicken Paillards
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 lb), rinsed and patted dry
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (I actually use Creole seasoning salt for this and really prefer the flavor...it's a little spicier)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons dry white wine ( I always use white grape juice in place of this, but I'm sure you could use chicken broth as well)

1. Place the cranberry sauce, mandarin oranges, and cinnamon in a food processor or blender and pulse until well combined, 30 seconds. Set the salsa aside.

2. Make the chicken paillards: Place the chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of waxed paper on a work surface and pound them to a 1/3 inch thickness with a meat pounder or the bottom of a heavy skillet. Season on both sides with the salt.

3. Place the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter has just melted, add the pounded chicken and cook until lightly browned, 2 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook the second side for 1 minute. Add the wine, cover the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the chicken simmer until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
*you could grill the pounded chicken if you prefer...about 3-4 minutes per side*

4. To serve, place a paillard on plate and garnish with salsa....ENJOY!

Serves 4

---recipe courtesy The Dinner Doctor---

Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells

1 (12 oz) box uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1 lb Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled (or 2 cups cooked chicken or omit for a vegetarian version)
1 small onion, chopped
2 C fresh chopped spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (5 oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 TB dried parsley flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 C (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
32-36 oz prepared spaghetti sauce (depends on how saucy you want it!)

Cook shells according to package directions; drain and set aside.Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease (cooking spray) two 13x9x2-inchbaking dishes.Brown sausage and onion together in a skillet. Drain and set aside.In a large bowl, combine sausage/onion mixture and next 10ingredients. Stir in 1 cup shredded mozzarella. Spread half of thespaghetti sauce into prepared baking dishes.

Spoon mixture into shells and arrange them over sauce in the dishes. Top with remaining sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1 C mozzarella. Bake for 5-10 more minutes.

Makes 8-10 servings

Chicken Supreme

OK, this is my absolute favorite baked chicken recipe. You’ve got to try it!

1 cup fat-free sour cream
¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¾ cup dry breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted (I didn’t use this; I just sprayed with Pam if the crumbs looked a little dry while cooking.)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley ( I omitted this, because I never have fresh parsley.)

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Add chicken and marinate overnight. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade.

Reheat oven to 325. Dredge the chicken in breadcrumbs. Place the chicken in a baking dish coated with Pam. Drizzle 1 ½ tablespoons butter over chicken and bake at 325 for 30 minutes. Pour 1 ½ tablespoons additional butter over chicken and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until done. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Made this yummy tex-mex dish the other night...I absolutely LOVE this...it is especially perfect for chilly winter days!!

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbs margarine or oil of choice

3 14 oz. chicken broth or bullion

1 can cream of chicken

1 can cream corn

2 t. cumin

3 Tbs cilantro

1 chopped onion

2 Tbs flour

4 cups half & half or milk

1 cup salsa

6 chicken breasts, cooked

1 pkg. taco seasoning

Tortilla chips

(Cheese, Avocado, Tomato, etc)

In a large pot, saute the garlic and onions in the margarine or oil for 5 minutes. Add flour and stir well one minute. Add broth and milk. Return to boil and then cool. Add cream of chicken, corn, salsa, chicken, cumin, seasoning, cilantro. Stir and heat for 15 minutes.

Serve by putting chips, cheese, avocado, tomatoes, etc in a bowl and serve soup over the top...(or put them all on top of the soup).

YUM!!!

Easy Chicken Curry

I never liked curry until we went to dinner at a friend's house and she served this recipe for chicken curry. I love it. I hope you like it too! Curry powder is a blend of spices, not just one spice, so curry powders of different brands can vary quite a bit. Try different powders for a different balance of flavors. I like the Archer Farms curry powder from Super Target... Thanks for the recipe, Katie!


One 1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
(Or 1 heaping teaspoon ground ginger)
5 shallots, coarsely chopped (you could easily substitute onion if you need to)
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces (or leftover roast chicken)
salt to taste
1/2 cinnamon stick
2 or 3 whole cloves
2-3 tablespoons curry powder
1 can coconut milk


Combine ginger, shallots, and garlic in food processor and puree to a coarse paste. Set aside. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and cook chicken until no longer pink. (If you use leftover chicken, skip this step.) Add the ginger paste and cook for about 4 minutes. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves, curry powder and salt. Add the cocnut milk to the pan and stir. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. (If you use leftover chicken, add it at the end and just allow it to get hot.) Serve over rice with green peas on the side. Yummy!

Crock-pot Sesame Chicken

We had this a few Sundays ago with steamed rice and broccoli and it is SO good. If you like the chicken from teriyaki stix, you should totally try this recipe!

Crockpot Sesame Seed Chicken

2 1bs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
1/2 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. ketchup
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Place chicken thighs in the slow cooker. Whisk together remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken.Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on high 3 or 4. Serves 4 - 6.

Grape and Cashew Chicken Salad

Dressing:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes

Salad:
1/2 cup roated and salted cashews
3 cups chicken meat, cooked and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cup seedless grapes, separated and rinsed

For Dressing:
In mixing bowl whisk together soy sauce, vegetable oil, honey, sesame oil and chile flakes until well combined.

For Salad:
Toss dressing with cashews, chicken, onions and grapes

Serving Suggestion: Pile on greens or fill a tortilla with shredded Napa cabbage, julienne carrots and this chicken salad for an Asian wrap.

Chilis Monterrey Chicken

Chili’s Monterey Chicken

Boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp. BBQ sauce (Bulls Eye is good)
4 slices well crisped bacon
¼ c. Monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend

Pound chicken breast until somewhat flattened and season with salt and pepper. Spray pam or use olive oil in skillet to cook chicken until done. Transfer chicken to serving plate. Top chicken breasts with BBQ sauce, bacon, and cheese. Broil chicken breast in over or melt cheese in microwave. Sprinkle with small amount of cold chopped tomatoes and chives.

Santa Rosa Salad

I got this recipe from Heather White's blog...I made it last night and we all loved it! (Riley's portion was made w/o the chicken of course:)

1 box long grain wild rice (Uncle Ben's ORIGINAL)
3 chicken breasts, diced
4 green onions, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 oz. Chinese Pea Pods (Snow Peas), ends cut off and cut into thirds
1-2 medium avocados, diced
1/2-1 C. chopped pecans
Cook rice as directed and cool. Boil chicken breasts approximately 15 minutes or until cooked through. Dice the following into VERY SMALL pieces...chicken, green onions and red bell pepper. Cut ends off of Snow Peas and cut into thirds. Combine all ingredients (except avocado and pecans) and refrigerate overnight.

DRESSING:
2 cloves garlic, diced (or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder)
1 T. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/3 C. vegetable oil
1/3 C. Nakano's Seasoned Rice Vinegar (I used ORIGINAL)
Combine in BLENDER or beat well with hand mixer. Refrigerate overnight.


NEXT DAY:
Pour dressing over salad and mix well until coated. Refrigerate 2-4 hours before serving. Immediately before serving, add diced avocado and pecans - mix well.

Serve on lettuce leaf and with Parmesean Knots!!!!! YUMMM!
Oh and it is TOTALLY not just a "chick salad."

ENJOY!