Curry Chicken & Palak Paneer

Chicken
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 c. grated onion
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. salt
Curry powder to taste (we used 1 1/2 Tbsp.)
1/8 tsp. allspice
1 tbsp. olive oil.

Pound out & dice chicken breast. Saute in butter with garlic, onion & ginger until chicken is cooked through. Add olive oil, curry powder, allspice & salt. Stir until chicken is fully coated. Simmer on low for 10 minutes.

Palak Paneer
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 bunch spinach
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1 Tbsp. grated onion
1/2 tbsp. curry powder
1 c. ricotta cheese

Saute spinach & herbs in 2 tbsp. olive oil until spinach is fully cooked. Remove from pan and blend in blender until finally chopped. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil in pan. When oil is hot, add dollops of cheese. Cook until bubbly, then add spinach mixture. Lower heat and let cook about 10 minutes, stirring regularly so cheese doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan.

We ate ours on warm flatbread with brown rice.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 (mostly the rice)
Serves: 5-6 people

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White Chicken Chili

This is soon to be a favorite in our house- quick to make & a nice light summer chili!
2 cans white cannelini beans
1 boneless skinless chicken breast diced
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 c. milk
1/4 c. flour
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cans (small) green chilis
8 oz. grated cheese (Colby Jack or Cheddar)
1 Tbsp. minced dried onion or 1/4 c. fresh diced onion

In soup pan, sautee chicken, garlic and onion in olive oil until chicken is cooked through. Add milk. Whisk in flour & cook until creamy, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and add beans, chilis and cheese. Simmer 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20-30 minutes
Serves: 6-7 people

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Easy Jambalaya

This is an off-the-cuff take on a Cajun favorite that I played with yesterday. The family loved the result! I used what I had on-hand, but I put some alternatives in parenthesis.

1 lb. diced boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 lb. shrimp (I used salad shrimp)
1 lb. diced Andouille sausage (smoked sausage would work also)
1 pkg. fresh mushrooms, diced
1 c. diced onion
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper (or to-taste)
1 can Hunts garlic & herb pasta sauce (or 1 large can minced tomatoes)
2 tbsp. Olive oil
4 c. prepared rice (or pasta)

In large pot, saute meats, mushrooms, and spices in olive oil until cooked thoroughly. Add sauce (tomatoes) and reduce heat. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring often. Serve over rice (noodles).
NOTE: This would also be a great meal to make in a slow cooker.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8

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Fondue Casserole

This casserole combines the taste of fondue sauce without the mess...
1 c. milk
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 c. flour
1 c. white wine (I prefer sweeter wine & love Moscato for this)
8 oz. grated cheese (I prefer either swiss or sharp cheddar)
1/2 tbsp. minced garlic
pinch salt
pinch pepper
1 tsp. paprika
2 c. diced chicken breast
2 c. sliced mushrooms
1 c. diced green apples
1 c. Craisins (optional)
1 can/roll Pillsbury French Bread

Preheat oven to 400. In saucepan, mix well together milk, oil, flour, salt and pepper and stir constantly over medium heat until creamy. Add wine, cheese, garlic and paprika and stir constantly until creamy once again. In casserole pan (or 9x13 baking pan), mix together chicken, mushrooms, apples and Craisins and drench in cheese sauce. Roll out the French Bread Dough on a lightly floured board and use to top the other ingredients in the casserole pan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until chicken is done and bread on top is golden.

prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 40-45 minutes
serves: 5-7 people

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A different Pot Pie

2 deep dish frozen pie crusts, thawed
1 box long grain & wild rice with flavoring packet (I prefer herb & butter)
1 c. water
1 can cream of broccoli cheese soup
1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, diced
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
1 small can mushrooms, drained

Preheat oven according to directions on pie crust package.In a shallow sauce pan, combine rice and water and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, then remove from heat and drain. Put rice in one of the pie crusts and mix in soup, garlic, mushrooms, chicken and sauce packet. sprinkle cheese on the top. Cover with the other pie crust, crimping the corner and cutting a vent hole in the top. Bake for 40 minutes, or until chicken is done and crust is golden.

prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 40-50 minutes
serves: 4-5 people

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Thai Chicken in Peanut Sauce

2 boneless skinless chicken breast butterflies, halved
2 Tbsp. Garlic, separated in halves
3 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 can coconut milk
2 c. peanut butter
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
3 small limes
1/4 c. cilantro
1 bunch fresh, cleaned spinach (or bok choy)


Preheat oven to 425. In 9x13 baking pan, grease bottom with olive oil. Rub chicken with 1/2 garlic & place in pan. bake 20 minutes, flip over, and bake 20 minutes more, or until chicken is cooked through. In a large sauce pan, heat peanut butter and coconut milk on medium low heat stirring constantly, until smooth. Add the rest of the garlic, ginger & cilantro. Slice the limes in half and squeeze the juice into the sauce mixture. Reduce heat to low and stir constantly for 5 minutes or until smooth again. Serve with chicken layered over prepared Jasmine Rice and spinach leaves.

prep time: 5 min.
cook time: 40 min.
serves: 4-6 people

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Bleu Cheese & Bacon Stuffed Buffalo Chicken

1 c. crumbled bleu cheese*
1 c. diced, cooked bacon
5 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1 c. flour
1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder
pinch salt
pinch pepper
1/4 tsp. Cajun seasoning (optional- you may also use Cayenne pepper)
2 eggs, beat
1 c. BuffaloWing Sauce

Preheat oven to 425. Pound chicken breasts flat and sprinkle about 1 Tbsp. of cheese in the middle. Put an equal amount of bacon in the middle. Roll the chicken breast shut around the filling and secure with a toothpick (only needed if you over stuffed it and it won't roll easily). Coat in the egg by dipping it and rolling it around and then dredge in flour mixture. Place in the bottom of a well-greased baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes, then flip breasts over and bake for another 15 minutes, or until golden and chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Place baked breasts in a large bowl, pour Buffalo Wing Sauce over the breasts and roll them around until well-coated.

*If you are not a fan of bleu cheese, you may also use cream cheese (which my son likes).

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Feeds: 5 people

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