Chicken Giardino

Sauce:

1 Tbsp butter
¼ tsp dry thyme
½ tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp garlic pepper
1 Tbsp cornstarch
¼ cup chicken broth
¼ cup water
¼ cup white wine
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Chicken:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced width-wise into ½” strips
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small rosemary sprigs
1 clove garlic, finely minced
Juice of ½ lemon

Vegetables:

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ bunch fresh asparagus (remove bottom inch of stem; cut remainder into 1” pieces)
1 zucchini, julienne cut
1 yellow summer squash, julienne cut
2 roma tomatoes, cut into ½” pieces
½ red bell pepper, julienne cut
1 cup broccoli florets, blanched
½ cup frozen peas
1 cup spinach, cut into ½” pieces
½ cup carrots, julienne cut

1 lb farfalle pasta (bow ties), cooked according to package directions

Procedures

Sauce Preparation:

1. MELT butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in thyme, garlic pepper and rosemary. Whisk to thoroughly blend and cook for 1 minute.

2. COMBINE chicken broth, water, wine, milk, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Add cornstarch and whisk until cornstarch has dissolved and there are no lumps.

3. ADD liquid mixture to sauce pan. Whisk all ingredients together and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then remove from heat.

Chicken & Vegetables Preparation:

1. COMBINE all chicken ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend well.
2. MARINATE for 30 minutes.
3. HEAT a saute pan over medium high heat. Add ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil.
4. SAUTE chicken strips until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
5. ADD all vegetables and sauté until cooked through.
6. ADD cooked, drained pasta and sauce to sauté pan. Stir until pasta is thoroughly coated with sauce.
7. TRANSFER to a serving platter and garnish with chopped parsley.

Chicken Fricassee

Kids will love the creamy, lemony flavor. Short on time? Use a precooked chicken and canned broth.

1 cup white rice
Salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
4 cups Basic Chicken Soup or 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth and 1 cooked 4- to 5-lb chicken, shredded
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Lemon juice, to taste

1. In a medium saucepan, mix the rice with 2 cups water and a pinch of salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer about 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the butter over moderate heat. Add the flour and stir together to make a paste; let cook for about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the chicken soup (reserve vegetables and chicken) or broth and let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until it thickens.

3. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk, cream, another pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Add a few tablespoons of the simmering broth from the skillet and slowly whisk it in; add back to the skillet. Add the vegetables from the soup, if using soup instead of broth, then add the chicken to the skillet.

4. Reduce heat; add lemon juice. Taste sauce for seasoning; add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice to taste, if needed. Serve with the rice.

How kids can help: Measure ingredients; add lemon juice and seasonings to taste.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1/6 of recipe)

Chicken Fajitas

4 chicken breasts, grilled and sliced – or uncooked, sliced, sauteed in oil
1/2 cup red and yellow bell pepper, sliced
1/2 cup onions, sliced
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
1/4 cup salsa
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
8 flour tortillas

If using uncooked chicken, saute in 1 tablespoon olive oil until no longer pink. Remove from pan. Heat 2 tablespoons oil, saute onions and peppers until slightly browned. Add mushrooms, taco seasoning, salsa and vinegar. Stir until mushrooms are soft. Add chicken and garlic. Stir.

Serve with flour tortillas, sour cream, salsa.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

From Cooking Light

Cooking spray
1 1/4 pounds skinned, boned chicken breast
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup beer
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 (2 1/4-ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, drained
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten or 6 tablespoons egg substitute
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut in half
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup salsa

Preheat oven to 350°.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat until hot. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from skillet; let cool. Shred chicken with 2 forks; set aside.

Recoat skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add shredded chicken, beer, red pepper, and tomatoes; cook 10 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates. Remove from heat. Reserve 1 tablespoon green onions and 1 tablespoon olives for garnish. Stir remaining green onions, remaining olives, and chiles into chicken mixture; set aside.

Combine flour, salt, cumin, and coriander in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Place over medium heat; cook 7 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Gradually add hot milk mixture to egg whites, stirring constantly with whisk. Set aside.

Place cheeses in a bowl; toss well. Set aside.

Spread 1/2 cup white sauce in bottom of a 2 1/2-quart round casserole or soufflé dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 tortilla halves over sauce; top with 2 cups chicken mixture, 1/2 cup white sauce, and 1/2 cup cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice, ending with sauce. Set remaining 1/2 cup cheese mixture aside.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese mixture, reserved green onions, and reserved olives; bake an additional 5 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

NOTE: You can assemble the casserole ahead of time; cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight, then bake at 350º for 1 hours or until bubbly. Or freeze casserole, thaw in refrigerator 24 hours, then bake for 1 hour or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge, 1 tablespoon sour cream, and 1 tablespoon salsa)

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

1 10 3/4 ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 12 ounce salsa, green chilie, mild
3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (or pork, beef or turkey)
1 1/2 cups cheese, mexican style blend, shredded
1 1/4 cups corn
1 4 oz. can green chili, chopped
12 corn tortillas
2 cups romaine lettuce, shredded
1 cup tomatoes, diced
1 avocado, Hass, diced
1/2 cup red onions, diced

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 13 x9 in baking dish with nonstick spray.

Sauce: Whisk soup and 1/2 can water in a bowl until smooth. Stir in salsa, 1/4 cup cilantro and cumin.

In another bowl, combine chicken, 3/4 cup each cheese blend and sauce, corn, chilies and remaining cilantro.

Layer tortillas on bottom of baking dish. Top with chicken mixture, cheese and sauce. Repeat layers, ending with cheese on top. Cover dish with foil, bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 20 minutes, or until sauce bubbles around edges and cheese is melted.

Serve with lettuce, tomato, avacado and onion on side.

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