Cheesy Chicken Spinach Pasta Bake

2 lbs chicken, chopped into bite size pieces

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 small onion, chopped

8 large mushroom caps cut into pieces

1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup white wine
1 egg, beaten
1 cup romano cheese, shredded
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 box rigatoni pasta, cooked

In large skillet cook chicken, garlic, onion and mushrooms until chicken is done. Add the thawed (or fresh) spinach and cook.

Add heavy cream, sour cream and white wine, mix well and heat it up. Turn heat down and add beaten egg, stirring constantly.  Now add the romano and mozzarella cheeses and stir until cheese is melted and blended in. Turn heat off.

Pour the cooked pasta into a large 9x12 baking pan. Pour the chicken spinach sauce over the pasta, stirring to be sure all the pasta is coated with the sauce.  Top with the parmesan cheese and bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes.

Stuffed Butternut Squash

2 medium butternut squash, cut in half and deseeded 

5 medium cloves of garlic, crushed

1/2 medium purple onion, chopped

2 medium zucchini, chopped

1 pkg frozen chopped spinach (or fresh spinach)

2 small tomatoes, chopped

8 large mushrooms, chopped

1 lb ground chicken or turkey

Preheat oven to 350°. 

Put pat of butter on cookie sheet for each 1/2 butternut squash, season each area with salt and pepper, then place butternut squash half face down on the butter, salt and pepper.  Bake for 45 minutes. 

Stuffing:

Put 3 tbsp butter and a bit of olive oil in a large skillet, add garlic, onion, zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and ground chicken or turkey. Cook until meat is cooked thoroughly and veggies are tender. 

Place squash on plate, stuff bulb with stuffing mixture. Serve with 1/3 cup wild rice. Approximately 350 calories for each serving.

Serves 4

Baked Crispy Cheddar Chicken

2 lbs chicken thighs (with skin or without), about 5 pieces

1 sleeve Ritz Crackers, crushed

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup whole milk

2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

1 tsp dried parsley

Sauce:

1 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons butter

Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small dishes. Toss the salt and pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk, then the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers. Then press the cheesy coated chicken into the cracker crumbs. 

Grease a 9x13 pan with butter. Lay the chicken inside the pan. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 400° for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

In a small sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter. Stir over medium heat until the sauce is blended and hot. Serve over the chicken.

Baked Tilapia with Crab Stuffing

Serves 4

4 tilapia filets, cut in half 

1 lemon

1/2 lb lump crabmeat

1 1/2 sleeves of crushed Ritz Crackers

1/2 small onion finely chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

6 tbsp butter

Lay tilapia filets in 9x12 baking dish, cover with juice from one whole lemon, salt and pepper to taste. Lay 4 pieces of tilapia side by side, set the other 4 pieces aside (in the pan) for now.

In saute pan melt butter with onion and garlic, cook until onion is translucent, add crabmeat and cook until warmed, add crushed Ritz Crackers, turn off heat and stir until crackers are moistened. 

Use the crab stuffing to cover the 4 pieces of tilapia in the bottom of the pan. Cover the crab stuffing with the 4 remaining pieces of tilapia. 

Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350°.

Cucumber Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 cup chopped cucumber

1 tbsp minced red onion
1 clove fresh garlic minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp rosemary

Put all into blender/food processor and beat on high until it forms a foam.  Serve over Alaska wild salmon or your choice of fish. 

Caramelized Onion & Spinach Olive Oil Quick Bread

3 tsp olive oil, divided

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups (packed) fresh spinach leaves

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup milk

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 oz crumbled guyere cheese (or feta)

Butter and flour for pan

Heat 2 tsp olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add the onion to the pan. Season with 1/2 tsp of salt. Cook for 10 minutes, reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the onions are golden brown. 

Add 1 tsp olive oil to the onions, stir in garlic and spinach leaves. Stir until the spinach is wilted and bright green, about 1 minute.  Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt. In small bowl combine eggs, lightly beaten, milk and extra virgin olive oil. Whisk well until combined. 

Pour egg mixture into flour and stir until just combined. Do not over mix or the bread will become tough. Add the spinach mixture and cheese, stir until combined. 

Butter a loaf pan. Spoon 1 tbsp flour into the pan and tap the flour around the pan. Shake out excess flour. Scoop the batter into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake until the top is light golden brown and a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out dry, about 40 minutes. Remove bread from pan and cool. Slice and serve. 

Portobello Pizza

5 good size tomatoes, chopped

6 large portobello mushrooms

6 cloves garlic, minced

6 leaves fresh basil, chopped

1 tbsp oregano

1 fresh lemon

1 zucchini, chopped into small bites

1 small onion, chopped small

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, shredded

Mozzarella cheese, shredded

olive oil

salt and pepper

Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil, when onion is translucent add the chopped tomatoes and zucchini. When tomato is soft add basil, oregano, salt, pepper and squeeze the juice from the fresh lemon. Cook for 5 more minutes.

On baking sheet, spread olive oil, put mushrooms on baking sheet. Put layer of mozzarella cheese in the mushroom, spread the cooked ingredients on top of the mozzarella, top with the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. 

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. 

100 calories per pizza!

Spicy Corn Chowder

4 pieces of thick slice bacon, crumbled

1 medium Vidalia onion, finely chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

Salt and fresh ground pepper

1 small jalapeño, chopped, seeds and ribs removed

chopped mushrooms (optional)

4 large cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup all purpose flour

4 cups chicken stock

2 large red potatoes, scrubbed and diced

1 cup heavy cream

16 ounces frozen corn

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, sauté the bacon until crisp and browned and the fat is rendered. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel, crumble and reserve. There should be about 4 tbsp of bacon grease in the pan. 

Add the onions and red pepper to the pan. Saute until tender and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the jalapeño and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour until thoroughly combined. Cook the flour until it reaches a slight blonde color, about 1 minute.  Stir i the chicken stock and the potatoes, simmer for 10 minutes, potatoes will become soft. Add the cream, corn, cayenne and bay leaf. Simmer for 15 more minutes.  Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with the crumbled bacon.