Take a moment to relax while this one cooks.....

Doesn't that sound wonderful?  When I was a young mother back in the early eighties, there was a magazine called "Working Mother", and for a long time it had a section called "Relax While it Cooks".  I tried many of the recipes and loved the concept, especially since I had a job that kept me on my feet the entire shift.  The idea that dinner could be in the oven or sauteing on the stove became as appealing as any crock pot ideas I could come up with.  It meant sitting down and coloring with my daughter and listening to her about her day, versus that mad rush to get dinner to the table.  It's amazing what you can do with 40-50 minutes "free" time while dinner is preparing itself.


This dinner isn't from that series, but it made me think of it, and if you like this idea, I will come up with more.  I got this recipe from a coworker in Spokane, WA many years ago.  She called it "King's Ranch Chicken".

King's Ranch Chicken

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INGREDIENTS

• 6 or more boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 cup water
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 7-8 oz pkg pepperidge farm herb stuffing

METHOD

Place chicken breasts in 9x12 baking dish. Lightly season both sides with salt and pepper. Mix 1 can of undiluted cream of chicken soup with 1 can cream of celery soup. Stir in 1 cup (or can) of water. Pour over chicken, cover with 1 small package of Pepperidge Farm herb stufffing/dressing. (I like the crunch the cubes give, and had to use 1/2 of a 12 oz. package.) Drizzle 1 stick of melted butter or margarine over all. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, uncovered. (internal chicken temperature > 165 degrees.) I was able to relax for 40 minutes, then got up and made the rice with chicken broth.  20 more minutes of relaxing, and while the chicken and rice were cooling down, I made the salad.  Clean-up took hardly any time as well because only 2 pans and one bowl was used.  Nice! Give it a try, it's even good enough for unexpected company, like I had last night. :) Have a wonderful weekend! Nancy :)

Tuscan Chicken with White Beans, Tomatoes, and Oregano......

How about a recipe with less than 10 minutes prep time and 10 minutes cooking time?  That's what you'll get with this protein-rich meal.  Another find from Robin Takes 5, by Robin Miller.

Tuscan Chicken with White Beans, Tomatoes, and Oregano

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1        tablespoon olive oil

4        cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2  pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1        teaspoon dried oregano

1        (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano

1        (15 ounce) can white beans (Great Northern or cannellini), rinsed and drained

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add the chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown on all sides, stirring frequently.  Add the oregano and cook for 1 minute, until the oregano is fragrant.  Add the tomatoes and beans and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper before serving.

Recipe Source:  Robin Takes 5, Robin Miller

So few ingredients!  I love that you can get diced tomatoes that are already flavored too!

This is one of those recipes I should be able to throw together anytime, because I always have the items in my pantry.  We loved the flavors too, and I'm thinking they could be a start to a white chicken chili in the future.....what do you think?

Have a wonderful day!

Nancy

Chicken & Artichokes in a White Wine Sauce.........

This is one of my favorite chicken recipes.  If you haven't figured it out by now, I also really love artichoke hearts too, and they're a perfect companion to chicken.  This is another recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Annie's Eats.  Her recipes never disappoint, her photographs are beautiful, and she bakes like a dream.  She also seems to have a very similar palate to mine when it comes to chicken recipes especially, and this was one of the first recipes I ever made from her blog.

Chicken & Artichokes in a White Wine Sauce

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Ingredients:

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. herbes de provence (or a combination of other dried herbs such as basil, parsley, oregano, thyme)

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (2 chicken breasts total)

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. butter

2 cups sliced baby bella mushrooms

1 (14 oz.) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup chicken broth

Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Minced fresh parsley, for serving

Directions:

In a pie plate or shallow dish, combine the flour, dried herbs, salt and pepper and stir with a fork to blend.  Reserve 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture.  Using tongs, coat the chicken breast halves in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess.  

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken to the pan and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through cooking.  Remove the chicken to a plate; cover and keep warm.

Add the butter to the pan and warm until melted.  Add the mushrooms and artichokes to the pan and cook until most of the liquid is released from the mushrooms and the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.  

In a liquid measuring cup, combine the white wine, chicken broth, and reserved tablespoon of flour; whisk until smooth.  Add the mixture to the skillet, cooking until it is warm and slightly thickened.  Return the chicken to the pan to warm through and cover with sauce.  Serve the chicken with sauce spooned over the top, and garnish with grated Parmesan and fresh parsley as desired.

Recipe Source:  Annie's Eats

This recipe is simple, elegant, and wonderful.  I like to serve it over white or brown rice and with a simple salad.  It is so good, I am getting hungry looking at it, and the leftovers are even yummy.  Here's another one I'd like you to give a try, and let me know what you think.

Have a great weekend!

Nancy

Don't you just love a recipe with 5 ingredients or less?

I know I do.   I definitely gravitate toward a recipe with as few ingredients as possible, especially when I am planning weeknight meals.  The words quick, easy & simple seem to catch my eye too.  I was browsing in my local Barnes & Noble and realized that one of my favorite cookbook authors had written her 4th (to my knowledge) cookbook, and the title grabbed me.  Robin Takes 5 by Robin Miller.  The description on the cover:

500 recipes
5 ingredients or less
500 calories or less
5 nights a week at
5:00 PM


What's not to like?  I bought the book, brought it home, found a recipe that I had all the ingredients for and gave it a test run.  This is my first recipe from the book, and I won't review the book until I've tried a few more, but this one was a winner.

Roasted Chicken with Hearts of Palm and Parmesan


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Ingredients:


4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon garlic-flavored olive oil
1 (14 ounce) can hearts of palm, drained and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Brush the chicken all over with the oil and transfer the chicken to a shallow roasting pan.  Season the chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Top the chicken with the hearts of palm and Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.  Top the chicken with the parsley just before serving.

Recipe Source: Robin Takes 5, Robin Miller

I was out of parsley, so didn't include it as you can see by my picture, but the dish was excellent anyway.  If you are looking at recipes with few ingredients, generally salt, pepper and water do not count, so keep that in mind.  The author does try to keep everything low-sodium, so season to your own tastes or needs.  Keep in mind that some cheeses, like Parmesan, already have a bit of salty taste to them.

Serve with rice, orzo, couscous and a salad for a complete meal.  You will love it!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Nancy

Easy Chicken Tarragon Salad

I love chicken salad, and this one is my current favorite.  I am happy to report that almost every member of my family has tried it as well, and let's just say there are never any leftovers.  It goes fast!

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Easy Chicken Tarragon Salad


1-2 cooked chicken breasts, diced
2-3 stalks celery, diced
handful of dried cranberries (craisins) optional
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon tarragon, or to taste

Mix all together.  Chill.  Serve on bed of lettuce or on slices of whole wheat or 7 grain bread.

I think the secret these days to any good potato or chicken salad is the 50-50 ratio of mayonnaise to sour cream.  I feel that it tastes much better this way.  This is easy, and just plain good!

Nancy