Chicken Spaghetti

2 cans mushroom soup

2 (8 ounce) packages spaghetti

4 cups boneless chicken

breast half, cooked and diced

2 (4 ounce) jars chopped

pimento peppers

1 green bell pepper, diced

(sub with celery)

3 cups shredded, processed

American cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).

2.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

3.

Mix together in large bowl: cooked spaghetti, diced chicken, pimentos, mushroom soup, bell peppers and cheese. Pour into a large casserole dish and bake for 90 minutes in a preheated oven. Serve immediately.

Apricot Chicken

1 Tbsp. olive oil, butter or margarine
1/2 cup chicken broth or 1 tbsp. chicken bouillon or base plus 1/2 cup water
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (2 chicken breasts)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cardamon or marjoram
1/2 cup apricot or peach preserves
1 Tbsp. gourmet mustard (spicy brown or Dijon varieties work well)
1/2 cup nonfat yogurt or fat free sour cream
1 cup baby carrots
2 Tbsp. slivered almonds, walnuts or pine nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt margarine or butter (or add oil) in baking dish. Shake chicken in a plastic bag with flour, salt and cardamon or marjoram, until coated. Place chicken in the baking dish, turning to coat with oil or butter. Bake for 20 minutes. Combine preserves, mustard and yogurt or sour cream. Spread mixture over chicken. Add carrots to baking dish. Pour chicken broth over vegetables, surrounding chicken. Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Top with nuts. Continue to bake for 5 minutes.

Serve with rice or bulgur.

Variation: Add 1 cup each mushrooms and broccoli florets during last 10 minutes of baking.

Serves: 4

Florentine Chicken
1 pkg. (10 oz each) frozen chopped spinach 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (3 chicken breasts) 1/2 cup chicken broth 3 Tbsp. flour 1/2 cup skim milk 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese (fat free works well) 1/8 tsp. nutmeg 1 cup baby carrots 1 cup fresh whole mushrooms Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spinach in package for 3 minutes. Drain well. Spray baking dish with vegetable spray or coat bottom with oil. Place chicken in baking dish. turning to coat. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Remove chicken. In shakable container with lid, combine flour, chicken broth, remaining Parmesan cheese and nutmeg. Microwave for 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Reserve 1/4 cup sauce. Stir spinach into remaining sauce. Spread in bottom of baking dish. Top with chicken. Add carrots and mushrooms. Pour reserved sauce over chicken pieces. Bake uncovered 25-30 minutes. Serve with baked or sweet potatoes and crunchy bread. Serves: 6 Calories: 210 Fat: 5 gm

Microwave Chili
4 oz ground round 1 (15 oz) can chili beans (or kidney beans) 3 Tbsp. Mexine chili powder 1 green pepper, chopped 1 small onion, chopped 2 (15 oz) cans chopped or chili style canned tomatoes 1 Tbsp. minced garlic 1 tsp. cumin 1 tsp. cilantro or dried parsley Combine all ingredients in microwave safe casserole or glass bowl. Microwave on high for fifteen minutes. Stir to blend. Continue to microwave for 20 minutes. Serve with spaghetti or as soup. Serves: 6-8 Calories: 125 Fat: 4 gm

Oven Roasted Vegetables and Pork Chops

4 medium potatoes, cut into 2-inch chunks
4 carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 onion, peeled and quartered
4 large garlic cloves, peeled (leave whole)
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 boneless loin chops
Salt and pepper to taste
dried thyme (optional)

Coat the bottom of a large, shallow baking sheet with olive oil. (The pan should be large enough to hold all the food in a single layer.) Place vegetables in pan, turning them until coated evenly with oil. Place the pork chops in the center of the pan, moving vegetables to make room for the meat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and an herb, if desired. (One tsp. dried thyme works well.) Bake for 35-40 minutes, stirring the vegetables every 10 minutes or so. The vegetables should be tender and browning when done.

Serves: 4
Calories: 349

Mexican Stir Fry
Version #1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 Tbsp. minced garlic 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning mix 1/2 Cup prepared salsa 3 cups mixed vegetables, start with green peppers and onions, add a blend of zucchini or other squash, tomatoes and corn Saute garlic in oil until golden brown. Add sliced meat or chicken. Stir-fry 5 minutes. Add seasoning and salsa to meat. Add vegetables; continue to fry 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with warm flour or corn tortillas or pita bread. Top with plain yogurt for a saucy touch. Version #2 In place of salsa and taco seasoning, add with meat to sauteed garlic: 1/4 cup red wine 1 tsp. cumin 1/2 tsp. red pepper optional: 1 tbsp. cilantro or parsley Saute 5 minutes. Add vegetables. Cook as directed in version #1.

Butternut Squash Casserole

(from AllRecipes.com)
This recipe tastes similar to sweet potato souffle, with a custard-like texture.
Prep Time: approx. 15 Minutes. Cook Time: approx. 1 Hour . Ready in: approx. 1 Hour 15 Minutes. Makes 15 servings.

1 butternut squash 1 cup white sugar 1 1/2 cups milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pinch salt 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 eggs
1/4 cup margarine, melted TOPPING 1/2 (16 ounce) package vanilla wafers, crushed 1/2 cup margarine, melted 1 cup brown sugar

Directions
1 Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2 Put butternut squash in the microwave and cook on high, until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Cut in half, scoop out seeds and cube. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add squash and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash.
3 In a 9x13 inch casserole dish combine 3 cups mashed butternut squash, white sugar, milk, vanilla extract, salt, flour, eggs and 1/4 cup melted margarine.
4 Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until set.

5 In a medium bowl combine crushed vanilla wafers, 1/2 cup melted margarine and brown sugar. Crumble over top of cooked casserole and return to oven to brown.

Broccoli and Garlic Cheese Casserole

2 bags frozen chopped broccoli, thawed (16oz each)

1/2 cup butter, melted

4 green onions, including tops, chopped

1/2 cup chopped celery

3 tablespoons flour

1 roll garlic cheese

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can or jar (4 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained

Cook broccoli; drain. Saute onions and celery in melted butter until tender.

Add flour and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add cheese and stir until melted; blend in soup.

Add broccoli and mushrooms. Turn into a lightly greased casserole dish.

Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
Serves 8 as a side dish, or may be used as a dip.

Brown Rice Risotto with Asparagus and Porcini Mushrooms

1 large shallot, minced
1/4 cup dried porcini mushroom pieces soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, drained and chopped, or 1/2 cup chopped fresh portobello mushroom (1 medium-sized portobello)
2 tablespoons olive oil
7/8 cup brown rice (1 cup less 2 tablespoons)
1 (13-ounce) can chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato sauce or 1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1-pound bunch fresh asparagus
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Microwave method: In a 2-quart casserole, microwave the shallot and mushrooms in the oil on high until sizzling, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice to coat it with oil. In a saucepan, combine the broth and tomato sauce or paste, and heat to boiling on the range top. Pour the broth over the rice. Cover and microwave on high for 6 to 7 minutes, until boiling. Change the setting to medium, and continue to cook for 35 to 40 minutes, until the rice is just tender and the liquid has been absorbed.

Range-top method: Sauté the shallot and mushrooms in a heavy, deep saucepan, and stir in the rice. In a second saucepan, combine the broth and tomato sauce or paste, and heat to boiling. Add about 1 cup of the hot broth to the rice. Remove the remaining broth from the heat. Cook the rice at the lowest possible simmer, partially covered, stirring frequently, until the liquid is almost all absorbed. Add half the remaining broth (which can be warm or at room temperature) and repeat the procedure. Pour in the last of the broth and cook until the rice is tender. Total cooking time should be about 40 minutes. If all the broth is absorbed before the rice is cooked (a distinct possibility with brown rice, which takes so long to cook), add hot water a little at a time until the desired tenderness is reached.

Meanwhile, cut the tough ends off the asparagus and steam the stalks in a small amount of water in a covered skillet until just tender-crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Cut the stalks into 2-inch pieces. Stir the asparagus and cheese into the risotto and serve.

Yield: 6 servings.

Green Bean Casserole

Broccoli and Garlic Cheese Casserole