Chicken Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette

Ingredients
3/4 cup(s) oil-and-vinegar salad dressing
4 boneless chicken thighs or breast halves, 1 to 1 1/2 pounds
1 1/2 cup(s) plum tomatoes, diced
1 large red onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick (do not separate rings)
1 bag(s) (10 ounces) mixed salad greens
1/2 English cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
Directions
Pour 1/3 cup dressing over chicken, marinate 15 minutes. Pour remaining dressing over tomatoes and set aside.
Preheat grill pan, broiler, or outdoor grill. Spray onion slices with vegetable cooking spray. Cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once during cooking. Transfer to platter. Cook chicken 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
To serve: Toss salad greens and cucumber slices and arrange on dinner plates. Slice chicken and arrange with onion slices over greens, top with tomato vinaigrette.

Grilled Chicken with Vegetables and Avocado

Ingredient

4 medium (1 1/2 pounds) skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves
Salt and pepper
1 lime
2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
2 large (10 ounces each) tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 medium (4 to 6 ounces each) red, orange, and/or yellow peppers, each cut into quarters
1 ripe avocado, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup(s) (10 to 12 ounces) chopped jicama
1/4 cup(s) loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, plus additional leaves for garnish
1/8 teaspoon(s) ground red pepper (cayenne)
Directions
Prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling on medium, or preheat large ridged grill pan on medium.
With meat mallet, pound chicken (placed between 2 sheets plastic wrap) to an even 1/2-inch thickness; season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
From lime, grate 1 1/2 teaspoons peel and squeeze 3 tablespoons juice. In small bowl, combine peel, 1 tablespoon juice, oil , 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
Brush tomatoes and peppers with oil mixture and place on hot grill rack. Cook 8 to 9 minutes or until vegetables are browned and tender, turning over once. Place chicken on hot grill rack and cook 8 to 9 minutes or until browned on both sides and no longer pink throughout, turning over once.
While vegetables and chicken are grilling, in medium bowl, combine avocado, jicama, cilantro, ground red pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice . Stir to combine. Makes 2 1/2 cups salsa.
Serve chicken and vegetables with avocado salsa; garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

Lasagna Toss Bolognese

Ingredients

1 package(s) (16-ounce) lasagna noodles
2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
1 pound(s) lean ground beef or meatloaf mix (ground beef, pork, and veal)
1/2 cup(s) dry red wine
1 jar(s) (24-ounce) marinara sauce
1/3 cup(s) whole milk
3/4 cup(s) part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup(s) fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup(s) freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Pepper
1/3 cup(s) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Directions
Heat large covered saucepot of water to boiling. Add lasagna noodles, and cook as label directs, increasing cooking time by 2 to 3 minutes or until al dente.
Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add meat and cook until no longer pink, breaking it up with spoon, about 3 minutes. (If using meatloaf mix, drain off fat before adding wine.) Add wine; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until almost evaporated. Stir in marinara; heat to boiling. Simmer on low 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in milk; simmer 5 minutes.
In bowl, stir ricotta with basil, Romano, and 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper; set aside.
Drain noodles; return to saucepot. Add meat sauce and mozzarella; toss well. Spoon onto 6 warm plates; top with dollops of ricotta mixture.

Ravioli and Zucchini Lasagna

Ingredients
2 medium (about 1 pound total) zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 package(s) (26 ounces) frozen large cheese ravioli
3 teaspoon(s) olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
8 ounce(s) lean ground beef, 90% fat free
1 jar(s) (26 ounces) tomato-basil sauce
1 cup(s) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup(s) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with paper towels . Grease 2-quart ceramic baking dish.
Heat large covered saucepot of water to boiling over high heat. Add zucchini and cook 5 minutes. With tongs or slotted spoon, remove zucchini to prepared cookie sheet to drain. Return water to boiling. Add ravioli and cook until ravioli rise to top.
Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until tender and lightly browned; transfer to small bowl. In same saucepan, in remaining 1 teaspoon oil, cook beef over medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes or until browned, breaking up beef with side of spoon. Stir in tomato sauce and onion; heat to boiling.
Drain ravioli; return to saucepot. Add meat sauce to ravioli in saucepot and stir until combined.
In prepared baking dish, arrange half of zucchini; top with half of ravioli, then half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layering of all ingredients. Bake 20 minutes or until hot in the center and golden and bubbly on top.

Italian Polenta Casserole

Ingredients
12 ounce(s) hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
12 ounce(s) meatloaf mix (veal, pork, and beef) or ground beef chuck
1 (1-pound) jumbo onion, chopped
2 clove(s) garlic, finely chopped
1 can(s) (28-ounce) whole tomatoes in puree
1 small (1-pound) eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cup(s) water
1 can(s) (14- to 14 1/2-ounce) chicken broth
1 1/2 cup(s) cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
3/4 cup(s) freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
Directions
In 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven, cook sausage and meatloaf mix on medium-high 5 to 6 minutes or until browned, stirring and breaking up meat with side of spoon. With slotted spoon, transfer meat mixture to medium bowl.
To same Dutch oven, add onion; cook on medium 8 to 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with their puree; heat to boiling on high, breaking up tomatoes with side of spoon. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Add eggplant and meat; cover and cook 5 minutes on medium. Uncover and cook 10 minutes longer or until eggplant is tender, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In microwave-safe 4-quart bowl, with wire whisk, combine water, broth, cornmeal, and salt. Microwave on High 15 to 20 minutes or until cornmeal mixture is very thick. After first 5 minutes of cooking, whisk vigorously until smooth (mixture will be lumpy at first); whisk 2 more times during remaining cooking time . Remove from microwave, whisk in Romano.
Spoon 2 cups hot polenta into each of two 1 1/2-quart shallow casseroles. Spread polenta over bottom and up sides of casseroles. Spoon filling over polenta. Spread remaining polenta around casserole edge to form a rim.
Bake one casserole 30 minutes or until hot. Let stand 10 minutes for easier serving. Meanwhile, prepare second casserole for freezing

Chicken-Vegetable Meatloaf

Ingredients

4 slice(s) firm white bread
2 pound(s) ground chicken
1 package(s) (10 oz.) frozen classic mixed vegetables, thawed
3 tablespoon(s) fresh dill, chopped
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. While oven preheats, place bread slices on cookie sheet in oven and toast 10 to 15 minutes or until golden, turning over once. Transfer toast to wire rack to cool slightly. In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse bread until coarsely chopped. (You should have 1 scant cup.) Line 15 1/2" by 10 1/2" jelly-roll pan or 13" by 9" metal baking pan with nonstick aluminum foil.
In large bowl, place chicken, vegetables, dill, eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Add bread crumbs and mix until blended, but do not overmix. In prepared pan, shape meat mixture into 9" by 5" loaf, handling meat as little as possible for best texture.
Bake meatloaf 45 to 55 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted in center reaches 165°F. (Temperature will rise to 170°F upon standing.)
Let meatloaf stand 10 minutes to set juices for easier slicing.

Spinach-Ricotta Gnocchi

Ingredients
1 package(s) (10-ounce) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, finely chopped
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
16 ounce(s) ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon(s) sea salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon(s) nutmeg
1 cup(s) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup(s) flour
Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving
Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
Directions
Stir spinach with whole eggs, yolks, ricotta cheese, sea salt, pepper, nutmeg, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and flour until just combined into a very soft dough.
On a lightly floured surface, gently shape into 1/2-inch-thick ropes. Cut into 1-inch pieces and cook in batches in a large pot of boiling salted water, 4 minutes. Serve drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Best Banana Bread

Ingredients
4 large extra ripe bananas
6 ounce(s) chocolate chips or chunks
1/2 cup(s) raisins
1 stick(s) butter, softened
1 cup(s) sugar
1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon(s) almond extract
2 cup(s) cake flour, plus an additional 2 Tablespoons of cake flour
1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
Directions
Cream the bananas and add chocolate chips/chunks. Set aside.
In large bowl cream the butter and the sugar. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Stir in the banana mixture, mixing well.
Add the cake flour and baking soda to banana mixture. Stir till mixed. Pour into 2 loaf pans. Bake at 350 for one hour or till firm to tap.

Curried Chicken Salad

Ingredients
4 medium (about 1 pound) skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves
1 medium onion, cut into quarters
1/4 cup(s) mango chutney
2 medium celery stalks
1 large mango
1 medium Granny Smith apple
1/3 cup(s) plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup(s) reduced-fat cholesterol-free mayonnaise dressing
2 tablespoon(s) golden raisins
2 teaspoon(s) curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) grated peeled gingerroot
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
Lettuce leaves
Directions
Place chicken breasts in 10-inch skillet. Add onion and enough water to cover the chicken; over high heat, heat to boiling. Remove skillet from heat; cover skillet and let chicken sit in poaching liquid for 20 minutes or until chicken loses its pink color throughout. Remove chicken to plate; cool until easy to handle.
Meanwhile, chop chutney and celery. Peel mango. Cut mango and unpeeled apple into 1/2-inch chunks. In large bowl, combine chutney, celery, mango, apple, yogurt, mayonnaise dressing, raisins, curry powder, ginger, and salt.
When chicken is cool, cut into 1/2-inch chunks. Add chicken to mixture in bowl; toss to coat. Serve chicken salad on lettuce.

Chicken Salad Wrap

Igredients

2 cup(s) cooked skinless chicken, shredded
1 can(s) (1-ounce) mandarin oranges , drained
1/2 cup(s) shredded coconut, toasted
1/2 cup(s) roasted cashews
1 bunch(es) scallions, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) pepper
1/3 cup(s) mayonnaise
1 handful(s) lettuce leaves (optional), for garnish
Directions
Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Add mayonnaise, tossing to coat evenly.
Place lettuce on flour tortillas, if you like. Add chicken mixture and roll up.

Lentil Soup with Cauliflower and Bacon

Ingredients
6 slice(s) bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
1 onion, chopped
1 cup(s) lentils
2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) dried rosemary, crumbled
1 bay leaf
9 cup(s) water
1 small head cauliflower (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into small florets (about 1 quart)
1/3 cup(s) chopped fresh parsley
Directions
In a large pot, cook the bacon strips until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat or, if there's less than 2 tablespoons, add enough olive oil to make up the amount.
Reduce the heat to moderately low. Add the onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the lentils, salt, pepper, rosemary, bay leaf and water to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add the cauliflower florets and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes longer. Remove the bay leaf.
Stir the parsley into the soup. Serve the soup topped with the bacon.
Variation: Substitute broccoli florets for the cauliflower. Add them after the lentils have cooked for about twenty-five minutes and then simmer until the broccoli is tender, five to ten minutes longer.
Wine Recommendation: Look to South Africa's native pinotage grape for something a little unusual to accompany this savory soup. Pinotage produces supple, spicy red wines with a smoky tang and a delicious berry fruitiness.

Fresh Corn Soufflé with Bacon

Ingredients
Unsalted butter, for rubbing
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese , for coating
Salt
4 ear(s) corn, shucked
1/4 pound(s) thickly sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch strips
1 cup(s) milk
Freshly ground pepper
3 large egg yolks
2 cup(s) shredded Comté cheese (6 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon(s) chopped thyme
6 large egg whites
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish and coat it with the Parmesan. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add salt and the corn and boil over high heat just until tender, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small skillet, cook the bacon over high heat for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to moderate and cook until browned, about 5 minutes longer.
Using tongs, transfer the corn to a plate. Drain off the water and return the saucepan to the stove. Cut the corn kernels from the cobs; you should have 2 1/2 cups. Put 2 cups of the kernels in the saucepan and add the milk. Simmer over moderate heat until the milk has reduced by one-third, about 5 minutes. Transfer the corn and milk to a blender and puree until very smooth. Scrape the puree into a large bowl and stir in the bacon and the remaining 1/2 cup of corn kernels. Season lightly with salt and pepper and stir in the egg yolks, Comte and thyme. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool to room temperature.
In a large stainless steel bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt at high speed until they hold firm peaks. Stir one-third of the whites into the corn base to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining whites until just blended. Scrape the mixture into the prepared soufflé dish and bake for 45 minutes, or until nicely browned and slightly jiggly in the center. Serve right away.

Grilled Asparagus with Pepper

Ingredients
3 large egg yolks
1 large egg
3 tablespoon(s) vin santo or other lightly sweet dessert wine
2 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon(s) heavy cream
1 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
Kosher salt
2 pound(s) large asparagus
2 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoon(s) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Directions
Light a grill or heat a grill pan. In a heatproof medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the egg and vin santo. Set the bowl over a medium saucepan of simmering water and vigorously whisk the eggs over moderate heat until the sauce holds firm peaks, about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl of sauce from the heat.
In a small bowl, mix the butter with the heavy cream and pepper. Whisk the cream mixture into the sauce, 1 tablespoon at a time, until incorporated. Season the zabaglione with salt and keep warm.
In a large bowl, toss the asparagus with the olive oil and season with salt. Grill the asparagus over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until charred all over and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the asparagus to plates.
Set the bowl of sauce over the saucepan of simmering water and whisk over low heat until thick and just heated through, about 1 minute. Spoon the sauce over the asparagus, sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and serve.