Cheese Polenta

Submitted by: Adrienne Jacobs

From the cookbook Quick Vegetarian Pleasures

2 c. milk

2 c. water

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/4 c. cornmeal

2 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into bits

4 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese, or Muenster cheese

1. Generously butter a 9 inch pie plate or shallow 1 quart baking dish and set aside. [I used 2 pie plates so they were thinner.]

2. Combine the milk, water, nutmeg, and salt in a heavy medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and very slowly sprinkle in the cornmeal, whisking continuously. Cook 5 minutes, or until the cornmeal mixture pulls away from the sides of pan.

3. Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in 1 1/2 Tbsp. of the butter and 2 Tbsp. of the Parmesan cheese.

4. With a rubber spatula, spread half the polenta mixture in the prepared pie plate or baking dish, then top with the grated cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Spread on the remaining polenta, then sprinkle on the remaining 2 Tbsp. Parmsan cheese and dot with the remaining 1/2 Tbsp. of butter.

5. Let the polenta sit at least 15 minutes, or cover and chill for up to 24 hours. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake uncovered 30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.

[This is delicious with pesto and pine nuts or red sauce.]

Short Ribs

Submitted by: Alisa Chytraus

From http://www.thecookbookcritic.com/archives/2006/01/saras_secrets_b.html

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: about 3 hours
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

5 pounds beef short ribs, OR a 3 to 3 1/2 pound chuck roast, tied with string
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 bottle (750 ml) red wine
3 1/2 cups chicken broth (two 14.5 oz. cans)
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp softened butter

Pat the roast dry and season on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, ovenproof roasting pan. Place the roast in the pan and brown on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the roast to a platter or bowl with tongs.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Reduce the heat under the roasting pan to medium; add the onion and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to the platter with the roast. Add the wine to the roasting pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced to 1 cup, about 12 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the roast and vegetables, cover the pan tightly, and place in the oven. Cook until the meat is tender and falls apart when poked with a fork, about 3 hours.

Transfer the roast to a plate with tongs and let stand until cool enough to handle. Strain the broth into a bowl. Discard the solids and return the liquid to the roasting pan. Skim off any fat, bring the liquid to a boil, and reduce to about 1 1/2 cups.

If using ribs: Remove beef from the bones. Pull off and discard excess fat from the ribs. Discard the bones. Reserve the meat on a plate.

If using a roast: Remove the string. Place the roast on a plate until ready to serve.

Knead together the flour and butter in a small bowl. Add a few tablespoons of the reduced broth, stirring to combine. Whisk the butter mixture into the broth in the roasting pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Return the beef to the pan and heat through. Serve the meat topped with the sauce.

Lowfat Baked Ziti

Submitted by: Tori Brewer

1 (16 oz. pkg.) ziti or rigatoni pasta

2 (16 oz.) nonfat or lowfat ricotta cheese

1 (16 oz.) nonfat or lowfat cottage cheese

1 (8 oz.) nonfat mozzarella cheese

1 (21 oz.) favorite spaghetti sauce

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 large egg

2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta. Mix ricotta cheese, 4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, salt, pepper, egg, parmesan cheese, and parsley in bowl. Add 1/2 of spaghetti sauce and mix. In 2 9 x 9 inch baking dishes put some of the remaining sauce in bottom of each dish to coat. Put 1/2 of pasta in each baking dish and then top with 1/2 each of cheese mixture. Pour remaining sauce on top of each dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Place mozzarella on top of dish and bake another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Makes 18 servings. Prep time 1 hour.

If frozen: Cook for 30 minutes at 350 with the lid on and then cook for 15 minutes with the lid off.

Peking Chicken

Submitted by: Adrienne Jacobs

Sauce for 2 lbs. chicken:

1 c. hoisin sauce (found in Oriental section of the grocery store in glass jar)

¼ c. honey

¼ c. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. grated ginger root

¼ c. rice vinegar

4 garlic cloves

Combine all ingredients in a med. bowl; stir well. Reserve 1 c. of sauce mixture and set aside. Cut chicken diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Add chicken to remaining hoisin sauce. Cover and marinate in fridge for 8 hours.

Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Add ½ t. oil. Place over med-high heat until hot. Add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes or until done. Serve in flour tortillas with jasmine rice and sliced green onions. Pour a small amount of reserved hoisin sauce over meat in each tortilla wrap.

Tikka Masala

Submitted by: Alisa Chytraus

Marinate:

3-4 chicken breast

3-6 T. Tikka Masala Paste

1/2 cup plain yogurt or 1/2 can coconut milk (I did a mix of both)

Marinate overnight or 4 hours.

Heat 1-2 T. Oil in pan. Add 1/2-1 onion thinly sliced (I add peppers also), sauté. Add marinated chicken, with marinade, to pan & cook to seal. Once sealed, add 1/2 can stewed tomatoes or 1/2 cup fresh tomatoes & 1/2 cup water. I also added some fresh grated Ginger. Simmer for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Add 1/2 can coconut milk or cream.

Top with fresh cilantro, cashews, golden raisins, & or fresh coconut or just eat plain! Serve with Jasmine rice (I like it cooked with cilantro & a squeeze of lime). It usually is served with Basmati, but I love Jasmine & it is more assesible.

BYU Pendulum Court Chicken Calzones

Submitted by: Jacquelynn Sokol

1 loaf 6 -inch Rhodes Frozen bread dough (for the kids I used two rolls- one for the top and one for the bottom)
1 chicken breast
3 oz. frozen spinach (use as much as you like)
1 cup mozzarella cheese
6 green onions (If you have them)
1/3 cup Italian dressing
1/2 Cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup yellow onion, diced

Thaw bread dough, split in half and roll into 2 7-inch diameter circles. Rise for 2 hours. Marianate chicken in Italian dressing for 2 hours and cut into bite sizes and grill.

For filling: Combine spinach, cheeses, onions. Spread 1/2 of mixture onto 1/2 of circle. Fold over and seal edge. Cut 2 1-inch slits. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 min.
Serve with marinara or alfredo.

*When making for lots of people I would just boil and shred the chicken. Also, you can use any amount of the ingredients for the filling (just put in what you like) I put in more Italian dressing into the filling as well.

Curry Chicken

Submitted by: Taryn Richardson

So delicious you'll want to lick your plate!

2 tsp. canola oil

1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp. Thai red curry paste

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

1 1/2 tbsp. packed brown sugar

1 tbsp. fish sauce (nam-pla)

1/4 tsp. salt

In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the curry paste, coriander, and cumin; cook 30 seconds longer. Stir in the coconut milk, brown sugar, fish sauce, and salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the sauce just begins to simmer, 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Makes 6 servings at 1/4 cup each serving.

Notes:

I never simmer it for 6-8 minutes. I just mix in the last few ingredients really well, and then I feel like it's ready to eat. Also, we love the red curry flavor, so when I make it for my family, I usually double or triple the amount of curry we put in the sauce.

I have Trav grill a couple pieces of chicken on the BBQ, then I slice it up into small pieces and put it into the sauce when the sauce is done. Then I serve it over brown rice. But I'm sure any rice will be good with it.

Chicken Enchiladas

Submitted by: Katie Lowder

3 medium to large chicken breasts

Cumin

Jalapeno salt

Chile powder

pepper

1 onion finely chopped

Garlic about 1 TBLS

3 to 4 cans cream of chicken

Milk- about 1 to 1 1/2 Cups. Add a little at a time. It should be thicker rather than runny

Green chile finely chopped to taste

18 Corn tortillas

Cheddar Cheese (sometimes I blend in pepper/jack as well)

Note: This amount makes a casserole dish about 9X13.

Directions:

1. Pat Chicken Dry with paper towel and season with Mexican spices. Cumin, jalapeno salt, pepper, chile powder.
2. Heat small amount of oil or Pam in a pan and grill chicken on both sides until fully cooked.
3. Let rest until cool. Shred chicken or cut into small cubes. Set aside.
4. In same pan add small amount of oil or butter and grill onion until caramelized.
5. Add green chile to taste. Cook for about 1 minute.
6. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds
7. Add cans of cream of chicken and milk. Stir well and season with Mexican spices to taste.
8. Add Chicken and simmer until heated through.
9. While sauce is cooking, heat oil in pan. Fry corn tortillas for about 10 to 20 seconds on each side or until slightly firm. Cool between paper towels to soak up oil.
10. Spread small amount of sauce on bottom of casserole dish. Layer 6 corn tortillas flat side by side over the sauce. Pour a couple scoops of sauce and spread over tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Repeat 2 more times so there are 3 layers total. You will finish with a good amount of cheese on the top layer. Cook covered in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes or until golden brown. It may need more time. Do no under cook. Keep baking until golden on top and crisp on the edges. If you freeze this, be sure to unthaw completely before baking. I hope this works frozen. I didn’t have time to test it. Sorry! Enjoy!

Note: If the layers come to the top of the baking dish, don’t use foil. The cheese will stick to it. Just bake uncovered until crisp on edges. About 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Healthy Note: To cut fat and calories use low fat Cream of Chicken, steam the tortillas or grill using Pam, use Pam for onions instead of oil, use skim milk and low fat cheese.

Poppy Seed Chicken and Rice Casserole

Submitted by: Amy Taylor

3-4 cooked chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/3 cup uncooked minute rice
1 cup water
1 roll Ritz crackers
1 cup grated cheese
1/4 cup water or melted butter

Line 9x13 dish with uncooked rice and pour 1 cup water over it. Stir rice and water.
Combine chicken, soups, sour cream, poppy seeds, and onion in a bowl.
Pour soup mixture over rice and top with cheese.
Crush crackers and moisten with water or butter and put on top of casserole.
Bake at 325 for 35 minutes

If freezing, do not bake. Cover with saran wrap and tin foil. When ready to bake,
thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours then bake at 325 for 35 minutes.

Creamy chicken and pasta

Submitted by: Misty Anderson

3 cups pasta, any shape
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 12-oz can evaporated milk
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
2/3 cups French fried onions
3 cups cooked chopped chicken

Cook pasta in salted water for half the time recommened on pkg. Combine soup, milk and cheeses. Stir in onions, chicken and pasta. Place in gallon freezer. Label and freeze.

To serve: Thaw. Place in greased baking dish. Bake covered for 45 min at 350 degrees. Uncover and top with more French fried onions. Return to oven for additional 5 min.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Submitted by: Misty Anderson

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup chopped onion
1 4-oz can chopped green chilies
2 cups sour cream
12 corn toritillas
4 cups cooked chopped chicken
1 cup shredded monterrey jack cheese
1 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Combine soups, onion, green chilies and sour cream. Cut tortillas in fourths. Ingreased foil baking pan make the following layers, using half for both layers: tortillas, chicken, cheese, suace. Repeat layers. Cover with foil. Label and freeze.

To serve: Thaw. Bake covered for 60 min at 350 degrees. Uncover. Top with more shredded cheese. Return to oven long enough to melt cheese. Serve with shredded lettuce, sour cream, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, and salsa.

Makes 1 9x13 or 2 9x9 pans.

Boeuf Bourguignon a la Julia Child

Submitted by : Jacquelynn Sokol

Serves 6- It’s not as scary as the movie makes it look.

· One 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon (just buy prepackaged salt pork- yes it is gross)

· 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

· 3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes (the butcher will do this for you if you ask)

· 1 carrot, sliced (I used 2-3 carrots, but I love carrots)

· 1 onion, sliced

· Salt and pepper

· 2 tablespoons flour

· 3 cups red wine, young and full-bodied (like Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy) (I used Burgundy and it was great)

· 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups brown beef stock

· 1 tablespoon tomato paste

· 2 cloves mashed garlic

· 1/2 teaspoon thyme

· A crumbled bay leaf

· 18 to 24 white onions, small ( you can use frozen onion pearls)

· 3 1/2 tablespoons butter

· Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter teaspoon thyme, tied in cheesecloth) – I didn’t use the herb bouquet- I just pulled out the parsley when I was done cooking it.

· 1 pound mushrooms, fresh and quartered

· Cooking Directions

Remove bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the lardons.

In the same fat, brown the carrots (could do potatoes here). Pour out the excess fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes.

Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust).

Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.

Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet.

Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.

Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet (or just the herbs).

Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.

Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms.

Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.

Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.

Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or 2, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning.

Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.

Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley. (I served it over Egg Noodles and Potatoes- Next time I will throw in the potatoes with the stew to soak up the flavoring.)

Manicotti

Submitted by: Misty Anderson

Sauce:
2 lb. hamburger 1/4 C chopped parsley
2 C chopped onion 2 tsp pepper
6 cans tomato sauce (8 oz) 1/2 C sugar
1 tsp. onion powder 1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano

Brown hamburger, saute onion, add to beef and add remaining ingredients, simmer to thick. (I usually add the spices to taste.)

Meanwhile, boil 14 manicotti noodles for 6-8 min. Drain well and cool on wax paper.

Filling:
1 tall container part-skim ricotta cheese 4 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
4 C shredded mozzarella cheese 1 tsp salt
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 tsp pepper

Stir filling ingredients together and spoon into noodles. Spread layer of sauce on bottom of 9x13 pan. Arrange filled pasta in single layer over bottom of pan. Pour remaining sauce over top. Cover with foil and bake 40 min. at 350 degrees. Remove foil and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top, return to oven and cook another 15 min. Let set about 5-10 min.

**This makes a large pan.

Bowtie Chicken Pasta

Submitted by: Sage Hoopiiaina

Sauce:
6 Tbls Sugar
2/3 cup Soy Sauce
2/3 cup Rice Vinegar
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup Parsley Flakes
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper

Pasta:
12 oz box of Bowtie Pasta
3-4 Chicken Breasts (boiled and shredded)
1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds
1 bag Baby Spinach
4-5 Green Onions (just white part)

Tip:
Mix sauce first, then put shredded chicken in while pasta is cooking (or longer) giving chicken time to soak up the sauce. I like this pasta served warm, but it is good cold too.

Grilled Chicken

Submitted by: Adrienne Jacobs

Marinate 1 lb. chicken breast in 1/4 c. olive oil, 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp. McCormick Montreal Chicken Grill Mates seasoning (in spice aisle at grocery store)

Blackened Chicken Seasoning

Submitted by: Jennie Schow

Chipotle Seasonong
Italian Seasoning
Ground Pepper
Dash of sugar
Dried onion

Rub on chicken before cooking.

Alfredo Sauce

Submitted by: Jennie Schow

1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 grated parmesan
1/2 stick cream cheese
3 oz. minced garlic
salt/pepper to taste
dried basil

Macaroni and Cheese

Submitted by: Jennie Schow

4 cups dried macaroni
1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 4 tablespoons) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 heaping teaspoons dry mustard (more if desired)
1 egg, beaten
1 pound cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (more to taste)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
*Optional spices: cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme
*can also top with crushed croutons.....I like this just ran out of time tonight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.
In a small bowl, beat egg.
In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.
Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.
Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.
Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.
Add in cheese and stir to melt.
Add salts and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.
Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Heavenly Stuffed Chicken

Submitted by: Katie Lowder
Can I just say YUM!

chicken breasts (filet chicken lengthwise and flattened between 2 sheets of wax paper with a mallet).
1 slice of fully cooked bacon per chicken breast
about 1/8 to 1/4 cup pico de gallo per breast
about 1/8 to 1/4 cup Monterrey/Jack cheese per breast.
a little flour for rolling
eggs
bread crumbs

Once you flatten chicken, place pico, cheese, and bacon on the chicken. Roll up tightly and secure with toothpicks. Roll chicken in flour and brush off excess. Roll chicken in eggs and shake off excess. Roll chicken in bread crumbs. Heat oil in a large pan (about 1 to 2 inches high. Cook chicken until golden brown. Place chicken on a cookie sheet with a cookie rack on top. Heat oven 350 degrees and and cook chicken another 10 minutes to make sure it's cooked all the way through.
(Note: you can stuff and roll the chicken and put it in the refrigerator over night. That's what I did. It was a real time saver! Just don't roll it in the flour, eggs, or bread crumbs until you're ready to cook it.)

Cilantro Sauce for Chicken (This is how I make my Alfredo Sauce minus the cilantro)
1 stick butter
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
dash pepper
chopped cilantro to taste

Heat butter and cream in medium saucepan on low simmer until butter is melted. Add Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and cilantro. Stir until sauce is blended and smooth. Be sure to cook this on low. Never boil. It will take a while but well worth it. If it doesn't thicken, make a rue with equal butter and flour. Add a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Honey Mustard Chicken

Submitted by: Alisa Chytraus

4 chicken breasts
1 tsp. paprika
8 thin slices of lemon
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. dried onion
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 T. worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 T. mustard (I use French "Maille" wholegrain mustard)

Bake chicken @ 375 for 30 minutes (longer if frozen), sprinkled with paprika and 2 lemon slices on each breast. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, stiring. Spoon sauce over chicken and bake at 375 for 15 minutes.