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!
  

Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:
Mushrooms; washed, with stems removed
2 containers of chive & onion cream cheese
cooked bacon, chopped
Salt & pepper

Directions:

• Rub bottom of glass pan with softened butter
• Mix cream cheese and bacon pieces in bowl
• Spoon mixture into caps, then salt and pepper
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
• If mushrooms are not browned on top after 30 minutes, turn on broiler until brown.
• Enjoy!
  

Oreo Truffles

1 package oreo cookies (divided… use cookie including the cream center)
1 8oz. package cream cheese (softened)
white chocolate bark

1. Finely crush 7 cookies in a food processor or place them in a ziploc bag and crush into a fine consistency. Reserve for later.
2. Crush remaining cookies and stir in softened cream cheese. Use the back of a large spoon to help mash the two together.
3. Roll the mixture into 1″ balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet.
4. Melt chocolate as directed on the package and then dip balls into chocolate, tap off extra and set aside on wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry. You can sprinkle the tops with the 7 crushed cookies for decoration. (I usually eat mine before they make it to this stage.)
5. Once dry, refrigerate and enjoy!

Makes about 36 truffles.

*www.bakerella.com

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cookies

Cookie Ingredients/Directions:
Bowl #1:
4 c. flour
2 c. oatmeal
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Bowl #2:
3 sticks butter
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

*Using one can of pumpkin (16 oz.), mix alternately with bowl #1 (dry ingredients) into bowl #2 (wet mixture)
Bake at 350 for about 8 minutes (check after 7-8).

Frosting Ingredients/Directions:
8 oz. cream cheese
3 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
*Beat together and frost cookies!