Faux Fried Chicken

Faux fried chicken
Published by Chatelaine on 10/1/2009 Craving fried chicken? Bypass the takeout place and reach for a box of croutons instead. They make for an instant crispy coating that’s loads healthier and just as tasty.
Preparation time 10 minutes
Baking Time 25 minutes
Makes 4 Servings
Ingredients
•1 cup (250 mL) finely crushed croutons, cornflakes or taco chips
•1 tsp (5 mL) poultry or Italian seasoning
•1/2 tsp (2 mL) each dried thyme leaves and salt
•4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
•1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil or 2 tbsp (30 mL) regular mayonnaise

1.Preheat oven to 400F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with oil. In a shallow dish, stir croutons with poultry seasoning, thyme and salt. Lightly brush a chicken breast with oil, then coat with crumb mixture. Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken, oil and crumb mixture. Discard any remaining coating.
2.Bake chicken in centre of oven until coating is crisp and golden,from 25 to 30 min. Wonderful with roasted cherry tomatoes.

Caramel Apple Crisp

Ingredients:
Apple Filling:
5 large Granny Smith apples – peeled,
cored, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup water

Crumble: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup butter, softened

Caramel Sauce:
1 (14 ounce) package individually
wrapped caramels, unwrapped
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 degree C).
2. In a medium size bowl, toss apples with sugar, flour, cinnamon, lemon juice, and water; spread evenly into a 8×8 inch pan. In another bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, oats, and butter; spoon mixture evenly over apples.
3. In a heavy sauce pan over low heat, melt the caramels with the evaporated milk. Heat , stirring frequently, until mixture has a smooth consistency. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the top of the crumble.
4. Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes (apple mixture will bubble and topping will be golden brown).

Chicken Pasta Primavera

Chicken Pasta Primavera

Ingredients
3/4 pound cooked penne pasta
1 bunch broccoli florets
2 medium zucchini, cut into -inch slices
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1 sweet red pepper, cut into 1-inch slices
1 6-ounce can pitted black olives, drained
1 2-ounce jar pimientos, drained
2 cups chicken breast, cooked and pulled
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Basil Sauce:
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
1 garlic clove
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.2. Combine vegetables and chicken with pasta.3. To Make the Basil Sauce, place basil and garlic in food processor or blender and process until minced. Add mayonnaise and sour cream and process for 2 to 3 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to use.4. Fold in 2/3 Basil Sauce and 1/3 cup cheese.5. Season with salt and pepper. May be refrigerated up to 24 hours at this point.6. To serve, add remaining basil sauce, taste and adjust seasoning and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Spinach-Pasta Salad with Shrimp

This one sounds really good. I may have to try it soon!

Spinach-Pasta Salad with Shrimp
From: Diabetic Living

This 20 minute dinner recipe has under 250 calories per serving but includes shrimp, pasta and vegetables. A complete meal in minutes!

Servings: Makes 6 servings
Total: 20 mins
Ingredients
1 cup shell pasta or elbow macaroni
1 pound fresh or frozen cooked shrimp, thawed
1 cup chopped red sweet pepper
1/3 cup bottled creamy onion or Caesar salad dressing
2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 6-ounce package baby spinach
4 ounces goat cheese, sliced, or feta cheese, crumbled

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.2. In an extra-large bowl combine cooked pasta, shrimp, and sweet pepper. Drizzle with the salad dressing. If desired, sprinkle with dill. Toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.3. Divide spinach among six shallow bowls or plates. Top with shrimp mixture and cheese.4. Makes 6 servings

Nutrition Facts
Calories 247, Total Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Monounsaturated Fat 1 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 156 mg, Sodium 435 mg, Carbohydrate 17 g, Total Sugar 2 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 23 g. Daily Values: Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 95%, Calcium 9%, Iron 23%. Exchanges: Vegetable .5, Starch 1, Medium-Fat Meat .5, Fat 1.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Garlic and Greens Spaghetti

Garlic-and-Greens Spaghetti
Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine
Serves: 4 servings.
Ingredients
•16 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
•1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•2 medium onions, halved and sliced
•1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
•Kosher salt
•12 cups torn winter greens, such as kale, chard, escarole or mustard greens (about 2 1/2 pounds)
•12 ounces spaghetti
•1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cook the garlic in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. (Be careful not to over-brown the garlic or it will taste bitter.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic chips to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons oil into a small bowl to use as a dip for crusty bread, if desired. Add the onions and red pepper flakes to the oil in the pan; cook, stirring, until the onions are light brown, about 10 minutes. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt.

When the onions are almost done, add the greens to the boiling water and cook, uncovered, until just tender, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, remove the greens, shaking off the excess water; add them to the skillet with the onions (set the pot of water aside). Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.

Return the cooking water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and reserve about 1 cup cooking water; drain the pasta and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the cheese and toss. Add the greens and some of the reserved pasta water and toss, adding more water as necessary to keep the pasta from clumping. Top with the garlic chips.

Cajun Chili

I made this tonight…it was one of those “what can I make with ground beef nights.” Dave loved it and it was hot enough that he didn’t add extra spiciness.

1 1/2 pound ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 tablespoons cajun seasoning
1 can hot rotel tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 package Uncle Bens Ready Rice, Cajun style

Brown the ground beef and add onions and seasoning. Break up the large meat chunks.
Add tomatoes and beans and simmer for 5 minutes
Add rice. Cook unitl heated through.

Serve with grated cheese and sour cream. I will try it with cornbread next time. I thought about the cornbread when everything was about done.

Man Food with Mike: Breakfast Skillet (via The Frugal Flambe)

Oh yummy! I love breakfast food:)

It's Saturday morning.  We've all slept in a little extra, coffee is brewing, and we're all still in our pajamas with little to no agenda for the next several hours.  Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite times of the week.  Time for Dad to work some creative genius for breakfast! If you're like me, during the busy week your breakfast typically ends up looking like one of the following: A.  Cereal B.  A toasted carb C.  Coffee D.  A red bul … Read More

via The Frugal Flambe