Corn Casserole

This is one of my favorite holiday dishes but I rarely make it because I'm the only one that likes it.  I know in most other families this is served often, especially in the South.  The beauty of this dish is that it is incredibly easy.  With all the work that goes into most holiday mains and sides, this yummy dish is a welcome respite.  

8 oz Jiffy Corn Muffin mix 

15 oz can whole kernel corn (drained)

15 oz can creamed corn

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup melted butter

2 eggs

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together and then pour into a greased 8"x8" baking pan.

3.  Cook uncovered for 45-50 minutes or until lightly browned.

Note:  You can omit the eggs.  However, using eggs makes the casserole lighter.  

If cheese is your thing, you can mix 1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or cheese of your choice.

If you like super sweet things, you can add 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar.  Just beware:  Using sugar makes an already sweet casserole extremely sweet.  Using eggs and sugar in this recipe makes this more like a dessert.

Serves 8

Thanksgiving 2019

With my son away in the Army, it was just myself and my parents for Thanksgiving.  That didn't stop us from making enough food for 20 people.  With my current health problems due to an auto accident three years ago, cooking is very difficult for me.  Sadly I wasn't able to contribute as much as I would have liked due to physical limitations, but there was certainly more than enough and at least I got to make a few things.

Our menu this year was as follows:

Cornish Hens (my mom made these)
Ham (my mom made this for my dad because he doesn't like anything "weird")
Gravy (my mom made this)
Mashed Potatoes (I made these because I always do)
Sweet potatoes (my mom made these)
Green Beans (my mom made these and they tasted like Sonny's green beans, which I love)
Squash Casserole (I made this)
Dressing (my mom made this)
Asparagus (I made this)
Baked Beans (my mom made these because my dad loves them)
Corn Casserole (I made this because I love it)
Deviled and Hard Boiled Eggs (my mom made these)
Biscuits (my mom made these)

Because the meal was so nontraditional, I used a very modified formal place setting for the table with my great grandmother's china.  I wasn't expecting the biscuits, because my mom had made no mention of bringing any bread and since we usually don't eat bread with our meals, I wasn't planning to make any.  In light of all this, I replaced the bread plate with the coffee cup/saucer.  I also eliminated the extra wine glass as I was only serving a single wine.  My parents really don't care about wine like I do so I didn't worry about getting formal with the wine.  I also removed the sherry glass because I'm the only one that drinks sherry.  And the salad fork is missing because I wasn't actually serving salad.  The salad plate is on the place setting to give everyone more plate room for all the side dishes.  And since we were not having any fish/seafood, I eliminated the fish knife and the fish and seafood forks.   As I said:  A highly modified formal place setting.

Nontraditional or not, we enjoyed the meal.  Of course, there are more leftovers than you can shake a stick at.  I'm quite certain we'll all be eating leftovers for more days than we care to!  And now the Christmas meal planning begins.  Christmas often closely mirrors Thanksgiving, but my dad mentioned he wanted my seafood pasta this year for Christmas so I thought perhaps we might do a traditional Italian Christmas meal.  We shall see.

Thai Chicken Vegetable Soup

I made this soup a few months ago and it was amazing!  It's incredibly easy and quick to make thanks to using Swanson broth.  It's good when it's first made, but is even better warmed up.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 2" matchstick-thin strips
1 medium red pepper, cut into 2" matchstick-think strips
1 cup sliced mushrooms (shitake, oyster, cremini), optional
1 carton (32 oz) Swanson Thai Ginger Flavor Infused Broth
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 can (about 14 oz) unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1.  Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add carrot and pepper, cook for 5 minutes or until tender-crisp.  Stir in mushrooms, if using.

2.  Add broth to saucepan and heat to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Stir in chicken, cook 5 minutes or until chicken is hot.

3.  Stir in coconut milk and cook until mixture is hot and bubbling.  Stir in lime juice and cilantro.

Serves 5 (about 1 1/2 cups per serving)

New Year 2015

I've already spent my first morning of 2015 in the kitchen!  No complaints from me!  I have already made my first pot of soup.  Nothing gourmet, mind you!  I simply had some chicken broth from a chicken done in the slow cooker and then some base left over from last night when I made cabbage and kielbasa.  I also had a few vegetables I wanted to use and some quinoa that just needed to be used up.  Not only do I now have lunch for today, but I also have lunch for next week at work.  Since I'll start visiting the ducks at the park for lunch each afternoon this is very handy.  I've missed my ducks and can't wait to start seeing them again!

As for 2015 kitchen goals...

I want to keep trying new recipes.  I want to get better about trying at least two a month, but would prefer to try four a month.  But we'll see.  It seems like I get so busy thoughout the year and I never meet this goal.  We'll see how it goes this year.

I also want to continue to eat as much organic as I can.  I know some don't believe eating organic really makes any difference, but I do know I feel much better when I do. 

This year I plan to finally buy my rice maker.  I just have to find a place to store it!  And I'm going to be purchasing more bento boxes from my wish list.  I think I'm looking forward to the bento boxes the most!

I hope you're year in the kitchen is tasty and fun with lots of new adventures!

Chicken Stir Fry

My son and I had this for dinner tonight and we really liked it.  I was super pleased with the way it cooked up.  It is very easy to prepare and quite tasty.  And I'll admit, I was trying to finish up laundry so instead of stir frying the veggies properly, I stirred them long enough to coat them with the sesame oil to give them the proper taste and then threw a small amount of water in the pan and put the lid on and let them steam a bit while I took care of the laundry.  Maybe it's cheating, but when you're the only one doing every bit of the housework for two humans and four animals, shortcuts become a way of life.

2 cups white rice
4 cups water
2/3 cups soy sauce (I used reduced sodium soy sauce, but either works fine.)
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch (If you don’t have cornstarch, 2 tablespoons flour will work.)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (If you don’t have fresh ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger will work.)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoon sesame oil, divided
1 green bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
1 can (8oz) sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 head broccoli, cut into florets (If you don’t have fresh, 3 ½ cups frozen florets will work.)
1 cup sliced carrots
1 onion, cut into large chunks

1. Prepare rice according to package directions. I like to put a bit of sesame oil in the water.

2. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir or whisk until smooth. Mix ginger, garlic, and red pepper into sauce; coat chicken with marinade and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir bell pepper, water chestnuts, broccoli, carrots, and onion until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove vegetables from skillet and keep warm.

4. Remove chicken from marinade, reserving liquid. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir chicken until slightly pink on the inside, about 2 minutes per side; return vegetables and reserved marinade to skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until chicken is no longer pink in the middle and vegetables are tender, 5-7 minutes. Serve over rice.

**Try adding bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, snap peas or any other of your favorite veggies. You can also serve over noodles.**

Serves 6

Thanksgiving 2014

I've gotten several questions this year asking what we serve at Thanksgiving and asking for the recipes.  Ours is not a traditional Thanksgiving meal, but it does have a few traditional dishes.  And it's very good.  At least we think so! 

2014 Thanksgiving Menu

Chicken (As a family, we do NOT like turkey.  So as a family we decided we wanted a heavy hen for
   dinner.  My mom roasted it and it was very good, of course.)
Hog Maw (This is our preferred holiday meat.  I made this.)
Gravy (Of course my mom made this using some of the pan juices from the chicken.)
Mashed Potatoes (My son requested these and I made these.)
Green Bean Casserole (My son requested this and I made it.)
Sweet Potato Casserole (My son requested this and I made it.)
Collard Greens (I love these and so does my mom.  My son and dad do too, but not as much.  I made
   these.)
Steamed Pole Beans (My mom thought perhaps we needed a "normal" vegetable on the table.  I made
   these.)
Fried Cabbage (I had cabbage leftover from the maw so decided to fry it up.)
Cranberry Sauce (My mom requested this and I made it.)
Cole Slaw (My dad requested this and my mom made it.  Her's is perfect and I can't duplicate it.)
Deviled Eggs and Hard Boiled Eggs (I wanted the deviled eggs.  My mom made them because I can't
   duplicate her perfect deviled eggs.)
Stuffing and Dressing (My mom made this.)
Cornbread (My mom made this.)
Biscuits (My mom made these.)
Pineapple Upside Down Cake (This is my son's favorite so my mom made it.)
Homemade Pink Lemonade (My mom made this.)

And this was only for four people.  Needless to say we have a ton of leftovers.  We've eaten some of the leftovers today, but I fear I'll be eating leftovers for the rest of my life!  And then comes Christmas.  My son has already requested a ham so I'm on the quest for the perfect ham now.

In the coming days I'll post recipes for the individual dishes.  As I post the recipes I'll come back here and add a link directly to the recipe.  I won't post recipes for my mom's dishes (I don't know them).

Buffalo Shrimp Salad

My son was going through some recipe cards I had laying on the table and picked this out as something that he wanted to try "right away".  Although instead of a salad like the original recipe called for, he wanted his in a wrap.  Really there is no difference.  Just take the salad and stuff a wrap with it.  Pretty easy.  This turned out really good and is something that is great to take to work for lunch too.

1 large fresh mango, coarsely chopped
1 medium avocado, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 lbs peeled/deveined shrimp (thawed), tails removed
1 tablespoon garlic herb Buffalo wing seasoning
1 bag (9-10oz) romaine lettuce
1/2 cup Caesar dressing
1/4 cup Buffalo wing sauce
1/4 cup honey

1.  Preheat oven to broil and line a baking pan with aluminum foil.

2.  Chop mango and avocado, discarding peel and seed.

3.  Arrange shrimp on pan in single layer.  Sprinkle seasoning over shrimp and broil 4-5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink and opaque.

4.  Place romaine in salad bowl.  Combine dressing, wing sauce and honey.  Drizzle 1/2 of the dressing over the lettuce and then top with shrimp,mango and avocado.  Drizzle the remaining dressing over prepared bowls and serve.

Serves 4

Mediterranean Herb Crusted Tilapia

My son really doesn't like fish all that much, but this he loved.  And I have to admit, it was truly tasty!  I had two servings myself!

1 teaspoon minced garlic (dried)
1 teaspoon marjoram leaves
¾ teaspoon ground mustard
¾ teaspoon basil leaves
¾ teaspoon oregano leaves
½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
6 tilapia or flounder fillets (about 1 ½ lbs)
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, melted or olive oil
1 ½ cups chopped fresh spinach leaves
¾ cup panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Place fish on foil lined shallow baking pan. Sprinkle with salt. Mix butter and all of the spice in medium bowl. Brush fish with 1 tablespoon of the seasoned butter.

2. Stir spinach, panko, bell pepper and Parmesan cheese into remaining seasoned butter. Divide mixture evenly among fish fillets, pressing lightly so mixture adheres to top of fish.

3. Bake in preheated 400 oven 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serves 6

Potato Soup

For some reason, I've never made potato soup.  I guess I was afraid of the roux.  I don't know.  Or maybe I thought it would be a lot of work.  Well, last weekend that all changed.  I always take soup to work for lunch and Sunday night I realized I had nothing made.  It was a little chilly so I decided I wanted potato soup.  Much to my surprise this recipe was amazingly easy and turned out to be the most delicious potato soup I've ever had.  My son loved it.  I made 8 servings and he ate 6 of those servings....in one sitting.

1 pound bacon, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 potatoes, peeled and cubed (I leave my skins on and it turns out just fine)
4 cups chicken stock, or enough to cover potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

1.  In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until done.  Remove bacon from pan and set aside.  Drain off all but 1/4 cup of the bacon grease.

2.  In the bacon grease remaining in the pan, saute the celery and onion until the onion begins to turn clear.  Add the garlic, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the cubed potatoes, and toss to coat.  Saute for 3 to 4 minutes.  Return the bacon to the pan, and add enough chicken stock to cover the potatoes.  Cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender.

3.  In a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour.  Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes.  Whisk in the heavy cream.  Bring the cream mixture to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Stir the cream mixture into the potato mixture. 

4.  Puree about 1/2 the soup, and return to the pan.

5.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

Note:  I only had about a 1/2 cup of heavy cream.  For the remaining 1/2 cup of liquid for the roux I used half and half.  My grandmother used to simply use 1 cup of whole milk and I know some people who say they use water.  I don't know about the water, but I suppose in a pinch it would do.

Breakfast Potatoes

This dish gets made in my home fairly often.  It is mostly made for breakfast, but I've used it for dinner as well. 

The nice thing about this recipe is that it is easily adaptable to whatever your family likes.  I typically use one potato per person.  However, if you have a big eater you may want to use two potatoes for that person.  I also don't list an amount for the other ingredients because this recipe is all about making it to suit your tastes.

potatoes, with or without skin, (1 per person is a good rule of thumb), cut into bite size pieces
olive oil
minced garlic OR garlic powder
salt OR garlic salt
finely minced onion OR onion powder
paprika
Italian seasoning
Lawry's seasoned salt
parsley flakes
freshly ground black pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Place bite size potatoes in a large mixing bowl.  Drizzle with just enough olive oil to lightly coat potatoes and toss.  Sprinkle with spices and then toss to coat.

2.  Lightly coat baking dish with olive oil.  Transfer potatoes into baking dish and sprinkle lightly with spices.  If you used a good bit of spices in Step 1, you can skip adding more spices in this step.

3.  Cover baking dish.  If you don't have a cover for your baking dish, using tin foil is fine.  Bake 30 to 45 minutes, until potatoes are done.

Serving suggestion:  Breakfast:  When my son asks for these potatoes for breakfast he likes to have sunny side up eggs served over his potatoes.  Dinner:  Usually I serve these potatoes with steak if we want something other than baked potato with our steak.  These also go well with a roast.

Chili

This is a recipe I developed on my own over the last few years.  Often I put more of the seasoning in my chili than what I've listed below, but my son and I like our chili a little more flavorful than most.  So for the sake of my readers, I've toned the recipe down to accommodate the more sensitive palate.

1 lb hamburger
1 lb ground sausage
1 large red onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 (27 oz) can Bush’s Chili Beans in mild sauce
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon garlic powder or substitute minced garlic to taste (I usually use minced garlic)
3 tablespoons chili powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 teaspoons ground cumin

Put onion, green pepper, hamburger and sausage in large skillet and cook until meat is done and onion and green pepper are soft. Onions will be translucent. While you are cooking the meat, combine the rest of the ingredients in a Dutch oven or similarly large pot and warm over medium-low heat. When meat has finished cooking, drain well and then add to Dutch oven. Turn heat to medium-high and heat until bubbly. Turn heat back to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.  If you are in a hurry you can skip the simmering step and simply serve immediately, but you won't have the same flavor as when you let it simmer.

I usually serve this chili with sour cream, shredded cheese and warm cornbread.

Serves 6-8

Chive and Garlic Butter

We originally enjoyed this butter at a local restaurant.  My son loved it and one day mentioned that he would like to be able to enjoy it at home.  This is the recipe that I came up with and he assures me it tastes exactly like what Harry's serves.

1 stick of butter, softened  (I use real butter not margarine)
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped; or more to taste
1 teaspoon minced garlic or more to taste (I often use the store bought minced garlic)
2 tablespoons sour cream
Salt to taste (if necessary)

To soften butter, allow to come to room temperature.  Put all ingredients except the salt into a bowl, mix until well blended.  Although it doesn't taste as good as this point, spread some on a bite of bread to test and see if you want to add salt, more chives or more garlic.  For a creamier consistency, which is how we prefer this butter, add more sour cream if necessary.  Refrigerate for at least six hours to allow the chive and garlic to flavor the butter.

Tarragon Chicken

This is one of our favorite recipes.  It's very easy and makes a good Sunday dinner too!  I often make this smaller recipe when it's just me and my son.  Of course you can easily double or triple this recipe if you're having a lot of people.

1 whole chicken (2-3 pounds)
2 zucchini
1 carrot
2-3 springs of tarragon
olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425.  Grate zucchini and carrot into large bowl.  Mix in just the leaves from the tarragon sprigs.  I usually chop the leaves, but I've been in a hurry before and put the leaves in whole and it turned out fine.  Stuff the chicken with the zucchini/carrot mixture and then place the chicken into a roasting pan.  Rub outside of chicken with olive oil.  It doesn't take much.  Use just enough to give it a thin coat.  You can also use butter if you don't have olive oil.  I simply prefer olive oil.  In a pinch I've also used my Pam spray olive oil if I was out of regular olive oil.  Salt and pepper the chicken to taste and garnish with more tarragon springs if desired.  Roast chicken at 425 for 45 minutes.  Turn oven down to 350 and roast another 45 minutes or until done.

Brazilian Chicken Curry

My son and I really enjoyed this tonight.  My son does not particularly care for curries of any type, so I was surprised when he went back for seconds and ended up finishing off everything I made.

1 1/2 cups yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups red bell pepper (or any color bell pepper available),
  coarsely chopped
1 cup baking potato, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound), cut into bite-size pieces
Cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 cup regular rice, uncooked
1/2 cup light (can also use regular) coconut milk*
1 tablespoon tomato paste*
2 teaspoons minced garlic*
     *I doubled this part of the recipe and would recommend doing so when you make this meal.*

1.  Prepare rice according to package directions.  After I had turned my rice to low to cook, I threw the leftover coconut milk into the rice rather than throw it out.  I did not alter the amount of water used, I simply added the coconut milk (approx. 1 cup) to the rice.

2.  Preheat large nonstick saute pan on medium-high 2-3 minutes.  Coat vegetables with cooking spray, then place peppers, onions, and potatoes in pan; cook 3-4 minutes or until browned.  (Instead of spraying my veggies with cooking spray I simply heated up some olive oil in my pan.)

3.  Coat chicken with cooking spray, then season with salt, pepper, and curry powder.  Add chicken to vegetables; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until chicken has browned on all sides.

4.  Whisk coconut milk, tomato paste, ginger, and garlic until smooth.  Reduce heat to low , add sauce to chicken, and cover; simmer and stir 3-4 minutes or until potatoes are tender and chicken is done. 

5.  Serve over rice and sprinkle with cilantro just before serving.

Serves 4
Calories:  310
Fat:  5 grams
Cholesterol:  65 mg
Sodium:  250 mg
Carbs:  39 grams
Fiber:  4 grams
Protein:  28 grams
Vitamin A:  40%
Vitamin C:  170%
Calcium:  6%
Iron:  10%
*Obviously these values change if you alter the recipe as I did.*

Cheese Crusted Fish with Creamy Grits

This has been the best meal we've had all year!  I was amazed at how good this meal was, and it was such a simple recipe.

Cheese Crusted Fish

1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup egg substitute (or 2 large eggs, beaten)
2 cups crunch cheese flavored corn snacks (such as Cheetos)
Large ziptop bag
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 firm, white fish fillets (like tilapia or cod), 20-24 oz; thawed
2 tablespoons canola oil

1.  Place flour on plate (may be paper); places eggs in shallow bowl.  Place cheese snacks in large ziptop bag; seal tightly and crush with fingertips until ground finely.  (I cheated and used a food processor.)  Add panko, parsley, coriander, ad pepper; mix until well blended.  Place mixture in a second shallow bowl.

2.  Dip each fillet in flour (coating both sides); shake off excess.  Dip each fillet into egg (allowing excess to drip off).  Finally, dip into crumb mixture (coating both sides); press with fingertips to coat evenly.

3.  Preheat large saute pan on medium 3-4 minutes.  Place oil in pan, then add half of the fish fillets; cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden and crisp.  Place on paper towels to drain.  Repeat with remaining fillets; add a little more oil, if needed.

Serves 4
Calories:  440; Fat:  18g; Cholesterol:  55mg; Sodium:  430mg; Carbs:  33g; Fiber:  2g; Protein:  35g

Creamy Corn Grits

1 (14.75oz) can cream style corn
2 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup plain yellow corn meal
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1.  Combine corn, water, butter, seasoned salt, and pepper in medium saucepan; bring to a boil on high.

2.  Add cornmeal, whisking constantly, until blended.  Reduce heat to low; cook 8-10 minutes, whisking often, or until thickened.

3.  Stir in cheese until well blended.

Serves 8
Calories:  150; Fat:  6g; Cholesterol:  15g; Sodium:  300mg; Carbs:  21g; Fiber:  2g; Protein:  4g

Straight From The Garden Salad

This salad is quick, easy and fresh. Everything in this salad except for the dressing comes from your garden. But the real beauty of this salad is that you don't have to use exac,tly what I used. You can substitute in vegetables you may grow that I don't or take away vegetables you don't care for. You'll also find that I don't put quantities. That's because you can make a single serving or a large batch. It all depends on how many you have to feed when you make this.

bell pepper (today I used red, green and purple, but any color bell pepper works)
cucumber (I used an Armenian cucumber, but any cucumber can go in this salad)
tomato (any type)
onion (I happened to have a red onion, but any variety can be used)
dressing (I have used Italian, balsamic vinegrette, Greek vinegrette and I've also mixed my own using rice vinegar and olive oil)

Cut all vegetables into bite size pieces. If you prefer to peel your cucumber, you can. If you use an Armenian cucumber you should peel and seed it. Once all of your vegetables are cut, pour your dressing over it all and stir. I always use enough dressing to cover the vegetables and then use a slotted spoon to serve. However, you can use as little or as much dressing as you want. This dish can be served immediately or chilled and served later. I also like to spoon this over lettuce or cooked chicken.

Margarita Chicken

This is such an easy recipe! I came up with this recipe because my son and I enjoy Cuban food. As a test, I made some up and took it to my Cuban friend. She was amazed. She said it was like eating her mother's cooking. I knew I hit the mark when my son's pickiest friend ate TWO servings and asks to come over whenever I make this meal!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Margarita mix or lime juice
1 family size package yellow rice
2 large cans black beans or 1 lb dried black beans
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
Cilantro
Olive oil

1. Marinate chicken in margarita mix or lime juice. If you don't have time to marinate, you can simply pour the margarita mix or lime juice over the chicken and then cook. How much you use is up to you.

2. Preheat oven to 350. Cook chicken until done. Depending on the size of the breasts it could be anywhere from a half hour to 45 minutes. This also tastes great if you grill the chicken on a charcoal grill.

3. While chicken is cooking, prepare rice as package directs. If you are using dried beans, you will need to prepare the dried beans as package directs.

4. If you like to prepare food ahead, this step can be done the day before. Chop your tomatoes, 1 green bell pepper and half of the red onion. Combine in large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic (less if you're not a garlic fan), lime juice (I usually use the juice from half a lime), and cilantro to taste. Mix well and store in refrigerator until you serve the meal.

5. Chop the remaining green bell pepper and onion and saute in a large skillet until softened. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add black beans and heat through, cooking until beans are of desired consistency.

6. To serve: Layer rice first on your plate. Then layer your beans on top of the rice. Next put your chicken on top of the beans. Sometimes I go ahead and slice the chicken, other times I don't. On top of that put the tomato relish created in step 4. Sometimes I sprinkle the dish with cilantro.

Greek Pasta Salad

This is the *best* pasta salad.....EVER! And it's so easy too!

1 box bowtie pasta
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 can black olives
1 red onion, thinly sliced (I omit this because my son is not real big on onions)
1 package crumbled feta cheese (I use the 5oz package)
1 bottle Kraft Greek Vinaigrette dressing

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Chop tomatoes, cucumber and red onion if using.

3. Combine cooked pasta, tomatoes, cucmber, olives, onions, feta cheese and dressing in large bowl and mix well.

4. Chill and serve.

**You can serve right away, but I like this salad best when chilled.

Harvest Leg of Lamb

Autumn is here! Well, not so much in Florida, but my calendar says it should be autumn and I'm craving autumn food. Here is one of our favorite autumn meals. I love to serve this on the weekends when I have people over for football. Especially if it's a cold, wet day.

1 5 to7 lb whole lamb leg roast (bone in)
6 cloves garlic, cut into thin slices (about half a bulb)
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning or dried oregano, crushed
1 teaspoon pepper

1. Trim fat from meat. With the tip of a knife, cut ½” wide slits into roast at 1” intervals (approximately 36 holes) inserting a thin slice of garlic in each. Brush meat surface with lemon juice. Stir together parsley, oil, Italian seasoning or oregano, and pepper. Pat parsley mixture into meat. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.

2. Place meat, fat side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer into center of meat, without touching bone. Roast in 325 oven until thermometer registers 140 for medium rare (1 ¾ to 2 ¼ hours) or 155 for medium (2 to 2 ½ hours). Transfer meat to serving platter. Cover meat with foil and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.

Serves 12 to 16

Calories: 187
Fat: 8 grams
Saturated fat: 3 grams
Sodium: 68 mg
Carbs: 2 grams

Chicken and Pasta Primavera

This is a recipe from the back of a Campbell's soup lable. It isn't fancy or ground breaking, but it's fast and it gets the job done when you need dinner on the table ten minutes ago!

1 can (10.75 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bag (16 oz) frozen vegetable combination (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots mix is a good one)
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/2 of a 1-pound package spaghetti, cooked without salt and drained (you can also use whatever other pasta you may have on hand)

1. Heat soup, milk, cheese, garlic powder and vegetables in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp.

2. Stir chicken in saucepan and cook until mixture is hot and bubbling. Serve over pasta.

Serves 4

Calories: 473
Total fat: 10 grams
Saturated fat: 3 grams
Cholesterol 72 mg
Sodium: 449 mg
Total Carbs: 59 grams
Dietary Fiber: 6 grams
Protein: 35 grams