Election Night Menu!

Here is our election night menu:

"Pigs in Lipstick" (Turkey hotdogs wrapped in crescent rolls with a ketchup smile)

"It's Raining Democrats" Dip with Blue Tortilla Chips

This recipe was originally called "It's Raining Men" Dip (AKA Buffalo Chicken Dip). I got it from www. stiritupwithjackie.blogspot.com. It is FANTASTIC!

It's Raining Democrats Dip

Ingredients:
1-8 oz. pkg. Cream Cheese
1/2 C Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
1/2 C Buffalo Wing Sauce
Salt/Pepper to taste
2-3 C Shredded Cooked Chicken (from rotisserie chicken)
2 Scallions, sliced (oops...I forgot)
(I also added approx. 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese)

Celery Sticks & Tortilla Chips for dipping

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the cream cheese into a medium-sized bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds to soften slightly. Whisk in salad dressing, wing sauce, cheese, salt & pepper until smooth. Stir in the shredded chicken until just coated. Spread the mixture in a pie plate and drizzle the top with additional wing sauce if desired. Bake the dip for 15-20 minutes until mixture is heated through and edges are bubbly. Cool slightly and top with scallions.





"Barack-olli & Cheese Casserole"

Broccoli & Cheese Casserole

From : http://www.allrecipes.com/

Ingredients:

1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 C Milk

2 tsp. Mustard

1 (16 oz) Pkg. Frozen Broccoli Florets, thawed

1 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/3 C Bread Crumbs

2 T. Butter, melted

Directions:

Stir the soup, milk, mustard, broccoli and cheese in a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish. Mix the bread crumbs with the butter in a small bowl and sprinkle over the broccoli mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot.

"Joe Six Packs" (rootbeer)

Palin Ale (ginger ale)

"Biden Time to the Whitehouse Cupcakes" (white cupcakes with white frosting)

"McCain's Balls to the Walls" (Nutter Butter Balls)

Nutter Butter Balls

I'm not sure of the source of this recipe.

Crush one package of Nutter Butter Cookies and mix in 1 pkg of softened cream cheese. Make into balls and chill. Dip in melted chocolate. YUMMY!

We had a great time!

Mom's Chicken Divan

Recipe to follow...

It's Raining Men Dip!

I got this recipe from www. stiritupwithjackie.blogspot.com. It is FANTASTIC!

It's Raining Men Dip

Ingredients:

1-8 oz. pkg. Cream Cheese
1/2 C Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
1/2 C Buffalo Wing Sauce
Salt/Pepper to taste
2-3 C Shredded Cooked Chicken (from rotisserie chicken)
2 Scallions, sliced (oops...I forgot)
(I also added approx. 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese)

Celery Sticks & Tortilla Chips for dipping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the cream cheese into a medium-sized bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds to soften slightly. Whisk in salad dressing, wing sauce, cheese, salt & pepper until smooth. Stir in the shredded chicken until just coated. Spread the mixture in a pie plate and drizzle the top with additional wing sauce if desired. Bake the dip for 15-20 minutes until mixture is heated through and edges are bubbly. Cool slightly and top with scallions.

Chicken & Dumplings

It was a crisp Autumn day so I decided that Chicken & Dumplings would be yummy...and I was right! This was quick & easy and so good. I'm quite proud of myself that I didn't even use a recipe..GO ME! I forgot to take a picture though-bummer.

Chicken & Dumplings

In a large dutch oven, saute 4 diced chicken breasts in about 2 T Olive Oil. Add 1 diced onion and cook until chicken is no longer pink (adding salt & pepper to taste). Add 1 cup of frozen mixed veggies, 1/2 cup frozen peas, 1/2 cup frozen corn and 3 diced potatoes. Add about 3 cups of chicken broth or until the chicken & veggies are covered. Simmer until potatoes are cooked through. Add 1 can of mushrooms. Mix 2 cups of Trader Joe's Multigrain Baking Mix (or Bisquick) with 1 cup of milk. Drop by spoonfuls onto the chicken mixture. Cover dutch oven and simmer for approximately 10 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through. Enjoy!

White Bean Chicken Chili

I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, www.annieseats.wordpress.com. We love white chicken chili, so I figured I should give this one a shot. I am glad that I did-we loved it! In fact, my husband decided that he likes this version even better than the one I usually make! This chili is very creamy-so good! I made a few changes, such as 3 fresh poblano chiles in place of the canned chiles. And I used my new dutch oven-love it!

White Bean Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ -inch cubes (I used 4 breasts)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 ½ tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. oil
2 (15.5 oz) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed (I used cannelini)
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth (I used 2.5 cups of stock)
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles (I used 3 large poblano chiles, sliced)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
½ cup whipping cream (I used whole milk)
fresh cilantro and paprika, for garnish (we were out of cilantro, but I garnished with shredded cheddar cheese)

Directions:

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, sauté chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chiles and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; let simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream and whipping cream. Sprinkle with paprika and top with fresh cilantro for garnish, if desired.

Chicken Pot Pie

I had some phyllo dough that I needed to use up (and oops...I still have more) so figured why not make a nice, comforting chicken pot pie? I usually use the Barefoot Contessa recipe, which is delish, but when I saw the recipe on Chelley's blog (www.browneyedbaker.com) I knew it would be great! I was able to fill 8 individual casseroles with this recipe.

NOTE: For veggies, I used frozen mixed veggies (carrots, green beans, peas). I also used more puff pastry. I used about 4 layers each.

Chicken Pot Pie(Source: Williams Sonoma)

8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
½ tsp. chopped fresh thyme (I used 1/8 tsp dried thyme)
1 bay leaf (I used 2)
½ cup chopped yellow onions (I used red)
½ cup chopped celery (oops...I forgot this!)
½ cup peeled and chopped carrots
½ cup chopped white button mushrooms
½ cup chopped red-skinned potatoes
1 cup chopped cooked chicken (I actually used 4 breasts)
½ cup cooked fresh or frozen peas
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Four 6-inch squares frozen puff pastry
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water

Preheat an oven to 400ºF.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture smells fragrant and nutty, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the stock, whisking until smooth, and bring to a boil. Add the thyme, bay leaf, onions, celery, carrots and mushrooms and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, chicken, peas, salt and pepper and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and discard.

Divide the filling among 4 ovenproof bowls and place on a baking sheet. Brush the puff pastry squares with the egg mixture. Brush the rims of the bowls with water. Place 1 pastry square on top of each bowl, pressing lightly on the edges. Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 4.

Enjoy!

Chicken Tikka Masala

There are three words to describe this dish...OH MY GOSH. This was sooooo good I can't even begin to describe it.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients:

Chicken Pilau

We had friends over for dinner Saturday night. Jason & Rebecca love Indian food, so Anand made some of our favorites.

We had Chicken Pilau, Chicken Tikka Masala, Basmati Peas with Rice, and for dessert we had fresh berries with light whipped cream and a biscotti. It was a great meal! You may ask "but Nicole, I thought you were going vegetarian?". We are working towards that but are "cleaning out the freezer" first. Once the chicken is gone, it's gone. We have to decided that, for now at least, we will be eating seafood though.

So, without further adieu, here is the recipe for Chicken Pilau...

Chicken Pilau

Ingredients:

Rice Noodle Stirfry

We had a box of Thai Kitchen Rice Noodles, so I looked at the back of the box and found a recipe that sounded great! It was very, very simple and tasted great! Of course, I threw out the box and don't have the exact recipe now, but it was pretty simple.

Stir Fry Rice Noodles

Ingredients:

1 Box Thai Kitchen Noodles, cooked according to package directions

2 Chicken Breasts, very thinly sliced

6-8 Stalks Asparagus, chopped

1 Red Onion, diced

3-4 Green Onions, chopped

1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped

2 T Olive Oil

1 T Sesame Oil

2 T Soy Sauce (I used Tamari)

1 T Fish Oil

In a large skillet or wok, heat olive oil on high. Add chicken and veggies and cook until chicken is cooked through. Add the cooked noodles along with the oils and mix until all combined and heated through. Enjoy! How is that for easy??!

Butter Chicken

I was craving some Butter Chicken, so my wonderful hubby whipped it up for me. I will post the recipe as soon as I can get it from him...to be updated soon!

Chicken Paillard

So, I thought it would be fitting to use a Rachael Ray recipe for the first time cooking with my new Rachael Ray cookware. I went to www.rachaelray.com and typed in "chicken" and this was literally the first recipe that appeared! It sounded really great, we had some spring mix to use up so I thought why not? I made a couple of minor changes. This dish was fantastic! The seasoning on the chicken was very refreshing.

Chicken Paillard

Ingredients:

3 Chicken Breasts, sliced in half (or you could pound)

EVOO

2 tsp. Dried Thyme

2 tsp. Dried Parsley

2 Lemons, Zested & Juiced

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

2 T Butter

2 T all-purpose Flour

2 C Chicken Broth

4 C Organic Spring Mix Salad Greens

Directions:

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the chicken in a shallow baking dish and drizzle with EVOO to just coat. Combine the herbs, salt, pepper, and lemon zest and sprinkle over the chicken. Using your hands, rub the chicken and coat evenly with the seasonings.

Using tongs, transfer chicken to a hot skillet (single layer) and cook about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet, cover with foil and set aside.

Add butter to pan. When the butter melts, add flour to the butter and cook, stirring with a whisk a minute or two to make a light roux. Whisk in chicken broth. When broth thickens to just coat the back of a spoon, remove pan from heat and turn off burner.

Toss salad greens with lemon juice and kosher salt. Drizzle 2 T EVOO around the bowl and re-toss greens (oops...I missed this part).

To serve, cover the bottom of a platter with warm sauce. Top with the salad greens and the chicken cutlets. Drizzle and remaining sauce over top of dish.

Enjoy!

Moroccan Lemon Chicken

I found this recipe quite a while back, I can't remember where I found it though. If it's yours, let me know so I can credit you! This chicken was EXCELLENT! I had 3 chicken breasts that I sliced in half, so I doubled the original recipe. I served this over Trader Joe's Harvest Grain Blend.

Moroccan Lemon Chicken

Ingredients:

1/4 C Flour

Olive Oil

1 Medium Onion, sliced

3 tsp. Cumin

1/2 tsp. Paprika

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 C Chicken Broth

Juice of 1 Lemon

10-12 Green Olives, Sliced

1 T Honey

1/2 C Cilantro, chopped

3 Chicken Breasts

Grated Lemon Peel of 1 Lemon

Directions:

1. Slice chicken breasts in half (reducing thickness) or you could pound them if you prefer. Season both sides with salt & pepper. Toss chicken in the flour and shake to remove excess.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add approximately 2 T olive oil. Add the chicken; cook on each side until brown. Remove chicken from the pan and put it off to the side.

3. Add a little more olive oil to the skillet. Add onion and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until soft & brown. Add the lemon peel, cumin, paprika, and cinnamon. Cook and stir for 1 minute until combined. Stir the chicken broth, lemon juice and olives. Return the chicken to the skillet. Allow the broth mixture to come to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes.

4. Stir in the honey & cilantro. Cook for 1-2 minutes more.

Chicken with Thyme Cream

I had some chicken breasts to use, so looked through my "The Ultimate Chicken Cookbook" for inspiration. There was a recipe called "Chicken with Tarragon Cream" that fit the bill, but I didn't have any tarragon. Well, what spice goes good with chicken? Why Thyme, of course! So, I totally reinvented my version of the recipe now titled "Chicken with Thyme Cream". It was really, really good....until I added the thyme. It called for 1/4 cup mixed thyme and dried parsley-it was way too much. Next time, I will use maybe a couple of teaspoons and call it a day. I served this over spinach & cheese ravioli which was delicious! My poor husband couldn't stand the strong thyme flavor, so he just ate ravioli. Better luck next time!

ADDENDUM: while typing this recipe, I realized that it calls for "1/4 C Mixed FRESH thyme and flat leaf parsley". Stupid me...no wonder I thought 1/4 cup dried was too much-it was!!

Chicken with Thyme Cream

Ingredients:

3 Chicken Breasts

4 Green Onions, finely chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Portabello Mushroom, diced

2/3 C White Wine

1-1/4 C Heavy Cream

1/4 C Mixed FRESH Thyme & Parsley or you could use 2 tsp. dried thyme & parsley

Salt & Pepper

Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan and add the chicken. Cook for 10 minutes, turning the chicken until it is a golden brown color on both sides.

2. Reduce the heat and cook the chicken for 10 minutes more, turning occasionally. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. Add the green onions and garlic to the pan and cook gently, stirring until the green onions are softened not browned.

4. Increase the heat, add the mushrooms and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Replace the chicken, then pour in the wine. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until most of the wine is evaporated.

5. Add the cream and gently mix the ingredients together. Simmer fr 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Stir the herbs into the sauce and season to taste.

Green Chili

I've been making this for my husband for quite a while now. It is one of his very favorite dishes that I make for him. It had been awhile since I've made it, so tonight was the night! As usual, he loved it! I believe this recipe is from Tyler Florence on http://www.foodnetwork.com/, but to be honest I'm not quite sure! I do know that I adapted it, so I'll give my version.

Green Chili

Ingredients:

1 Rotisserie Chicken, Shredded

4 Poblano Chiles

6 Cups Chicken Stock

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Onion, Chopped

4 Garlic Cloves, Minced

1 tsp. Ground Cumin

1 tsp. Ground Coriander

1 tsp. Oregano

Cilantro, chopped

1 C Finely Ground Tortilla Chips

Directions:

Seed, core, and thinly slice poblanos. Heat 2 T olive oil in stockpot over medium heat. Add onions & garlic and cook until soft (about 5 minutes). Add spices and stir, cook 1 minute. Stir in ground tortillas and pour in broth, season and cook 20 minutes. Add shredded chicken and chiles, add cilantro and cook 5 minutes.

Serve in bowls-garnish with grated cheese, cilantro and wedge of lime. Yum!

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

I've been wanting to try this recipe for a while now. It's from www.allrecipes.com and has received raving reviews on many of the blogs I frequent. So, tonight was the night. It was fabulous...buttery, garlicky, cheddary...can't get much better than that! I served it alongside orzo. YUM!

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

Ingredients:

1 Stick Butter
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
3/4 C Bread Crumbs
1/2 C freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
1 1/2 Cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried Parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried Oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
1/8 teaspoon Salt
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts, Pounded thin

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, and cook the garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.
In a shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, parsley, oregano, pepper, and salt.
Dip each chicken breast in the garlic butter to coat, then press into the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the coated chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with any remaining butter and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture.
Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Crispy Chicken Balls-Don't be Scared By the Name!

Tonight I was at a loss...didn't know what to cook. I had taken some ground chicken out of the freezer, so I looked in one of my favorite cookbooks, "The Ultimate Chicken Cookbook", for inspiration. This recipe was originally called "Crispy Turkey Balls" as it was made with ground turkey, but I adapted it based on ingredients I had on hand. They were delicious-very flavorful with a unique taste. Or as my husband says :"something very different", although he loved them!

Crispy Chicken Balls

Ingredients:

Panko Bread Crumbs (Japanese Bread Crumbs)

1 Lb. Ground Chicken

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Cilantro, Chopped

2 tsp. Cornstarch

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Pepper

4 T Soy Sauce (Tamari)

2 tsp. Sugar

4 T Rice Vinegar

1 tsp. Chili Oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place all ingredients, except Cilantro, in Kitchen-Aid and mix well (or mix by hand). I added a bit of panko just to thicken the mixture up a bit. Scoop handfuls, form into balls and roll in panko bread crumbs. Then place balls on a baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes (depending on size of balls) until cooked through.

Enjoy!

Mom's Fried Chicken!

Mom made the mistake of asking Anand what he wanted for our weekly Sunday dinner. He decided he wanted her famous fried chicken (which I think she worked on all day). It was DELICIOUS! I need to get the recipe from her to post, but thought I'd throw a teaser pic out there. She also made cream puffs that were out of this world! Thanks Mom!

Trader Joe's to the Rescue AGAIN!

I was planning on making potato soup tonight, but when I spoke to Anand he said he was craving Indian. So, I thought I would make both! It was quick & easy because we happened to have a jar of Masala Simmer Sauce from Trader Joe's. I defrosted 2 chicken breasts, chopped them up & placed the chicken in a saucepan along with the simmer sauce and 1 cup of water. Simmer on medium for approximately 10-15 minutes or until chicken is done. I also added 1 can of garbanzo beans when the chicken was just about done. I served this over basmati rice...Instant Indian...Voila! Anand was very happy...

Santa Fe Chicken Pasta

Ok, the picture came out horribly-I guess I need to get hubby to change the setting for me. BUT, this dish was incredible! I found this on a blog that I checked out today-I'm so glad now that I did! Here is a link to the blog if you'd like to check it out:

http://www.ashleescooking.blogspot.com/

I did make a couple of changes-since I'm cleaning out the pantry & freezer (still), I thought I'd use what I had on hand. I didn't have any snow peas, so I used frozen peas instead. I also used frozen corn which was good considering it was a southwestern dish. Anand gave this recipe 2 thumbs up!

Santa Fe Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb. Penne (I used Barilla Plus)

4 Chicken Breasts

1 Onion, sliced

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Red Bell Pepper (I substituted 1 roasted red pepper that I had on hand)

1 Cup Snow Peas (I used frozen green peas)

1 15 oz. Can Tomato Sauce

2 Cups Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

1 T Flour

1 Cup Milk (I used Half & Half)

1 Can Black Beans, drained & rinsed

2 T & 1 tsp. Chili Powder

2 T & 1 tsp. Cumin

1 T Coriander

2 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Ground Black Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sour Cream for Garnish

Directions:

Cook pasta as directed. In the last minute of cooking, add snow peas and/or green peas and corn. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, season chicken breasts on each side with 1 tsp each of salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder. Grill (I used the gas grill, but you could use a grill pan) over medium heat until cooked. In a large skillet, saute sliced onion, garlic, and red bell pepper over medium heat in about 2 T EVOO. After vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes, sprinkle in flour. Toss to coat and cook through. Add half & half and heat until thickened. Stir in the cheddar cheese. When the cheese is melted, stir in tomato sauce, black beans, and the remainder of the spices. When everything is warmed through and combined, add in pasta, peas, and corn. Slice the chicken on an angle. Plate pasta and arrange chicken over it. Top with cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Yum!

Pesto & Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I decided to try the pesto mix from Tastefully Simple first since I had some goat cheese to use. I thought it would be a nice mix of flavors, and I was right although I'm still not sold on goat cheese. It's quite surprising since I LOVE cheese of all kinds, but goat cheese is just a bit strong for me. My husband loved it, though.

The pesto was easy: you simply add a tablespoon of olive oil, a tablespoon of the mix, and a tablespoon of water and cook on high in the microwave for one minute. Let sit for 5 minutes. In the meantime, I sliced a little pocket on the sides of 2 chicken breasts. I added the pesto and some crumbled goat cheese to each. I placed them in a baking pan and topped with the bit of pesto left in the bowl and a bit of olive oil. Then, I baked them on 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes.