Terra Chicken

I don't know the name of the cookbook where we got this recipe.  It was at a friend's house, who practices Orthodox Judaism, so this recipe was from one of her kosher cookbooks.  Needless to say, it was memorable, simple, and delicious (and kosher)!  I have made this many, many times since then.  You can find Terra Chips in the chips aisle at the grocery store, or sometimes in the organic section.  They come in several flavors/varieties.  My favorite is "Original."  You can also vary the flavor with your choice of hummus, again, I use typical "original" flavors.  It's a unique dish -- I don't think everyone will like it (like Dad, who is a picky "meat & potatoes" man).

~Leah

“Terra/Hummus Chicken”

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts  - it helps if they are pounded flat or halved. You should end up with 4-6 halves (or flattened breasts).

8 oz. hummus, your choice of flavor

1 pkg. Terra chips, crushed

2-3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

1 Tblsp. Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Carefully trim any excess fat off the chicken. Place the crushed Terra chips in a shallow bowl (I find it easier to crush the chips while they’re still in the bag.) Don’t crush them too finely – you want a nice course texture and enough brilliant colors showing.

Spread the hummus on each side of each chicken breast, then dip/press into the crushed Terra chips. Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Heat the olive oil in a small shallow pan, then add the garlic, stirring it at a med-high heat until the garlic begins to color. Then, carefully drizzle this oil/garlic mixture over the chicken breasts.  In a pinch for time, I've drizzled the oil & garlic on the top w/out cooking it & it turned out fine, or even omitting the garlic/oil altogether.

Bake for 45 min. or until cooked and tender.

Sun Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese Pasta

“Sun-Dried Tomato & Goat Cheese Pasta”

This is one of our all-time favorite dishes – at first glance it didn’t look too tasty, but it’s one of the only dishes I wanted seconds of! It’s very easy, and quite delicious, although not incredibly healthy.

Also, you will notice that the recipe calls for you to make the sauce, then set it aside while you cook the pasta, THEN reheat it again on the stove before mixing it with the pasta. This is a fairly important step not to miss, as it makes a difference in the texture of the sauce. I tried to save time once by not reheating the sauce a 2^nd time, and we were not as satisfied with the taste as before. Still tastes good, but not as good.  Sometimes I use whole wheat pasta.  It's not bad, just a little dry.

~Leah

(From "Pasta Sauces: Simple and delicious easy-to-make recipes" by Christine McFadden)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

8 oz goat cheese (Crumbled is easier to melt)

1 ¼ cups milk

½ cup heavy cream

20 oil-cured sun-dried tomato halves, chopped coarsely

1 (16-oz) pkg. penne pasta (approx. 4 cups dried)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Scant 1/3 cup grated Parmesan

10 fresh basil leaves, shredded

Heat the butter and garlic in a skillet over a medium-low heat (be careful not to put the heat too high – I’ve come close to burning my garlic before!). Cook until the garlic is just beginning to color. Add the cheese and milk. Stir until the cheese has melted and formed a thick sauce.

Add the cream and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until reduced by one-third. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente. Transfer to a warm serving dish.

Briefly reheat the sauce over low heat. Pour over the pasta. Add the Parmesan and basil, then toss well to mix. Serve immediately.

Hearty Lentil and Sausage Soup AND Fuji Apple Chicken Salad

This is an extremely healthy, hearty, and full-flavored soup that has always been a big hit.  I make a double batch when we are expecting a large crowd for dinner.  Honestly, a single batch makes a lot, but it goes fast, and if you still have leftovers, they reheat well.  It requires a lot of chopping, but a food processor will save you time if it's worth it to you. This meal is complete with a great salad and some crusty bread.  Oh, and it's easy to make it gluten-free, just check your broth ingredients.  I got it from Whole Foods Recipes online, link is HERE.  (By the way, their photo is much prettier than mine!)
See below for the Salad Recipe.

~Leah

Hearty Lentil and Sausage Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1/2 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 pound mushrooms (such as white, cremini, shiitake, portobello and oyster), chopped
1 cup (about 7 ounces) dried French or brown lentils, picked through and rinsed
2 1/2 cups beef broth
2 1/2 cups mushroom or low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup chopped tomatoes, with their juice
1 cup dry red wine
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 pound baby spinach, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Method

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent. Add sausage and cook, breaking into small chunks, until it begins to brown. Add mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms have released most of their liquid. Add lentils, beef broth, mushroom or chicken broth, tomatoes and their juice, wine and pepper flakes; cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.

Add spinach and salt and pepper, stir well and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes more; stir in thyme. Ladle soup into bowls and top with Parmesan.

Serves 6

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Fuji Apple Chicken Salad

Admittedly, I copied this recipe from another BLOGGER after a diligent search online for this recipe from Panera.  I promise you, I get this salad every time I go to Panera.  Their salad is fantastic.  This recipe is really good too - tastes a little different, but it's a good attempt at copying it, and nevertheless a "keeper."   See the blogger, Donna, in the link to follow her recipe precisely.  I've modified it here to how I made mine (although mostly the same).
~Leah



Salad
Mixed Spring Greens
Red Onion
Toasted Pecans
Tomatoes
Dried Apple Chips
Gorgonzola Cheese
Cooked chicken breast, chilled and sliced

Donna's Fake Fuji Apple Dressing
3 T. Organic Apple Juice Concentrate (the frozen kind0
1 T. White Balsamic Vinegar
1 T. Apple Cider Vinegar
3 t. Garlic Powder
3 t. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
3 T Olive Oil (a nice quality)

Red Pepper Chicken Pilaf

This is a simple and tasty meal, and especially healthy if you use brown rice.  It would be fairly easy to modify to be gluten-free, using gluten-free flour and broth.  The trick is to not over cook the chicken, so watch it closely as it cooks.  ~Leah

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 red peppers, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 chicken breast halves, skinned & boned
Salt and Pepper
All purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
Hot Cooked Rice (2-3 cups cooked)

Melt butter and oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Add peppers and garlic and saute until peppers are tender, about 10 minutes.  Remove peppers from skillet and transfer to bowl.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Lightly and evenly coat chicken with flour.  Place chicken in skillet and saute until light brown, about 4 minutes per side.  Remove chicken from skillet.  Place peppers back in skillet, adding broth and wine.  Turn heat to high and cook for about 5 minutes until liquid resembles sauce texture.  As sauce thickens scrape up browned bits.  Return chicken to skillet and cook to 170F and until it is no longer pink in the center.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Place chicken and peppers on platter, sprinkling with fresh parsley.  Serve over rice.  Optional:  May cut chicken into 1" pieces rather than serving whole breast half.

Peruvian-Style Roasted Chicken with Sweet Onions

This is a scrumptious meal, perfect for company.  It's simple, unique, juicy and tasty.   I doubled the recipe and we served 8 (plus two children), with leftovers.  Our guests loved it (see the picture of Joe, smiling with his food?)

I got this meal from Whole Foods Recipes online ( http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2510 )

~Leah

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 teaspoons expeller-pressed canola oil, plus more for oiling the pan
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 large sweet onions, peeled and thickly sliced
1 chicken, cut into 10 serving pieces* (* Note: If the chicken has been precut into eight pieces, simply cut each breast in half through the rib cage to ensure even cooking. Or, you can ask your butcher to cut a whole chicken into 10 pieces with breasts deboned). 
2 red or yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into chunks
1 lemon, sliced

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425°F. Oil a large roasting pan and set aside. In a small bowl, combine paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic, vinegar and oil to make a paste. Place onions in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the paste.  Rub chicken pieces with remaining paste and place in prepared pan, then cover with onions, peppers and lemon. Roast, basting occasionally with pan juices, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are very tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Garlic & Herb Chicken, White Wine Jasmine Rice, Sauteed Broccoli

This is what we had for dinner tonight - it was a big hit, and I always enjoy using wine in cooking.  This meal used wine twice - a white wine in the rice, and a red wine in the chicken dish.  First let's start with the Main Dish.  It's basically a chicken breast half, with a little "pocket" cut into it, filled with one of my favorite cheeses, Boursin (a soft, Gournay cheese) - see picture below.  Then the chicken is wrapped in prosciutto, and simmered in a red wine sauce.  It's creamy and full of flavor!  My regret is that the presentation is very lacking.  The photos I took of my chicken look terrible, so I apologize if it looks really gross.  It was really tasty, I promise!
~Leah

Garlic & Herb Chicken
(from Quick and Easy by Steven Knowlden)

4 boneless chicken breast halves, skin removed
1/2 cup full-fat soft cheese, flavored with herbs and garlic (Boursin) -- see picture here.  (I used the whole pkg.)

8 slices prosciutto
2/3 cup red wine
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 tblsp. brown sugar

1) Using a sharp knife, make a horizontal slit along the length of each chicken breast half to form a pocket.
2) Beat the cheese with a wooden spoon to soften it.  Spoon the cheese into the pocket in the chicken pieces.
3) Wrap 2 slices of proscuitto around each chicken breast and secure firmly in place with a piece of string.
4) Pour the wine and chicken stock into a large skillet and bring to a boil.  When the mixture is just starting to boil, add the sugar, and stir well to dissolve.
5) Add the chicken breasts to the mixture in the skillet.  (Cover and) leave to simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into the thickest part of the meat.
6) Remove the chicken from the pan; set aside and keep warm.
7) Reheat the sauce and boil until reduced and thickened.  Remove the string from the chicken and cut into slices.  Pour the sauce over the chicken to serve.

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Gosh, I love Jasmine Rice so much!  Sometimes I prepare it very simply - boiled in water.  Often, I substitute Coconut Milk for a rich, creamy, unique taste.  This time, I used a mixture of half wine, half chicken broth, and tossed in a few chopped green onions.  Yumm-o!
~Leah

White Wine Jasmine Rice

1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup Jasmine rice
1-2 green onions, chopped

Bring the wine and chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Once the water is boiling, stir in the rice and green onions, then bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover & simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork & serve.  To make the rice "stickier," use a little more liquid than the recipe calls for. 
Yields 2 cups cooked rice

Homemade Pizza

What else is as versatile as homemade pizza?  I will give my recipe for pizza dough, as found in the little Cuisinart recipe booklet that came with my food processor, but then I will leave the toppings to YOU to decide, with a list of some of our favorites. 

My husband and I make regular "date nights" at home after our daughter is asleep, by heating up a pizza and watching a DVD at home.  Our favorite frozen pizza is DiGiorno's supreme, but it's also a guilty pleasure, and not too healthy.  When possible, I make a double batch of this pizza dough, and make about 6-7 pizzas, freezing them in vacuum-sealed bags (or just wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil).  That way, I can pop in a homemade-frozen pizza any night -- this way it is tastier AND a bit healthier too!
My daughter also enjoys decorating her own little pizzas.  This is a really fun kid recipe!

~Leah

Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

2 tsp. active dry yeast (should equal 1 pkg. - .25 oz)
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water (105-115 F)
3 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided

In a 2-cup liquid measure, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water.  Let stand until foamy, about 3-5 minutes.  Insert dough blade in work bowl and add flour, salt and 2 tsp olive oil.

With machine running on dough speed, pour liquid through small feed tube as fast as flour will absorb it.  Process until dough cleans sides of work bowl and forms a ball.  Then process for 30 seconds to knead dough.  Dough may be slightly sticky.  Coat dough evenly with 2 tsp. olive oil; transfer to a plastic food storage bag and seal the top.  Let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.  While dough is rising, prepare any pizza toppings.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface and punch down.  Roll into desired crust sizes.  Arrange pizza crusts onto lightly oiled cookie sheets or pizza pans, and poke gentle holes all over with a fork.  Bake for about 5-10 minutes (partway cooked, just until it hardens a little bit.)  Remove from oven and spread toppings on top.  Bake again immediately for about 10-15 minutes until done, or freeze for later use.

Toppings:
We use Emeril's Spaghetti Sauce straight from the jar for our "red sauce."
Grated Mozzarella cheese
Red and Green Bell Peppers
Pepperoni
Italian Sausage
Olives
Mushrooms
Broccoli
Canadian Bacon
Fresh or canned pineapple
Crumbled Goat Cheese
Sliced tomatoes
Fresh Basil

Hearty Potato Soup

This recipe originally came from Betty Crocker, but I have added enough variations to merit some credit here.   This is a heart-warming meal for a winter day.  It is also very versatile, in that you may add vegetables or other ingredients.  You can also make this dairy free (although it definitely tastes better with cow's milk & cheddar cheese), and you can also make it gluten-free pretty easily too (by substituting gluten-free broth).
Enjoy!  ~Leah

Ingredients:
3 cups water (with 3 chicken bouillon cubes added once it's boiling) or substitute chicken broth
10 medium potatoes (may peel if you'd like), cubed
2-3 medium celery stalks, chopped
3-4 carrots, sliced
1/2 onion, diced (or 4-5 green onions added just before serving)
another 1/2 cup water
2 cups milk (or milk substitute)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper (white pepper looks nicer, but doesn't make much of a taste difference)
About 1/4 cup shredded fresh Basil (optional)
Grated cheddar cheese, for serving

Directions:
1. Heat 3 cups of water (or broth) in a large pot over high heat.  Once it's boiling, add the (bouillon cubes,) potatoes, carrots, and onion (unless you're using green onion -- in which case you should wait to add it until the end).  Turn the heat down to medium, cover, and let cook for about 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

2. Using a food processor or blender, blend/puree about HALF the vegetables and put them back in the pot with the soup.  This will make the soup oh so creamy!

3. With the pureed vegetables, add the additional 1/2 cup water and milk, salt, pepper, and basil (also add the chopped green onions at this point).  Heat through and serve hot, sprinkled with grated cheddar cheese.

Serves about 6 hearty appetites :)  Yumm-o!

NOTE:  If you don't have access to a food processor or blender, you may omit step #2, but gosh if you can do it, it really takes the soup from good to outstanding!
Also, you may add broccoli florets with the rest of the vegetables, or be creative with additional vegetables.  Overall you can learn to make a really good "winter chowder"