Roasted Apple-Rosemary Chicken Thighs from Shape Magazine

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients
1⁄2 pound tart apples, such as Granny Smith (about 1 large or 2 small)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch strips
2 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1⁄2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary (Yay for our herb garden)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cooked brown rice

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Core apples and cut into 1-inch cubes. In a large baking pan, combine apples, chicken, wine, oil, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until apples are softened.
2. Divide rice evenly among four plates and top with equal amounts of chicken and apples. Pour pan juices over top and serve.

This was very quick to prepare and delicious. I was expecting a thicker sauce, like apple pie, but this was a bit drier, and its bit of sauce too runny.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: ?
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount per Serving:
Total Calories 275, Total fat 10 g, Saturated fat 2 g, Sodium 426 mg, Carbohydrate 32 g, Dietary Fiber total 3 g, Protein 23 g

Zucchini Banana Bread

We picked some Zucchinis out of the garden which we had let grow too long and so they were very large. I suggested we make some zucchini bread out of them, and then my son got excited and suggested that we make zucchini banana bread. I went online to find a recipe and found one that turned out delicious here:

http://mehanskitchen.blogspot.com/2012/07/zucchini-banana-bread.html#!/2012/07/zucchini-banana-bread.html

I think it turned out so well because it was very similar to our family recipe for "Grandma's Banana Bread."

Grandma's Banana Bread 1/2 cup Sugar (reduced from the original) 2 eggs 1/3 cup oil or butter (reduced) 3 bananas, mashed     1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp baking soda cinnamon 1 1/2 cups flour (I use white whole wheat)

Zucchini Banana Bread 3/4 cup Sugar   2 eggs 1/2 cup oil or butter 2 small bananas, mashed 1 medium zucchini, shredded, moisture squeezed out (which I didn't bother to do) 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp baking soda cinnamon 1 1/4 cups flour

Bake in a greased loaf pan at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.

I am very excited to be making different quick breads and hope to post a few more soon.

Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles from OnceAgainNutButter.com

Ingredients

½ cup Once Again Organic Peanut Butter

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (I think I would use another spice next time, like basil. I remain not a fan of cilantro)

¼ cup warm water

¼ cup sweet chili sauce

¼ cup fresh lime juice

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 8 oz box or bag Pad Thai rice noodles (I used fettuccine)

1 cup carrots, julienned or shredded

1 cup red bell peppers, julienned

1 cup snow peas, julienned

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 lime, wedged

Directions

1. Place the peanut butter, cilantro, water, sweet chili sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, sugar, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, hot chili sauce and garlic in a blender.  Purée until smooth.  Set aside.

2. Heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat.  Add the vegetables, season lightly if desired, and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until vegetables have softened but still maintain some crunch.  Set aside.

3. Cook the noodles in simmering salted water for 1-2 minutes.  Rice noodles cook very quickly.  Drain the noodles and place back in the pot.  Toss with the peanut sauce.

4. To serve, arrange the noodles in a shallow bowl or on a plate.  Top with a large scoop of the vegetables.  Garnish with a lime wedge.

This was delicious! I added some chicken to make it a complete meal. There was so much sauce I mixed it with the veggies. I'd rather not have to do that next time.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: ?

Servings Per Recipe: 4

Chicken Cajun Curry from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, contributed by Pat Banta Kreml

Ingredients
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1 TBS olive oil
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut in 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup butter
1 large green sweet pepper, cut in strips
1 large red onion, cut in narrow wedges
1 stalk celery, sliced (1/2 cup)
6 cloves garlic, minced (2 Tbsp.)
2 - 3 tsp curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 14 1/2 oz. can chicken broth
1/2 cup tangerine or orange marmalade (This makes it too sweet, but I like the tang. Need to find a lower sugar alternative)
1 tsp bottled hot pepper sauce (too many tender mouths. I put sriracha out and let people heat it up too their taste)
4 cups hot cooked basmati or jasmine rice

Directions

1. In a 4-quart Dutch oven cook fennel seeds in hot oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Stir in chicken. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until chicken is browned. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon.

2. In the same Dutch oven heat butter. Cook sweet pepper, onion, celery, garlic, curry powder, garam masala, and salt in hot butter over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in flour. Gradually add the chicken broth, stirring until combined. Stir in chicken, marmalade, and hot pepper sauce. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice.

This was delicious. The sauce was a great consistency.

Nutrition Facts                       

Serving Size: ?
Servings Per Recipe: 4 (more I think)
Amount per Serving:
Total Calories 641, Total fat 17 g, Saturated fat 8 g, Monounsaturated fat 6 g, Polyunsaturated fat 1 g, Cholesterol 97 mg, Sodium 925 mg, Carbohydrate 88 g, Dietary Fiber total 2 g, Sugar 27 g, Protein 33 g

Chicken, Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Vindaloo from Family Circle Magazine

Ingredients
2  TBS vegetable oil

1  lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/2 tsp salt

1  lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I used 4 russet potatoes)

1 large onion, chopped

1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets (I used 2 bags of frozen cauliflower)

2 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 14.5 oz. can reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup mint, coarsely chopped

2 cups cooked quinoa (I used brown rice)

Directions
1. Heat 1 TBS of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with 1/4 tsp of the salt. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove to a plate.
2. Add remaining TBS of oil, sweet potatoes and onion to skillet and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook 3 minutes. Stir in curry powder, cayenne and the remaining 1/4 tsp salt; cook 1 minute. Add broth and tomatoes; cook 5 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally.
3. Add chicken and heat through. Stir in mint and serve over cooked quinoa.

Using regular potatoes instead of sweet changed how I made this recipe. I soaked the chopped potatoes in water for 20 minutes to remove some of the starch, changing the water after 10 minutes. I changed the total cooking time for them to 25 minutes which still wasn't quite adequate. It was a bit rough on the pan. Perhaps next time I would use a bag of chapped frozen potatoes. This was pretty good and very filling. The sauce was too runny and I think the spices could use some tweaking.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: ?

Servings Per Recipe: 4 (I think this made made double this amount of servings)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 458, Total Fat 16 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 110 mg, Sodium 762 mg, Carbohydrate 50 g, Dietary Fiber 7 g, Protein 31 g

Grilled Sausage and Pepper Pasta Salad from Family Circle Magazine

Ingredients

Dressing
1/3 cup white wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup fresh basil, sliced

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Pasta Salad
1  lb fiori pasta (honeycomb shape) I used wagon wheel

1 sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices

2 sweet red peppers, cored and cut into 4 pieces

1 green bell pepper, cored and cut into 4 pieces

1 1/2 lbs mild pork sausage links

1/4 tsp salt

Directions
1. Heat grill to medium-high heat. Make Dressing. Whisk together vinegar, sugar and mustard. While whisking, add oil in a thin stream. Whisk in basil, salt and pepper.

2. Pasta Salad. Heat a pot of lightly salted water to boiling. Add pasta; cook 7 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with half the dressing.
3. Secure onion slices with toothpicks. Grill onion and peppers for 10 to 12 minutes, turning. Remove toothpicks and chop veggies. Stir into pasta. Reduce grill temp to medium.
4. Grill sausages on medium heat or the cooler part of a charcoal grill for 9 to 10 minutes, turning often, until internal temperature registers 150 degrees F. Slice into coins. Toss with pasta, salt, peppers, onions and remaining dressing.

This was tasty, but due to overduing the pasta, the flavor was not as intense as it should have been.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: ?

Servings Per Recipe 6 (I made more pasta since I needed more than 6 servings, but it was too much pasta. These are large servings).
Amount Per Serving
Calories 608, Total Fat 30 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 33 mg, Sodium 921 mg, Carbohydrate 65 g, Dietary Fiber 5 g, Protein 22 g,

Cranberry Jell-o

This is the recipe I found on the internet that works for me at Thanksgiving time.

Ingredients
2 packages (3 oz. each) raspberry Jell-O (or cranberry if you can find)
1 3/4 C boiling water
1 can cranberry sauce (whole)
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained
3/4 C orange juice
1 TBS lemon juice

Directions
In a bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Break up and stir in cranberry sauce. Add pineapple, orange juice and lemon juice. Chill until partially set. Stir in nuts. Pour into an 11-in. x 7-in. dish. Chill until firm.

Bok Choy Salad

My sister-in-law made this salad for us and it was delicious. She got the recipe from allrecipes.com and made her own addition, so I will present it here and, in the interest of giving credit where credit is due, give the link to the original recipe.

Ingredients

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup white sugar (I used honey)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup margarine (I used butter)

1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

2 (3 oz.) packages ramen noodle pasta, crushed

1 medium head bok choy (it's hard to imagine how it is going to turn out with this as the base of the salad, but it all comes together).

3 green onions

add diced chicken cooked in Teriyaki sauce.

Directions
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, sugar and soy sauce. Set aside.
2. Melt the margarine over medium heat in a small skillet. Crush the ramen noodles while still in their packaging, and add to the margarine along with the almonds and sesame seeds. Saute until everything is golden brown. Remove from heat and drain on a paper towel.
3. Chop the bok choy and green onions and add to a large bowl. Just before serving, sprinkle with the noodle mixture and dressing, and toss to coat.

Nutrition Facts

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/rosies-bok-choy-salad/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=rosie%27s%20bok%20choy%20salad&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Chicken Barley Soup from Everyday Food, October 2011

Ingredients
1 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
4 carrots, diced small
4 celery stalks, diced small
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Coarse salt and ground pepper
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
5 sprigs thyme (I used dried)
1 cup quick-cooking barley (I used regular barley)
5 oz. baby spinach (5 cups) (I used frozen and had to adjust the directions accordingly)

Directions
1. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, and onion. Cook until just tender, about 8 minutes. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until chicken is opaque at edges, about 2 minutes.
2. Add broth and thyme and bring to a boil. Stir in barley. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until barley is tender and chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Add spinach and cook until wilted, 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

The broth needed a little more body I thought. My brother made a good observation. Next time it definitely needs garlic, and he had an interesting suggestion: cumin. (I was also wondering about throwing in some beans of some sort and/or some small pasta). Very hearty.

Nutrition Facts

Waffles from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book (2006)

A cherished memory of my dad was him making us waffles. But recreating the whipped egg whites step put a damper on my own waffle making. My brother made these waffles for us which are very delicious, but no egg white separating and beating and folding in required.

Ingredients
1 3/4 c flour
2 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 3/4 c milk
1/2 c cooking oil or butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla

Directions
1. In a medium bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside.
2. In another medium bowl beat eggs slightly; stir in milk, oil and vanilla. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be slightly lumpy).
3. Pour 1 1/4 c batter onto grids of a preheated, lightly greased waffle baker (regular or Belgian). Close lid quickly; do not open until done. Bake according to manufacturer's directions. When done, use a fork to lift waffle off grid. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm.

Buttermilk Waffles: Prepare as above, except reduce the baking powder to 1 tsp and add 1/2 tsp baking sods. Substitute 2 c buttermilk or sour milk for the milk.

Pear and Pecan Bread from the 1997 edition of the Joy of Cooking

We had some over ripe pears in the fridge, so I decided to use them up in some pear bread. I thought everyone might like this recipe.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9" x 5" (8 cups) loaf pan.

Ingredients
Whisk together thoroughly:
1 1/2 c flour (I used white whole wheat flour)
1 c sugar (I reduced this amount)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Whisk together in a large bowl:
1 egg
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 c grated, peeled ripe pears, with their juice- (2-4 pears) (Ripened pears are so soft I will sometimes throw them into a food processor or a blender, and sometimes I leave the skin on)

Directions
Add the flour mixture to the pear mixture and fold until about three quarters of the dry ingredients are moistened.

Add:
1 c pecans

Fold just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes (put a piece of foil over the top of the bread if it's getting too dark before the bread is cooked through). Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes before unmolding to cool completely on the rack.

Cool Chicken & Apple Salad Wrap (from Lin's Marketplace)

My sister-in-law made this for us. I'm not a huge fan of curry spice, but I thought these were delicious.

Ingredients
1 1/2 tsp curry powder, divided
salt
1/2 lb chicken breast tenderloins, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 c unsweetened apple juice
1/4 c sour cream
1/4 c mayonnaise
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 c diced peeled tart apple
1/4 c raisins
2 flour tortillas (8 inches) at room temperature
2 lettuce leaves
I added some celery as well

Directions
Cook chicken coated with a tsp of curry powder in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink in the center.
Combine the apple juice, sour cream, mayonnaise, cinnamon, and remaining curry until blended. Stir in chicken, apple, and raisins. Spread over tortillas; top with lettuce. Roll tightly.

I'm not a huge curry fan, but I thought these were delicious, and great for a summer supper.

Popsicles

I brought Eli's popsicle molds on vacation with us just so we could try different popsicle recipes all summer long. So here is a list of the recipes we tried:

Orange Cream Popsicles
6 oz. (I'm guessing that means 3/4 cup) orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 cups plain yogurt
2 tsp vanilla extract
Put ingredients in a bowl and whip. Pour into 6 popsicle molds and freeze.

I adjusted it up front. After a taste test I added more orange juice concentrate, and some of the Cool Whip I had laying around.

Pudding Popsicles
1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) chocolate pudding, or chocolate fudge pudding
2 cups cold milk
1 cup Cool Whip
Mix pudding with the milk, as per the package instructions. Fold in the cool whip (to prevent an icy popsicle). Pour into 6 popsicle molds and freeze.
optional- 1/2 cup chopped or mashed fruit, or nuts.

I used whole milk deliberately and non light Cool Whip because the store was out. This made these too rich. I was aiming for 100 calories a pop and these were 150. So I will lower the fat next time. I am also sad that the lower sugar options are fake sugars, and so I would not give them to my son.

Strawberry Banana Popsicles
1 banana
1 pkg. (3 oz.) strawberry gelatin dessert (or strawberry banana- which was all I could find).
1 cup boiling water
1 cup strawberry yogurt (I used Mountain High).
Dissolve the gelatin in the cup of boiling water. Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend. Pour into 6 popsicle molds and freeze.

It was a little strong on the banana. I am interested in using plain gelatin and actual blended strawberries. Pretty good.

Tropical Fruit Popsicles
1 cup mandarin oranges with juice
1 cup crushed pineapple
1 mango chopped
1 cup juice, like orange, pineapple or grape.
Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend. Pour into 6 popsicle molds and freeze.

Baba ghanoush

"Baba ghanoush, baba ganush, baba ghannouj or baba ghannoug (Arabic بابا غنوج bābā ġanūj) is an Arab dish of aubergine (eggplant) mashed and mixed with various seasonings. A popular preparation method is for the eggplant to be baked or broiled over an open flame before peeling, so that the pulp is soft and has a smoky taste. Often, it is eaten as a dip with khubz or pita bread, and is sometimes added to other dishes. It is usually of an earthy light-brown color." (from Wikipedia)
My aunt served this to us at a small after Christmas party when we were visiting. She had us eat it on romaine leaves. Everything else was very delicious. But I could not stand the baba ghanoush. She had two different varieties, so I tried both just to give it more than one chance. Now that I know that it is always made with eggplant, the mystery is solved. Sadly, there are certain foods I have a physical reaction to and cannot eat, no matter how much I wish I could like them because I know they are healthy for me, and that others with good taste will hold me in scorn for not liking them. One such food is sweet potatoes. My mother-in-law once made a shepherd's pie using sweet potatoes rather than potatoes. Politeness wise I was highly motivated to get it down somehow, but I literally could not eat it. Potatoes in general seem to stick in the back of my throat and are hard to swallow. Many yellow spices disagree with me. I cannot swallow much of the squash family. And, perhaps I dislike smoky favor- viewing my recent taste test and dislike of adobo.
I was grateful to have the opportunity to try something new. But this dish is a nemesis.

11,375 Stir Fries from the March 2010 Food Network Magazine

Step 1: Pick a Protein
3/4 lb flank steak, trimmed and thinly sliced against the grain
3/4 lb pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
3/4 lb medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs, thinly sliced against the grain
12 oz. pkg. extra firm silken tofu, cubed

Step 2: Marinate
whisk 1 egg white, 1 TBS Chinese rice wine or dry sherry and 1 TBS cornstarch. Toss with your protein; cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Step 3: Prep 3 Cups Vegetables (In Any Combination).
sliced carrots, sliced celery, sliced bell pepper, 1 in. scallion pieces, sliced onions or shallots, quartered mushroom caps, sliced bok choy or cabbage, sliced leeks, whole snow peas, sliced asparagus, quartered plum or halved cherry tomatoes, baby spinach, blanched broccoli or cauliflower florets, thawed frozen peas or edamame, etc.

Step 4: Choose a Sauce
a. Clear sauce- mix 3/4 c chicken broth, 1 TBS cornstarch, 2 TBS Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp sugar.

b. Sweet and Sour Sauce- mix 3/4 c chicken broth, 2 tsp cornstarch, 1/4 c ketchup, 2 tsp soy sauce, 3 TBS rice vinegar, 1/4 c sugar, 1/2 tsp salt & 1 tsp sesame oil.

c. Brown Sauce- mix 1/2 c chicken broth, 1 TBS cornstarch, 1 TBS soy sauce, 1 TBS hoisin sauce & 1 TBS Chinese rice wine or dry sherry.

d. Oyster Sauce- mix 3/4 c chicken broth, 1 TBS cornstarch, 1 TBS Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, 1 TBS soy sauce, 3 TBS oyster sauce, and 2 tsp sesame oil.

e. Spicy Sauce- mix 3/4 c chicken broth, 1 TBS cornstarch, 2 TBS each soy sauce, rice vinegar and Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1 TBS sugar & 2 tsp Asian chili sauce.

Step 5: Stir Fry
Drain the excess marinade from the protein. Place your sauce, vegetables and protein near the stove.
Heat 1/4 inch peanut or vegetable oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Add the protein; slowly stir until almost opaque, 30 seconds to 1 minute (for tofu, brown on both sides- do not stir). Transfer to a plate; discard the oil and wipe out the plan.
Heat the pan over high heat, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 TBS oil, then 2 cloves minced garlic (or 4 cloves if using Spicy Sauce), 1 to 2 TBS minced ginger, 2 minced scallions and a pinch each of salt and pepper; stir-fry about 30 seconds. Add the vegetables, starting with the ones that take the longest to cook; stir-fry until crisp tender.
Add the protein and sauce and stir until the sauce is thick and the vegetables and protein are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Thin with chicken broth, if needed. Garnish with sliced scallions, peanuts, sesame seeds, sliced jalapenos and/or cilantro.

Chicken Enchiladas: recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence on the Food Network

Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend (didn't know what this was)
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced (could only find in adobo sauce)
1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
16 corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned (I used medium)
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Directions
Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.
Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.
Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.
Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

I do not like adobo sauce. I will avoid it from now on, and just use the real chile if I must. Just one was very filling. I give this a willing to try again.

Chicken Barley Stew (Slow Cooker) from Betty Crocker Whole Grains: Easy Everyday Recipes

Ingredients
3 large carrots, sliced (2 cups)
2 medium stalks celery, sliced (1 cup)
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 chicken breast (about 1 1/4 lbs)
5 cups water
3/4 c barley
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp dried thyme leaves

Directions
1. In 4-5 quart slow cooker, place carrots, celery and onion. Place chicken breasts on vegetables. Add remaining ingredients except parsley and thyme.
2. Cover, cook on Low heat setting 8-9 hours.
3. Remove chicken from cutter; place on cutting board. Remove meat from bones and chop into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces; discard bones.
4. Stir chicken, parsley and thyme into stew. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook 10-15 minutes longer or until chicken is thoroughly heated.

It was a bit bland. But, typing out the recipe I realize that I forgot the tomatoes. Also, I had to adjust the cooking time for this high altitude.

Black Bean, Edamame, and Wheat Berry Salad

Serves 6 (3/4-cup servings)
Ingredients
4 cups water
1/2 cup dry wheat berries
1/2 of a 15-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained (I used the whole can because I didn't want the 2nd half to go to waste).
1 cup frozen, shelled edamame, thawed
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. Pompeian Red Wine Vinegar
3 Tbsp. Pompeian OlivExtra Plus
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions
1. Combine water and wheat berries in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 55 minutes or until wheat berries are just tender. 2. Place in a fine mesh strainer and run under cold water to cool quickly, drain well. 3. Combine the wheat berries with the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 8 hours in advance.

I ate mine immediately after preparing and that was a mistake. The red onion was so strong it almost made me sick. The next day it wasn't so pungent and I was OK. So either use green onions or wait a day. Also, I thought it could have used a lower wheat berry ratio. This was my first experience with edamame and it seemed to taste only slightly better than a Lima bean so I'm not sold on them. Perhaps I needed another brand or something.

Stir-Fried Honey-Ginger Chicken with Peppers

From Everyday Food: January/February 2010

This was yummy and quick. I was mean and made Matt eat all the peppers.

Ingredients
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
1/4 cup minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 red, orange, or yellow bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced (I used a bag of frozen peppers. I think it made it more watery, but I preferred doing it that way).
Cooked rice, for serving- I did brown rice in the rice cooker and it was the most funky texture ever. Not sure if I liked it that way or not. But it gave the dish a more complex flavor.
Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

Directions
In a small bowl, stir together honey, vinegar, and soy sauce. Heat a large skillet or wok over high until hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat skillet. Add chicken and stir until opaque but not cooked through, about 3 minutes; transfer to a plate.
Add 1 tablespoon oil, ginger, and garlic to skillet and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add peppers and stir 2 minutes. Add soy mixture and bring to a boil. Return chicken to skillet and toss until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Serve over rice, topped with cilantro.

(4 servings)

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

From EatingWell: November/December 2009

Very Yummy. It was interesting to finally use my cast iron skillet in a stove to oven meal. (I, of course, cut down on the sugar and used whole wheat flour. I bought some of that King Arthur white whole wheat flour. I think it is really nice. The nutrition info matches up to the other whole wheat flour- but it works more like white flour.)

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes (including 15 minutes cooling time)

Ingredients
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, divided
1 12-ounce bag fresh or frozen (thawed) cranberries (about 3 cups)
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature (set on counter for about 15 minutes)
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup low-fat milk, at room temperature
Whipped cream for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Heat brown sugar, 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons orange juice in a large (12-inch) cast-iron or regular skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter melts and the mixture starts to bubble. Let cool. Coat the sides of the skillet with cooking spray.
Bring the remaining 1/4 cup orange juice and cranberries to a simmer in a medium saucepan, stirring often, until about half the cranberries have popped. Pour evenly over the cooled brown sugar mixture in the skillet.
Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
Separate egg whites and yolks. Place the yolks in a large bowl and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, oil, granulated sugar and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer or stand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour mixture alternately with milk, using a rubber spatula, starting and ending with the flour. Stir just until the flour is incorporated. Beat the egg whites in a clean dry mixing bowl with clean dry beaters on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks. Fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter, then gently fold in the rest until almost no white streaks remain. Spread the batter over the cranberries.
Bake until the top is golden brown and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate. Let cool for at least 30 minutes more before serving. Serve warm or room temperature. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.

(10 servings)
Nutrition: 357 calories; 13 g fat (4 g sat, 5 g mono); 55 mg cholesterol; 57 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 194 mg sodium; 94 mg potassium.