pasta with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, gorgonzola and pine nuts October 24, 2007

Just in time for the weekend, some easy pasta recipes! 

Ingredients

1/ 2cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (2 tablespoons oil reserved)
2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (about 9 ounces total)

1 pound gnocchi pasta or medium shell pasta

4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped prosciutto

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions 

Heat 1 tablespoon oil reserved from tomatoes in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet and sauté until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate and cool; do not clean skillet. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta; transfer to large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon tomato oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté until tender, about 1 minute. Add sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, basil, broth, cheese and prosciutto to skillet and bring to boil.

Add sauce to pasta and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with pine nuts and serve.

Hash Brown Casserole October 18, 2007

Brunch party anyone?  This dish is a BIG crowd pleaser! Ingredients

3 Tbsps oil
2 lbs frozen hash brown potatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cups cubed ham
10 eggs, beaten
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

Heat oil in large skillet. Add hash browns, onion, and bell peppers. Cook until potatoes begin to brown. Apray 9″ x 13″ baking dish with Pam. Spread potato mixture in pan. Top with ham. Pour beaten eggs over all and season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently stir to coat all ingredients with eggs. Sprinkle with cheese. Refrigerate overnight. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Delicious and Quick Chicken Pot Pie October 15, 2007

This is a “recipe” from my cousin…it is SO easy. 

Ingredients

1 can of low-fat Cream of Mushroom soup

2 cups (or more if you like) of frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas and carrots)

Phylo pastry

1/2 cup of red wine

1-2 COOKED chicken breasts cut into chunks (or I use already cooked chicken strips and cut them in half)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients execpt Phylo/pastry.  If mixture is too dense, add a touch of water. 

Grease the bottom of a glass square pan.  Line bottom with phylo pastry – about 2-3 sheets – so that it covers the bottom.  Pour half the mixture over top.  Do another layer of phylo pastry and pour rest of mixture over top.  layer phylo on top to cover everything -enough to make a good crust. 

Bake for about 35 minutes or until brown and bubbly. 

  

The Easiest Shepherd’s Pie October 10, 2007

One of my favourites from President’s Choice, but your own can be just as good, if not better!  And, you can treat your hubby to a good homemade meal - as you just can’t beat comfort food on a frosty January day.   

Ingredients

Shepherd’s pie sauce mix (found in the baking section where you would pick up dry dressings, dips and gravies)

Lean ground chicken (1 package) or beef, if you wish (I just tell Ian that the chicken is beef.  With the sauce, he has no idea…)

2 cups of frozen corn (or as much as you want).  You can also add peas if you so desire.

1 package of dried mashed potatoes (sound gross but they are good and REALLY easy to make.  You can find them in the dry good section of the grocery store – where the Kraft dinner is and all you do is add water.)

A bit of butter or margarine

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare your mash potatoes as per the direction on the package.  In a non-stick skillet/fry pan, add ground meat and brown on medium heat until almost fully cooked.  Follow the directions on the sauce packet and cook meat through.  Add corn and cook for about five minutes on medium heat.   Pour meat mixture into a low square glass baking dish.  Cover meat with mashed potatoes.  Use a fork to mash the potatoes down and cover the meat (and to make a design if you wish!).  Add a little bit of butter to the top of the potatoes (add little dabs in various places).  Cook for 40-45 minutes until cooked through.  You can broil until the top is golden brown (about 2 minutes).
Enjoy!