Stuffed Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Artichokes

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

½ c. finely grated fontina cheese

1 tbsp. basil

½ c. sun dried tomatoes

12 oz. jar marinated artichokes, drained and chopped

EVOO

Directions:

Slice sides of chicken breasts, about two inches long to prepare for stuffing.

Salt and pepper chicken.

Combine basil, cheese, sun dried tomatoes, and artichokes in small bowl.

When mixed well, stuff chicken with mixture.

Preheat oven to 375.

Oil bottom of skillet pan, and brown chicken until almost completely cooked.

Transfer chicken to baking dish and cook chicken for 8-10 minutes, or until completely cooked.

Serve with rice pilaf and a veggie. This is delicious!

Florentine Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 pound corkscrew shaped pasta
Salt
Black pepper
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 boxes, 10 ounces, chopped frozen spinach
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup whole milk
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg, eyeball it

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450.
Place a large pot of water on to boil for pasta. When it comes to a boil, salt it and add the pasta to cook to al dente. Strain pasta reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

Defrost spinach in microwave 8 to 10 minutes on "defrost" setting depending on the microwave. Place the boxes in a shallow dish to catch any run off.

In a medium sauce pot over medium heat, melt butter, whisk in flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in stock and milk, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and thicken 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the 1 cup grated parmesan cheese and reduce heat on lowest setting.

Wring spinach completely dry in clean kitchen towel then separate as you add it to the sauce. Also add the reserved 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Toss pasta with the spinach-white sauce and adjust seasonings. If needed, add a bit more parmesan cheese to the mac and cheese mixture.

California Pizza Kitchen Chicken & BBQ Pizza

*Makes two small pizzas

Ingredients for toppings:

2 bags precooked Tyson chicken strips (cut into ¼ inch cubes)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. favorite BBQ sauce (I use a spicy-sweet sauce)

Ingredients for dough:

1 basic pizza dough (cut in half to make two small pizzas)
Cornmeal, semolina, or flour for handling
1/2 c. favorite BBQ sauce (I use a spicy-sweet sauce)
2 tbsp. shredded smoked Gouda cheese
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. small red-onion, thinly chopped
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Before prepping to make pizza, immediately preheat oven to 500. Place a pizza stone or pan in while preheating. Oven should be preheated for a good deal of time before baking.

Remove pre-cooked chicken from bag and coat chicken with two tablespoons BBQ sauce; set aside in the refrigerator.

For dough, use a large spoon to spread 1/4 cup BBQ sauce evenly over the surface of the prepared dough within the rim. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of smoked Gouda cheese over the sauce. Cover with 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella.

Distribute half the chicken pieces evenly over the cheese. Place pieces of red onion over the surface. Sprinkle an additional 1/4 cup mozzarella over the top of the pizza.

Transfer the pizza to the oven; bake until the crust is crisp and golden and the cheese at the center is bubbly (about 8 to 10 minutes). When the pizza is cooked, carefully remove it from the oven; sprinkle 1 tablespoon cilantro over the hot surface. Slice and serve.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients for a second pizza. (The two pizzas may be prepared simultaneously if you are careful in placing the pizzas at opposite corners of your pizza stone.)

Broiled Salmon with Herb Mustard Glaze

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves
3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon dry white wine
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
Nonstick olive oil cooking spray
6 (6 to 8-ounce) salmon fillets ( I asked to have mine cleaned and skinned at the grocery store)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 lemon wedges

Directions:

• In a mini food processor, combine garlic, rosemary, thyme, wine, oil, Dijon mustard, and only 1 tablespoon of whole-grain mustard.
  
• Grind the mustard sauce until combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl.
• Following the food processing, add remaining 1 tablespoon of whole-grain mustard to the sauce and stir to combine. Set aside mustard sauce.
• Preheat the broiler. Line a heavy rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with nonstick spray. Arrange the salmon fillets on the baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
  
• Broil for 2 minutes.
  
• Take out, and spoon the mustard sauce over the fillets.
  
• Continue broiling until the fillets are just cooked through and golden brown, about 5 minutes longer.
• Transfer the fillets to plates and serve with lemon wedges.
• So yummy!