Some Favorite Recipes

TANGERINE CHICKEN WITH COUSCOUS

My personal favorite….so so good!!

INGREDIENTS:

      2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided

      4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

      Salt and pepper

      Juice of 4 tangerines or 6 clementines (I prefer these), zest of 1

      2 tablespoons brown sugar

      1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced

      1 cinnamon stick

      1 teaspoon hot sauce

      2 cups chicken stock, divided

      1 cup shredded carrots

      4 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias

      1 tablespoon curry powder

      1/2 tablespoon turmeric

      1 1/2 cups couscous

DIRECTIONS:

      Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with one turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook in the hot pan until brown on both sides and cooked through, about 12 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

      Add the citrus juice and zest, brown sugar, sliced ginger, cinnamon stick, hot sauce and 1/2 cup chicken stock to the skillet and simmer until syrupy, 5-6 minutes.

      While the sauce cooks, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon EVOO in a saucepot over medium heat and sauté the carrots and scallions for 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups stock, bring to a boil, then stir in the curry, turmeric and couscous. Cover the pot and turn the heat off. Let the couscous stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

To serve, slice the chicken breasts on the bias and fan them out on a bed of couscous. Drizzle the tangerine sauce over everything.

CHICKEN PILLOWS

 Makes 4 pillows

Ingredients

3 oz cream cheese softened

3 TBS butter softened

1 pkg crescent rolls

2 chicken breasts (boiled and shredded)

¼ tsp salt

2 TBS milk

Bread crumbs

In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, only 2 tbs of the butter, milk, and salt.  Mix up well with a fork.  Add the shredded chicken and mix all together very well.  Unwrap the crescent rolls.Usually each package makes 8 crescents, you will need 2 triangles for each pillow.  They normally come together in a rectangle, just pinch them together at the perforated line.  Spoon the mix evenly into the middle of each one.  Fold up the dough so there is no chicken mixture exposed.  Melt the last tbs of butter and rub onto the dough.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes!  I serve with rice and cream of chicken soup.

Asian Noodle Salad (a vegetarian meal)

Ingredients:

      Kosher salt

      1/2 pound thin spaghetti

      1 pound sugar snap peas

      1 cup vegetable oil

      1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

      1/3 cup soy sauce

      3 tablespoons dark sesame oil

      1 tablespoon honey

      2 garlic cloves, minced

      1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

      3 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, divided

      1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (if you don't like the over powering taste of peanut butter, half it.

      2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded, and thinly sliced

      4 scallions (with and green parts), sliced diagonally

      3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

      Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring another large pot of salted water to a boil, add the sugar snap peas, return to a boil, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp tender. Lift the sugar snap peas from the water with a slotted spoon and immerse them in a bowl of ice water. Drain. For the dressing, whisk together the vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, soy

****I also have to add that today I made Peanut Butter Blossoms and I ran out of hershey kisses so I had some dove hearts left from V-day and I used them instead...AMAZING!  Way better than just a hershey kiss.  Try it out!!!